2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level
of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in
one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. 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.
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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 4-9andEnhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 4-11.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-42.
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.
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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. 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.
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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.
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.
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If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze”
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 do have
anti-lock brakes, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 4-7.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
If the vehicle has the 3800 Supercharged V6 engine
or the 5.3L V8 engine, it has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates
only if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.This symbol, along with the
TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message, comes
on the DIC screen when
the system is active.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
When the traction control system is not working, one of
these symbols will come on the instrument panel cluster.
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This symbol, along with
the message TRACTION
CONTROL OFF will
display in the DIC for
three seconds when
the traction control
system is disabled.
If there is a problem with the system, the service
traction system will also appear on the DIC. When these
symbols and messages appear on the instrument
panel and the DIC, the system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever the vehicle is started. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, always leave
the system on. But the traction control system can be
turned off if needed. The system should be turned off if
the vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, or snow
and rocking the vehicle is required. SeeRocking Your
Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-33andIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-32for
more information.Press the traction control
button located on the
console to turn the
system off.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when the traction
control button is pressed, the system will turn off
instantly. Turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow safe use of it, the cruise control can be
used again. SeeCruise Control on page 3-11.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3for more information.
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Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
If the vehicle has the 3800 V6 engine and anti-lock
brakes, it has an Enhanced Traction System (ETS) that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power and may also upshift
the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This symbol comes on
the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when
the ETS is limiting
wheel spin.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when ETS begins to
limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow safe use of it,
the cruise control can be used again. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-11.
ETS operates in all transaxle shift lever positions. But
the system can upshift the transaxle only as high as the
chosen shift lever position, so use the lower gears
only when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 2-25.One of these lights will appear on the instrument panel
to indicate that the ETS is not on.
This symbol, along with
the message TRACTION
CONTROL OFF will
display on the DIC for
three seconds when the
ETS is not on.
If there is a problem with the system, the service
traction system will also come on in the DIC. See
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on page 3-45.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust driving accordingly.
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To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, the ETS should always be left on. But the
system can be turned off. The system should be turned
off if the vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, or
snow and rocking the vehicle is required. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-33andIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-32for more information.
Press the traction control
button located on the
console to turn the
system off.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when the button is
pressed, the system will turn off instantly. Press the
traction control button again to turn the system on.StabiliTrak®Plus System
The vehicle may have a vehicle stability enhancement
system called StabiliTrak®Plus. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that assists with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®Plus comes on whenever the vehicle is
started. It activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
®Plus
selectively applies braking pressure at any one of the
vehicle’s brakes to help control the vehicle in the
steering direction.
This symbol, along with
the STABILITY CONTROL
ACTIVE message comes
on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-72. You
may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle in
the desired direction.
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