2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX tires

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-30
Airbag System
.........................................1-52
Restraint System Check
............................1-67
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-35
OnStar
®System
......................................2-38
Storage Areas
.........................................2-40
Sunroof
..................................................2-43
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-35
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-52
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-94Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-38
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-50
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-53
Windshield Replacement
...........................5-60
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-60
Tires
......................................................5-60
Appearance Care
.....................................5-99
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-110
Electrical System
....................................5-111
Capacities and Specications
...................5-118
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-13
Index................................................................ 1
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner ManualM

SECOND (2):This position gives the vehicle more
power but lower fuel economy than THIRD (3).
SECOND (2) can be used on hills. It can help control
the vehicle’s speed as it goes down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use the brakes
off and on.
Notice:Driving in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h),
can cause damage to your engine and/or transaxle.
Also, shifting into SECOND (2) at speeds above
65 mph (105 km/h) can cause damage. Drive
in AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) instead of
SECOND (2).
FIRST (1):This position gives the vehicle even more
power but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). It can
be used on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the shift lever is moved to FIRST (1), the transaxle
will not shift into rst gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transaxle. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes, or parking brake to hold the
vehicle in place.Performance Shifting with TAP-Shift®
If the vehicle is equipped with the 3800 V6
Supercharged engine or the 5.3L V8 engine, your
vehicle may have this feature. It allows you to change
gears similar to a manual transaxle.
To fully use this feature, do the following:
1. The MANUAL (M) position can be selected while
the vehicle is moving. The current transaxle
position will continue to be displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) and Head-Up
Display (HUD), if equipped.
2. Move the shift lever to
the MANUAL (M).
2-28

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The check engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with
other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
3-47

ENGINE OIL MONITOR SYSTEM:This menu allows
the engine oil monitor system to be reset. To reset
the engine oil monitor system, seeEngine Oil Life
System on page 5-19.
Tire Ination Monitor System:If the vehicle has ABS,
this menu sets the tire ination monitor system. See “Tire
Ination Monitor System” underInation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-67for more information.
To set or reset the tire ination monitor system, use the
following procedure:
1. Press the set/reset button to reset the tire ination
monitor system. The message, TIRE INFLATION
HAS BEEN SET, will appear on the screen if
the Check Tire Pressure message, indicating an
irregularity in the pressure of one of the tires,
had previously appeared on the DIC. If the Check
Tire Pressure message did not appear and the
set/reset button is pressed, the system will reset,
but no acknowledgment message will appear on the
screen.
2. Press the options button again to advance to the
next screen.
Select the set/reset button to return to the
main (date) screen.PERSONAL PROGRAMMING MODE:This menu
allows you to customize several features on your
vehicle. These adjustments can only be made while the
vehicle is in PARK (P). Press the set/reset button to
display the rst screen.
Personal Programming Mode Screens
Press the options button to access these modes:
EXTERIOR LIGHTING DELAY:This screen allows this
feature to be turned off or allows the selection of the
number of seconds the headlamps, sidelamps, taillamps,
fog lamps, and back-up lamps are turned on after the
key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is
unlocked using the remote keyless entry transmitter.
If OFF is selected, the exterior lamps will not turn on.
If a time delay is chosen, the lamps will turn on for
the selected time. The time delay will be cancelled and
the exterior lamps will turn on automatically when
the key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is
unlocked using the remote keyless entry transmitter.
To program this mode, use the following procedure:
1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to
the selection to be programmed. Choose from
OFF, 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds.
2. Press the options button again to advance to the
next screen.
3-55

To set or reset the tire ination monitor system, use the
following procedures:
1. Press the set/reset button to reset the tire ination
monitor system. TIRE INFLATION HAS BEEN SET
will appear on the screen If the “Check Tire
Pressure” message, indicating an irregularity in the
pressure of one of the tires, had previously
appeared on the DIC. If the “Check Tire Pressure”
message did not appear, and the set/reset
button is pressed, the system will reset, but no
acknowledgment message will appear on
the screen.
2. Press the options button again to advance to the
next screen.
Select the set/reset button to return to the main
(date) screen.
COMPASS CALIBRATION MODE:This menu allows
you to adjust for compass variance.Setting the Compass
The compass is self-calibrating, which eliminates the
need to manually set the compass.
However, under certain circumstances, such as during a
long distance cross-country trip, it will be necessary
to compensate for compass variance and reset the zone
through the DIC.
Compass variance is the difference between the earth’s
magnetic north and true geographic north. If not
adjusted to account for compass variance, the compass
in the vehicle could give false readings.
In order to do this, the compass must be set or
calibrated to the variance zone in which the vehicle
is travelling.
3-65

CHECK GAS CAP
This warning message comes on when the gas cap is
not on, or is not fully tightened. Check the gas cap
to ensure it is on and properly tightened. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn this message off. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-7
for more information.
This message will display while the ignition is in RUN. A
chime will sound for two seconds when this message
is displayed and then the message continues to display.
Press the set/reset button to acknowledge this
message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display for three seconds
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.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This symbol comes
on with the CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE
warning message.
If the vehicle has ABS brakes, this warning message
will appear when the air pressure in one of the tires
is too low or too high. Check the vehicle’s tire pressure
as soon as possible, and ll or deate the affected
tire to the appropriate level. The correct tire ination
pressure should be set to those shown on the
tire-loading information label on the vehicle. See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-33for more information.
The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE screen is reset when
it is acknowledged. However, the TIRE INFLATION
MONITOR SYSTEM screen, located under the option
menu in the DIC, must also be reset. See “Tire Ination
Monitor System” in the options section underDIC
Controls and Displays (Base Level DIC) on page 3-52
orDIC Controls and Displays (Uplevel DIC with Trip
Computer) on page 3-60for more information.
3-75

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.
4-5

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.
4-6