
The 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner Manual a
Seats and Restpaint Systems ........................... ? -1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-29
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) ......... 1-51
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-58
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
................................................. 2-1 3
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-1 5
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-19
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-33
Onstar@ System
...................................... 2-38
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-40
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-42
Vehicle Personalization
............................. 2-43
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-23
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-38
Trip Computer
......................................... 3-40
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-44
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
~rivingi yoerr Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-33
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............... 5-10
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-59
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-60
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-67
Tires
...................................................... 5-68
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-88
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-96
Electrical System
...................................... 5-97
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-1 02
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-1 04
Maintenance Schedule ........................... ,6-1 ..
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Reporting Safety Defects
......................... 7-9
Index ........................................ ..... 1

As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrow
flashes faster than normal, a signal bulb may be burned
out and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you signal
a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check the
fuse. See Fuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 5-97.
A chime will sound if you leave the turn signal on
for more than
3/4 mile (1.2 km).
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low-beam to high-beam,
or high to low, pull the multifunction lever
all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will appear. While the high-beam headlamps are
on, the fog lamps will
not illuminate.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up-Display
(HUD), an arrow will appear in the display area to
indicate that the high beams are on. See Head-Up
Display
(HUD) on page 3-75 for more information.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even
if your headlamps are in the automatic or
off position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you, then
release it.
If the headlamps are in the automatic position or on
low-beam, the high-beam headlamps will turn on and the
high-beam indicator on the instrument panel cluster
will come on. They will stay on as long as you hold the
lever toward you. Release the lever to return to the
initial position.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up-Display
(HUD), an arrow will appear in the display area to
indicate that the high beams are on.
3-6

Oil Pressure Light
United States
kPa
I I
Canada
the ignition to RUN. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
0 If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for
a moment. This is normal.
If you have a problem with your oil pressure, this light
may stay on after you start your engine, or come
on when you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine
could be low on oil or could have some other oil
problem. Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in two other situations:
0 While the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light
will come on as a test to show you
it’s working. The light will go out when you turn
.
Do keep driving if the oi , ressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon
as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice: Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
3-35

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

Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement bulb, see
Replacement
Bulbs on page 5-66.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
Headlamps
1. Open the hood.
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside
and can burst
if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or others could be injured. Be sure to read
and
follow the instructions on the bulb
package.
2. Remove the two bolts from the top
of the
headlamp assembly.
5-60

3. Carefully remove the headlamp assembly from the
vehicle. Be careful to avoid scratching or chipping
the paint
on the vehicle while removing.
4. Lift the plastic tab on the electrical connector and
pull the connector out.
5. Turn the lamp socket ring a quarter turn
counterclockwise to remove it from the headlamp
assembly. Pull the old bulb from the socket.
5-61

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