2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX tow

Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
TONE:Press and release this button until BASS, MID,
or TREB appears on the display. The SELECT LED
indicator will light to show that the tone control can be
adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to increase or to
decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to
decrease the treble.
Pressing and holding the TONE button for two seconds
will return all speaker settings to the middle position.
EQ (Equalizer):Press this button to select customized
bass, mid, and treble equalization settings.
You can set up to six customized equalization settings
by performing the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Use the TONE button and the SELECT knob to
create the desired equalization.
3. Press and hold the EQ button for two seconds.
SELECT EQ # will appear on the display and the
EQ symbol will ¯ash.
4. Press EQ or turn the SELECT knob to select the
desired EQ number.5. Press and hold the EQ button or push the SELECT
knob to store the equalization setting and the
number. You will hear a beep and EQ SAVED will
appear on the display.
6. Repeat the steps for the other EQ settings and
numbers.
EQ 5 has been programmed at the factory for use with
talk radio, but it can be set to a different tone.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance):Press and release this button until
BAL appears on the display. The SELECT LED indicator
will light to show that the speakers can be adjusted.
Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the
left or the right speakers.
FADE:Press and release this button until FADE
appears on the display. The SELECT LED indicator
will light to show that the speakers can be adjusted.
Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the
front or the rear speakers.
Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for two
seconds will return all speaker settings to the middle
position.
3-103

Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO:Push the AUDIO knob until BASS, MID, or
TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase
or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may
want to decrease the treble.
To adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle position,
select BASS, MID, or TREB and push and hold the
AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and adjust
the display level to zero.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or
speaker control is displayed. The radio will produce one
beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization):Press this button
to choose between bass, midrange, and treble
equalization settings designed for country, jazz, talk,
pop, rock, and classical program types.
To return to the manual mode (CUSTOM), press the
AUTO EQ button until CUSTOM appears on the display.
Then you will be able to manually adjust the bass,
midrange, and treble using the AUDIO knob.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO:To adjust the balance between the right
and the left speakers, push the AUDIO knob until BAL
appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the
sound toward the left or the right speakers.
To adjust the fade between the front and rear speakers,
push and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD appears on
the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the
front or the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and the fade to the middle
position, select balance or fade and push and hold
the AUDIO knob. The radio will beep once and
will adjust the display level to the middle position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker controls are displayed. The radio will
produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on
the display.
3-117

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

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 ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-77.
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 transaxle 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 ªTowing Your
Vehicleº following.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle ± such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly towingº
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a ªdollyº).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See ªDinghy
Towingº and ªDolly Towing,º following.
4-33

Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
·What's the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
·How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
·Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
·Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you'll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be
towed. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-25.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground will damage drivetrain components.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See ªDolly Towingº following for
more information.
Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
5. Release the parking brake.
4-34

Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment 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 Ð 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 ªWeight of the Trailerº 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

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
·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 ®rst 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
·Then, during the ®rst 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:
·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 lbs (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 48232-5172
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
4-38

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. And if you tow a trailer, you must add the
tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will
be carrying that weight, too. See
Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-35for more information about your
vehicle's maximum load capacity.If you're using a weight-carrying hitch or a
weight-distributing hitch, the trailer tongue (A)
should weigh 10 to 15 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B).
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then
the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper.
If they aren't, you may be able to get them right simply by
moving some items around in the trailer.Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are in¯ated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll ®nd these numbers on the
Tire Loading Information label, found on the inside of the
trunk lid, or see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-35.
Then be sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
4-39