2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX weight

Q: What are the different types of add-on child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height,
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs. Newborn infants
need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is
necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is
weak and its head weighs
so much compared
with the rest of its body.
In a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing seat settles into the restraint,
so the
crash forces can be distributed across the
~ strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and
shoulders. Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
1-34

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Runqing
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure the vehicle
is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) (without first
pushing the shift lever button).
If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock”.
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see Shifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-28.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
2-29

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death to!!, claiming thousands
of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
0 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured. Many adults
- by
some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under
21,
it’s against the law in every US. state to drink alcohol.
There are
good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive. But what
if people do? How much is “too
much”
if someone plans to drive? It’s a lot less
than many might think. Although it depends on each
person and situation, here is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who
is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a
180 Ib (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (1 20 mi) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1 - 1/2 ounces
(45 ml)
of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
I
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or
90 mi of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference,
too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than
a man of her same body weight when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in an increasing number of
U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at
0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States
is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.1
0 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and
how quickly the person drinks them.
4-4

And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy);
tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time
to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little.
This is normal.
4-7

Loading Your Vehicle
.
1 TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
1 OCCUPANTS VEHiCLE 6
OT, ADD 28KPA(4PSI)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label is
on the inside of the trunk lid. The label tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also give you
important information about the number of people
that can be in your vehicle and the total weight you can
carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight and includes the weigh of all occupants, cargo
and all non-factory installed options. The
other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
4-35

If you do have a heavy load, spread it out. Don’t carry
more than
167 pounds (75 kg) in your trunk.
~ 3 not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and
it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash.
Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Notice: Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because
of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle - like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else - they will go as
fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or
turn quickly,
or if there is a crash, they’ll keep going. Things you
put insi your
ve--.:le can s.. .. and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle.
In a trunk, put them as far forward as you
can. Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
4-36

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.
4-37