2006 PONTIAC G6 brake

LOW OIL LEVEL:This message may display on some
vehicles. For correct operation of the low oil sensing
system, your vehicle should be on a level surface.
A false LOW OIL LEVEL message may appear if the
vehicle is parked on a grade. The oil level sensing
system does not check for actual oil level if the engine
has been off for a short period of time, and the oil
level is never checked while the engine is running. If the
LOW OIL LEVEL message appears, and your vehicle
has been parked on level ground with the engine off for
at least 30 minutes, the oil level should be checked
by observing the oil dipstick. Prior to checking the
oil level, be sure the engine has been off for a few
minutes and your vehicle is on a level surface. Then
check the dipstick and add oil if necessary. SeeEngine
Oil on page 5-17.
LOW WASHER FLUID:This message will display
when your vehicle is low on windshield washer uid. You
should rell the windshield washer uid reservoir as
soon as possible. See “Adding Washer Fluid” under
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
PARKING BRAKE:This message will display if the
parking brake is left engaged and you try to drive away.
SeeParking Brake on page 2-33for more information.
POWER STEERING:This message will display if
a problem has been detected with the electric power
steering, if equipped. Have your vehicle serviced
immediately by your GM dealer.SERVICE AIR BAG:There is a problem with the airbag
system when this message appears. Have your
vehicle serviced immediately by your GM dealer.
STABIL (StabiliTrak
®) NOT READY:When you rst
start your vehicle and drive away, especially during cold
winter weather, this message may display. This is
normal. The StabiliTrak
®performance is affected until
this message automatically clears from the DIC display.
If you acknowledge and clear this message by
pressing one of the DIC buttons, the StabiliTrak
®
system will not be ready. The system will only be ready
when this message clears from the DIC display on
its own. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-12for
more information.
TOP FAILED:If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop,
this message will display after ve unsuccessful
attempts at retractable hardtop operation. See your
GM dealer for service. SeeLowering the Retractable
Hardtop on page 2-49andRaising the Retractable
Hardtop on page 2-51for more information.
Top Inop (Inoperative) – Trunk:If your vehicle has a
retractable hardtop, this message will display if the
trunk lid is not completely closed when operating the
retractable hardtop. Make sure that the trunk lid is
closed when operating the retractable hardtop. See
Trunk on page 2-14,Lowering the Retractable Hardtop
on page 2-49, andRaising the Retractable Hardtop
on page 2-51for more information.
3-50

TOP MOVE COMPLT (Complete):If your vehicle has
a retractable hardtop, this message will display when
the retractable hardtop has lowered or raised
completely. SeeLowering the Retractable Hardtop on
page 2-49andRaising the Retractable Hardtop on
page 2-51for more information.
Top Not Allowed:If your vehicle has a retractable
hardtop with an automatic transaxle, this message will
display if the retractable hardtop button is pressed while
the vehicle is not in PARK (P). Make sure that the
vehicle is in PARK (P) when operating the retractable
hardtop. SeeLowering the Retractable Hardtop on
page 2-49andRaising the Retractable Hardtop
on page 2-51for more information.
If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop with a manual
transaxle, this message will display if the retractable
hardtop button is pressed while the parking brake is not
set and/or the vehicle’s speed is greater than 2 mph
(3 km/h). Make sure that the parking brake is set and the
vehicle’s speed is lowered or the vehicle is stopped
when operating the retractable hardtop. SeeLowering
the Retractable Hardtop on page 2-49andRaising
the Retractable Hardtop on page 2-51for more
information.
TOP NOT SECURE:If your vehicle has a retractable
hardtop, this message will display when the retractable
hardtop button is released before the top open orclose operation is complete. Press and hold the
retractable hardtop button to fully open or close the top.
SeeLowering the Retractable Hardtop on page 2-49
andRaising the Retractable Hardtop on page 2-51
for more information.
TOP OVER TEMP (Temperature):If your vehicle has
a retractable hardtop, this message will display when
the retractable hardtop button is pressed and the
hardtop pump motor temperature is too hot. Wait for the
hardtop pump motor to cool down before using the
retractable hardtop. SeeLowering the Retractable
Hardtop on page 2-49andRaising the Retractable
Hardtop on page 2-51for more information.
TOP TOO COLD:If your vehicle has a retractable
hardtop, this message will display when the retractable
hardtop button is pressed and the hardtop pump
motor temperature is too cold. Wait for the hardtop
pump motor to warm up before using the retractable
hardtop. SeeLowering the Retractable Hardtop on
page 2-49andRaising the Retractable Hardtop
on page 2-51for more information.
TRUNK AJAR:This message will display when the
trunk lid of your vehicle is not closed completely.
You should make sure that the trunk lid is closed
completely. SeeTrunk on page 2-14for more
information.
3-51

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)....................4-11
StabiliTrak
®System......................................4-12
Steering......................................................4-13
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-16
Loss of Control.............................................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-20City Driving..................................................4-22
Freeway Driving...........................................4-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-25
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-26
Winter Driving..............................................4-27
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-32
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-32
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-33
Towing..........................................................4-38
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-38
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-38
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-40
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-10.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “be ready for
anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or
expressways, it means “always expect the
unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are
going to be careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for
their mistakes.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance. It
is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both
city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or
turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything that
distracts from the driving task — such as
concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, reaching for something on the oor,
adjusting settings, or programming vehicle
systems — makes proper defensive driving
more difficult and can even cause a collision,
with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help
do these things, or pull off the road in a safe
place to do them. These simple defensive
driving techniques could save your life.
4-2

What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden
action, as when a child darts into the street? A person
with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react
quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
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 are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9,Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on
page 4-11andStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-12.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-5

Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is 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 three-fourths 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 is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or 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 are driving, brake
normally but do not 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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-6

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 briey 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.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking while trying to
avoid the animal. Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel. See
Braking in Emergencies on page 4-8.
4-7

The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: Anti-lock does not 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 will not 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
Do not 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. SeeBraking in Emergencies
on page 4-8.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
cannot 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.
4-8