2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX steering

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not in¯ate in a crash, or they
could even in¯ate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the air bag
readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should ¯ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Up-Shift Light
This symbol can appear
on the instrument panel
if the vehicle has a
supercharged engine and
the shift lever is in the
MANUAL (M) transaxle
position.
It will appear as a prompt to up-shift to the next gear
using one of the TAP-ShiftŸ paddles located on
the steering wheel.
This symbol will also appear on the Head Up
Display (HUD).
See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-22for
more information.
3-35

SERVICE VARIABLE EFFORT
STEERING
This symbol appears with
the SERVICE VARIABLE
EFFORT STEERING
warning message.
If the vehicle has Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), it has the
variable steering effort system. This warning message
will display if this system is not functioning properly.
See
Steering on page 4-14for more information.
Have your system serviced by your dealer as soon
as possible.
This warning message will display only while the ignition
is in RUN. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this warning message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display if it has not been
acknowledged when the engine is turned off. It will
also re-display for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
The message will re-appear when the engine is turned
on and the condition still exists.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This symbol appears with
the SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON warning message.
This warning message displays when a non-emissions
related malfunction occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.
This warning message will display only while the ignition
is in RUN. Press the set/reset button to acknowledge
this warning message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display if it has not been
acknowledged when the engine is turned off. It will
also re-display for three seconds if the message has
been acknowledged, but the condition still exists
when the engine is turned off.
The message will re-appear when the engine is turned
on and the condition still exists.
3-84

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
wtux(Seek):Press the up arrow to seek to
the next station and the down arrow to seek to the
previous station. The sound will mute while seeking.
When playing a cassette tape press either arrow to
go to the previous or next selection on the cassette tape.
Your tape must have at least three seconds of silence
between each selection for previous to work.When playing a compact disc press either arrow to go
to the previous or next selection on the CD if more than
eight seconds have passed. If you press either arrow
more than once, the player will continue moving
backward or forward through the disc.
BAND:Press this button to choose FM1, FM2, AM, or
XM1 or XM2 (USA only, if equipped).
1-6:Press this button to scan your radio preset
stations. The radio will scan to the ®rst preset station
stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then
go on to the next preset station. The radio will scan
only to stations that are in the selected band and only to
those with a strong signal. Press this button again to
stop scanning.
$(Mute):Press this button to silence the system.
Press it again to turn on the sound.
r(Play):Press this button to play a cassette tape or
compact disc when listening to the radio.
wux(Volume):Press the up or down arrow to
increase or decrease volume.
3-129

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).......................4-10
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)....................4-11
Stabilitrak
žPlus System................................4-13
Steering......................................................4-14
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-16
Passing.......................................................4-16
Loss of Control.............................................4-18
Driving at Night............................................4-19
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-20City Driving..................................................4-23
Freeway Driving...........................................4-24
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-25
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-26
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-26
Winter Driving..............................................4-28
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-32
Towing..........................................................4-33
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-33
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-37
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control of
your vehicle. Also see
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-10andEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on
page 4-11.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That'sperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That'sreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second.
But that's only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs
and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
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.
4-6

Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the
vehicle in front of you, you won't have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you don't have anti-lock,
your ®rst reaction Ð to hit the brake pedal hard andhold it down Ð may be the wrong thing to do. Your
wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can't
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in
whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don't have anti-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing
on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear
or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you
dohave
anti-lock, it's different. See ªAnti-Lock Brake Systemº
in this section.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-9

StabilitrakžPlus System
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle stability
enhancement system called StabilitrakžPlus. It is
an advanced computer controlled system that assists
you with directional control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
Stabilitrak
žPlus comes on whenever the vehicle is
started. It activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between your intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. Stabilitrak
ž
Plus selectively applies braking pressure at any one of
the vehicle's brakes to help steer the vehicle in the
direction which you are steering.
This symbol, along with
the STABILITY CONTROL
ACTIVE message will
appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC).See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle in
the direction you want it to go.
If there is a problem
detected with Stabilitrak
ž
Plus, this symbol along
with the SERVICE
STABILITY SYSTEM
warning message will be
displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65. When
this message is displayed, the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted accordingly.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when Stabilitrak
žPlus
activates, the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to safely use it again,
you may reengage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control
Lever on page 3-8for more information.
4-13

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Variable Effort Steering
If your vehicle has this steering system, the system
provides less steering effort for parking and when driving
at speeds below 20 mph (32 km/h). Steering effort will
increase at higher speeds for improved road feel.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject
to the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever tried to
steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems Ð steering and braking Ð have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you're steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems Ð steering and acceleration Ð can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control. See
Traction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-10orEnhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 4-11.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-14