2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX turn signal

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces your
area of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space
if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following
driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease
a
little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
4-1 6

City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You’ll save time and energy.
See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
4-22

Freeway Driving The most important advice on freeway driving is:
Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to
the freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as
you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal,
check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the
traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to
the posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
your “blind” spot.
4-23

Driving with a Trailer
Passing
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns. You’ll need more
passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing
a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice: Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer
to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
4-4 1

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument
panel will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know
if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you
if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have overdrive, you may have to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
Parking on Hills
1 -J really should not ,,rk yo^, wG,kle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill.
If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
4-42

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service ............................................................ 5.3
Doing Your
Owr? Service Work ......................... 5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
.............................................. 5-4
Fuel ................................................................ 5-5
Gasoline Octane
............................................ 5-5
Gasoline Specifications
.................................... 5-5
California Fuel
............................................... 5-6
Additives
....................................................... 5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
............................... 5-7
Filling Your Tank
............................................ 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
....................... 5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood .................... 5-10
Hood Release
.............................................. 5-10
Engine Compartment Overview
....................... 5-12
Engine Oil
................................................... 5-18
Supercharger Oil
.......................................... 5-24
Engine Air CleanedFilter
................................ 5-25
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
.............................. 5-27
Engine Coolant
............................................. 5-30
Radiator Pressure Cap
.................................. 5-33
Cooling System
........................................... -5-36
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5-46
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................ 5-48
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5-33 Brakes
........................................................ 5.49
Battery
........................................................ 5.52
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-53
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-60
Halogen Bulbs
.............................................. 5-60
Headlamps
.................................................. 5-60
Front Turn Signal and Sidemarker Lamps
........ 5-62
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
......... 5-63
Taillamps, Sidemarker and Back-up Lamps
...... 5-64
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-66
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............. 5-67
Tires ............................................................. -5-68
Inflation
-- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-69
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-70
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-72
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-73
Headlamp Aiming ........................................... 5-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-73
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-75
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-76
Changing a Flat Tire
..................................... 5-76
Compact Spare Tire
...................................... 5-87
5- 1

Front Turn Signal and Sidemarker
6. Place the new bulb into the socket.
7. Turn the bulb socket one-quarter turn clockwise to
reinstall it.
8. Turn the lamp socket ring a quarter turn clockwise
to place it back into the headlamp assembly.
9. Lift the plastic tab on the electrical connector and
reinstall the connector.
10. Carefully reinstall the headlamp assembly. Be
careful to avoid scratching or chipping the paint
on the vehicle while reinstalling the assembly.
11. Reinstall the two bolts on the top of the headlamp
assembly.
Lamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the two bolts from the top of the headlamp
assembly.
3. Remove the headlamp assembly from the vehicle.
Be careful to avoid scratching or chipping the paint
on the vehicle while removing
it.
counterclockwise to remove.
4. Turn the front sidemarker bulb socket a quarter turn
5-62

Backglass Antenna .......................................... 3-59
Backing Up .................................................... 4-41
Battery .......................................................... 5-52
Battery Replacement ......................................... 2-6
Battery Run-Down Protection ............................ 3-1 5
Before Leaving on a Long Trip ......................... 4-24
Body Lubrication Service .......................... 6-10
Brake
Parking
...................................................... 2-27
System Inspection ....................................... 6-1 4
System Warning Light .................................. 3-28
Brake Fluid .................................................... 5-49
Brake Wear ................................................... 5-51
Brakes .......................................................... 5-49
Braking ........................................................... 4-6
Break-In, New Vehicle ..................................... 2-19
Bulb Replacement ........................................... 5-60
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) ........ 5-63
Front Turn Signal and Sidemarker Lamps ....... 5-62
Halogen Bulbs ............................................ 5-60
Headlamp Aiming ........................................ 5-59
Headlamps ................................................. 5-60
Replacement Bulbs ...................................... 5-66
Taillamps, Sidemarker and Back-up Lamps ..... 5-64
Buying New Tires ........................................... 5-71
Braking in Emergencies ..................................... 4-9
C
California Fuel .................................................. 5-6
Canada ........................................................... 7-4
Canadian Owners ................................................ ii
Canadian Roadside Assistance ........................... 7-6
Capacities and Specifications .......................... 5-1 02
Carbon Monoxide ................... 4-27, 4-37, 2-1 1, 2-31
Care of
Safety Belts ................................................ 5-91
Care of the HUD ............................................ 3-17
Care of Your
Cassette Tape Player
................................... 3-58
CD Player .................................................. 3-59
Cassette Tape Messages ................................. 3-47
Cassette Tape Player Service ............................. 6-9
Center Console Storage Area ........................... 2-40
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) ........... 5-63
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts ............. 1-21
Chains, Tires .................................................. 5-75
Check
Checking Coolant
............................................ 5-31
Checking Things Under the Hood ...................... 5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................... 1-58
CDS .......................................................... 3-59
CD Adapter Kits ............................................. 3-48
Charging System Light .................................... 3-27
Engine Light ............................................... 3-32
Checking Engine Oil ........................................ 5-18
Chemical Paint Spotting ................................... 5-94
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