2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX mirror

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
or the Traction Control System (TCS), or if the system
is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. See
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-11or
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do
not have ABS, then in a braking skid, where the
wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down
steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
4-18

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare
from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.
4-19

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is:
Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
4-23

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
4-25

Before starting, check the trailer hitch and platform (and
attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires, and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets you check
the electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
when driving the vehicle without a trailer. This can
prevent situations that require heavy braking and
sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed up ahead when
towing a trailer. And, because the vehicle and trailer are
a good deal longer, distances between any vehicles
that are passed must be greater, before returning to
the proper lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move that
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When towing a trailer, the vehicle may need a different
turn signal asher and/or extra wiring. Check with
your dealer. The arrows on the instrument panel will
ash whenever signaling a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also ash, telling
other drivers the vehicle and trailer are about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
4-44

Fuse Usage
RAP Retained Accessory Power
SUN ROOF Sunroof
CRUISE SW Cruise Switch
PK LP Parking Lamps
RR DEFOG Rear Window Defogger
DR LK/TRUNK Door Lock/Trunk
ONSTAR/ALDL Onstar
®/Diagnostic Link
Fuse Usage
CANISTER Fuel Tank Solenoid Canister
PK LAMPS Parking Lamps
RADIO/AMP Radio Amplier
RFA/MODRemote Function Activator (Remote
Keyless Entry)
DISPLAYSInstrument Panel Displays/Head-Up
Display (HUD), Driver Information
Center (DIC)
INT LIGHT Interior Lamps
HVAC Climate Controls
CHMSL/BKUPCenter High Mounted Stop
Lamp/Back-Up Lamps
PWR WDO Power Windows
SPRING
COIL 2Steering Wheel Control Switches
PWR SEAT Power Seat
TURN/HAZTurn Signals/Hazard
Warning Lamps
PWR MIRS Power Mirrors
HTD SEAT Heated Seat
To reinstall the end panel, position the lower section
with the edge of the instrument panel, and press
the sides of the panel until it snaps into place.
5-113

M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-9
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-9
At Least Once a Year..................................6-10
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Maintenance Footnotes.................................. 6-7
Maintenance Record....................................6-14
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........6-13
Owner Checks and Services........................... 6-8
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.............6-12
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Using.......................................................... 6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-47
Manual Passenger Seat.................................... 1-2
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-72
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview with Compass
and Temperature Display...........................2-35
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®.............2-35
Outside Convex Mirror.................................2-38
Outside Power Mirrors..................................2-37
MyGMLink.com................................................ 7-3
N
Navigation/Radio System, see
Navigation Manual.....................................3-139
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-21
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts............6-13
O
Odometer......................................................3-37
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-16
Oil
Engine.......................................................5-16
Pressure Light.............................................3-50
Supercharger, Engine...................................5-20
Oil, Engine Oil Life System..............................5-19
Older Children, Restraints................................1-30
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-3
OnStar
®System, see OnStar®Manual...............2-38
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-33
Outside
Convex Mirror.............................................2-38
Power Mirrors.............................................2-37
Overhead Console..........................................2-42
Overhead Console Reading Lamps....................3-20
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode.....5-30
Owner Checks and Services.............................. 6-8
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
8

P
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-31
Shifting Out of............................................2-32
Parking
Brake........................................................2-30
Over Things That Burn.................................2-33
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.....................3-40
Passenger Compartment Air Filter.....................3-33
Passenger Sensing System..............................1-61
Passing.........................................................4-16
PASS-Key
®III ................................................2-19
PASS-Key®III Operation..................................2-20
Power............................................................. 1-2
Accessory Outlet(s)......................................3-24
Door Locks.................................................2-11
Electrical System.......................................5-111
Lumbar Controls........................................... 1-3
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-22
Steering Fluid.............................................5-40
Windows....................................................2-16
Pressure Cap.................................................5-28
Pretensioners, Safety Belt................................1-29
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.................2-12
Q
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts.........1-14
R
Radios..........................................................3-94
Care of Your CD Player..............................3-141
Care of Your CDs......................................3-141
Navigation/Radio System, see
Navigation Manual..................................3-139
Radio with CD...................................3-96, 3-107
Radio with Six-Disc CD..............................3-123
Setting the Time..........................................3-96
Theft-Deterrent..........................................3-139
Understanding Reception............................3-140
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps...................3-20
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-12
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides......................1-26
Rear Seat Passengers, Safety Belts..................1-23
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
Compass and Temperature Display................2-35
Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®...........................2-35
Reclining Seatbacks.......................................... 1-4
9