
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  

Vehicle Damage  Warnings 
Also, in this  book  you  will find these  notices: 
Notice: These mean there is something that could 
damage  your  vehicle. 
A notice will tell  you  about  something  that can damage 
your vehicle.  Many  times, this damage  would  not  be 
covered  by your  warranty, and  it  could  be costly. 
But  the notice will tell  you what  to do  to  help avoid the 
damage. 
When  you read other  manuals, you might  see 
CAUTION  and  NOTICE  warnings  in different colors 
or 
in different words. 
You’ll  also see warning labels 
on your vehicle.  They 
use  the  same  words,  CAUTION  or NOTICE. 
Vehicle Symbols 
Your  vehicle  has  components  and  labels that use 
symbols  instead of text.  Symbols,  used  on  your  vehicle, 
are  shown  along with  the text describing the operation 
or  information relating to  a specific  component,  control, 
message,  gage  or  indicator. 
If you  need help figuring  out a specific name of a 
component,  gage  or  indicator reference the following 
topics: 
Seats  and  Restraint Systems in Section 1 
Features and Controls in Section 2 
Instrument Panel  Overview in Section 3 
Climate Controls in  Section 3 
Warning Lights, Gages  and  Indicators in Section 3 
Audio  System(s) in Section 3 
Engine  Compartment  Overview  in Section 5 
iv  

The person keeps going until stopped by something. 
In  a  real vehicle,  it  could be the windshield 
... 
or  the  instrument  panel.. 
1-10  

I SRS AIR BAG 
I 
L 
United  States 
L 
Canada 
There  is  a  air  bag readiness light on the  instrument 
panel,  which  shows 
SRS AIR BAG or  the  air bag 
symbol. 
The  system  checks  the  air  bag  electrical system for 
malfunctions.  The light tells  you 
if there  is an electrical 
problem.  See  Air  Bag  Readiness  Light 
on page 3-26 
for  more information. 
Where  Are  the Air Bags? 
The driver’s air bag is in the  middle  of the  steering 
wheel. 
1-53  

If  something is between an occupant  and  an 
air  bag,  the  bag  might  not  inflate  properly  or 
it 
might  force  the  object  into  that  person  causing 
severe  injury  or  even  death. The path 
of an 
inflating  air  bag  must  be  kept  clear. Don’t  put 
anything  between  an occupant  and  an  air bag, 
and  don’t  attach  or  put  anything  on  the 
steering  wheel  hub  or  on  or  near  any other 
air  bag  covering. 
The  right front  passenger’s air bag  is  in the  instrument 
panel 
on the passenger’s  side. 
1-54  

When  Should  an Air Bag Inflate? 
An  air  bag is  designed  to  inflate in a moderate  to severe 
frontal,  or  near-frontal crash. The air bag  will inflate 
only 
if the  impact  speed is above the  system’s designed 
“threshold  level.” 
If your  vehicle goes straight into  a 
wall  that  doesn’t  move  or  deform, the threshold level is 
about 
12 to 18 mph (19 to 29 km/h). The threshold 
level  can  vary,  however,  with  specific vehicle design, 
so that it can be somewhat  above or below  this  range. 
If your  vehicle  strikes  something that will move  or 
deform,  such  as  a  parked  car,  the threshold level will 
be  higher.  The  air bag is not designed  to inflate 
in 
rollovers,  rear  impacts,  or  in many  side impacts because 
inflation  would  not  help  the occupant. 
in  any  particular  crash,  no one can say  whether  an air 
bag  should  have  inflated simply  because  of the  damage 
to  a  vehicle  or  because  of what  the repair  costs were. 
Inflation  is determined  by the angle  of the  impact 
and  how  quickly  the vehicle  slows down in frontal  or 
near-frontal  impacts. 
What  Makes  an Air Bag  Inflate? 
In an  impact  of sufficient  severity,  the air bag sensing 
system detects that the vehicle  is in 
a crash. The 
sensing system triggers  a release 
of gas from  the 
inflator, which  inflates the  air bag. The  inflator,  air bag, 
and related hardware are all part  of the  air bag 
modules inside the steering wheel  and 
in the  instrument 
panel in front  of the  right  front passenger. 
How Does  an Air Bag  Restrain? 
In moderate  to severe frontal or  near-frontal collisions, 
even belted occupants can contact the  steering wheel or 
the  instrument  panel.  Air bags supplement the 
protection provided  by safety  belts.  Air  bags distribute 
the  force  of the impact more  evenly over the occupant’s 
upper body, stopping the  occupant more gradually. 
But air bags would  not help  you in many types  of 
collisions, including  rollovers,  rear impacts and many 
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion  is 
not toward those air  bags.  Air bags should  never  be 
regarded as anything more than  a supplement to  safety 
belts,  and then  only 
in moderate  to severe frontal  or 
near-frontal collisions. 
1-55  

