2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX engine

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis: lack of awareness; or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum
of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Don’t let it happen to you! If
it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in
less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First,
be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads. Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to
do all the work of slowing down. They could
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
your engine running and your vehicle in gear
get
so hot
that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have
when you go downhill.
.. you don’t shi-- Aown, your -_ -._es co - ,et
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on
a steep
downhill slope.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
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Here are some things to do to summon help and keep
yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing,
make body insulators from newspapers,
burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can
wrap around yourself or tuck under your
clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm,
but be careful.
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vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can’t see
it or
smell
it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base
of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will
help keep
CO out. I
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get
and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so
until help comes.
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If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need
to spin the wheels, but you don’t want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as “rocking” can
help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must
use caution.
If yo
et your tires s 1 ai -. spee--7 ~~~ -y can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle To Get
It Out.’’
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see Tire Chains on page
5-75.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels.
If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system
off.
See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-10. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxl is in
gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and
reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get you out
after
a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you
do need
to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle”
following.
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Towing a Trailer
If you don’t use the correct eq+ment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well
-- or even
at all. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. You may also damage your
vehicle; the resulting repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Pull a trailer only if
you have followed all the steps
in this section.
Ask your dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with your vehicle. Your
vehicle can tow a trailer
if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment.
To identify what
the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that
appears later in this section. But trailering
is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has
to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In
it are many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and that of your
passengers.
So please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more,
the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
e
e
e
e
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you’ll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your
engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow
a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers, or no more than 55 mph
(90 km/h),
to save wear on your vehicle’s parts. Three
important considerations have to do with weight:
e the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1000 Ibs (454 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend
on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information
or advice, or you can write us at:
Pontiac-GMC Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-51 72
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre,
163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1 H 8P7
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Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here
are some rules to follow:
The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when you remove the
hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle. See Engine Exhaust on page
2-37. Dirt and
water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to
the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be provided by the
hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains and do not attach them to the bumper.
Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn
with your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap
into your vehicle’s brake system. If you
do, both brake
systems won’t work
well, or at all.
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