What Will You  See  After  an Air Bag 
Inflates? 
After  an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that 
some  people  may  not  even  realize the air bag  inflated. 
Some  components  of the  air bag  module  -the steering 
wheel  hub for the driver’s air  bag  or the instrument panel 
for  the  right front passenger’s bag 
- will be hot  for a 
short time.  The parts  of the  bag  that  come  into contact 
with  you  may  be warm,  but not too hot  to touch.  There will 
be  some  smoke  and  dust coming  from the vents  in the 
deflated  air bags.  Air  bag  inflation doesn’t prevent the 
driver from seeing  or being able  to steer  the vehicle, 
no-  ”oes  it sto-  Teople from leaving  the vehicle 
When  an  air 
,,g inflates,  there is dust i.. khe 
air.  This  dust  could  cause  breathing  problems 
for  people  with  a  history  of  asthma  or  other  breathing  trouble. 
To avoid this, everyone in 
the  vehicle  should  get  out  as soon as it is  safe 
CAUTION: (Continued)  to  do 
so. If  you hawe breath ...d prob.,.ns 
butcan’t  get  out  of  the  vehicle  after  an air  bag 
inflates,  then  get  fresh  air  by  opening  a 
window  or  a  door.  If  you  experience  breathing 
problems  following  an  air  bag  deployment, 
you  should  seek  medical  attention. 
In  many  crashes  severe  enough  to  inflate an  air bag, 
windshields are broken  by vehicle  deformation. 
Additional windshield  breakage  may  also  occur  from  the 
right front  passenger  air  bag. 
0 Air  bags are designed  to  inflate only  once.  After  an 
air  bag  inflates,  you’ll  need  some  new  parts for 
your  air bag system.  If  you  don’t  get  them,  the air 
bag  system  won’t  be  there to help  protect  you 
in  another crash. 
A new  system  will include  air  bag 
modules  and possibly  other  parts.  The  service 
manual  for  your vehicle  covers the  need  to replace 
other parts. 
I 
1-56  

Your  vehicle is equipped  with  a  crash sensing and 
diagnostic  module,  which  records information 
about  the air bag  system.  The  module records 
information  about  the  readiness of the system, 
when  the  system  commands  air  bag inflation and 
driver’s  safety  belt usage  at deployment. 
Let  only  qualified technicians  work  on your air bag 
system.  Improper  service  can mean that  your  air 
bag  system  won’t  work  properly. See  your  dealer for 
service. 
Notice: If  you  damage  the  covering  for  the  driver’s 
or  the  right  front  passenger’s  air  bag, the  bag 
may  not  work  properly.  You  may  have  to replace  the 
air  bag  module  in 
the steering  wheel  or  both  the 
air  bag  module  and  the  instrument  panel  for 
the  right  front  passenger’s  air  bag. 
Do not  open  or 
break  the  air  bag  coverings. 
Servicing  Your Air Bag-Equipped 
Vehicle 
Air  bags  affect  how  your  vehicle should be serviced. 
There are parts  of the  air bag system 
in several places 
around  your vehicle. 
You don’t  want  the system  to 
inflate  while someone is working on your vehicle. 
Your  dealer and the service manual have information 
about  servicing  your vehicle and the air  bag system. 
To  purchase  a senlice  manual,  see Service Publications 
Ordering  Informal 
7 on page 7- 10. 
For up to 10 seconds  afi the  ignitio ’ is 
turned off and  the  battery is disconnected, 
an  air  bag  can  still  inflate  during  improper 
service.  You  can  be  injured  if  you  are  close  to 
an  air  bag  when 
it inflates.  Avoid  yellow 
connectors.  They  are  probably  part  of  the  air  bag  system.  Be  sure  to  follow  proper  service 
procedures,  and  make  sure  the  person 
performing  work  for  you 
is qualified  to  do so. 
The  air bag system does not need regular maintenance. 
1-57