Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, pull up on the parking brake
handle without pressing the release button. If the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light will come on.
See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-27.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake handle up until you
can press the release button. Hold the release button
in as you move the brake handle all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-34.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P).
·Press in and hold the shift lever button, located
on the top of the shift lever.
·Push the lever all the way toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Turn the main key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the main key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
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Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
The mirror can be adjusted two ways. First, to adjust
the height of the mirror, adjust the arm that connects the
mirror to the windshield. Second, adjust the angle of
the mirror by moving the mirror to a position that allows
you to see out of the back window.
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, move the
lever toward you to the night position. To return the mirror
to the daytime position, move the lever away from you.
Outside Power Mirrors
The controls for the power
mirrors are located on the
driver's door armrest.You can adjust the angle of the mirrors when the
ignition is on.
Move the selector switch located above the four-way
control pad to choose the right or left mirror. To adjust a
mirror, use the four-way control pad to move the
mirror in the direction that you want it to go.
Outside Convex Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver's seat.
{CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
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Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass,
even if the headlamps and ignition are turned off.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
If ¯ash-to-pass is activated, then the headlamp
high/low-beam changer indicator will display on the
instrument panel cluster. The fog lamps are turned off
while this feature is active.
Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of the steering column
operates the windshield wipers and washer.These functions operate when the ignition is turned to
ON, LOCK, or when the Retained Accessory Power is in
operation. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 2-17.
INT (Intermittent):Push the lever up to turn on the
wipers. Put the lever in the ®rst position for intermittent
wiping cycles. The delay will change as your vehicle's
speed changes. The delay will decrease as you go
faster and increase as you go slower.
1 (Low Speed):Put the lever in the second position for
slow, steady wiping cycles.
2 (High Speed):Put the lever in the third position for
rapid wiping cycles.
L(Mist):Move the lever to this position for a single
wiping cycle. Hold it there until the windshield wipers
start; then let go. The windshield wipers will stop after
one wipe. If you want more wipes, hold the lever
down longer.
0 (Off):Turn the lever to this position to turn off the
wipers.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
gently loosen or thaw them. If the blades do become
damaged, install new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual
Windshield Washer
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
L(Washer Fluid):Pull the lever towards you to spray
water onto the windshield. Washer ¯uid will squirt
onto the windshield and the wipers will run for a few
cycles to clear the windshield.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really help
on long trips. Cruise control does not work unless the
vehicle speed is at least 25 mph (40 km/h). The
Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a message
when cruise control is enabled. See
Trip Computer
on page 3-33.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.The cruise control lever is on the left side of the
steering column. The ON-OFF/CANCEL switch is at the
end of the lever and is activated by pushing in towards
the direction of the steering column.
To set cruise control, do the following:
1. Turn on the ignition.
2. Press the ON-OFF/CANCEL switch. The CRUISE
message appears on the trip computer.
3. Get up to the speed you want.
4. Rotate the lever down to SET-DECEL. The CRUISE
ACTIVE message appears on the trip computer.
5. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and release
the cruise control lever.
Adjusting Speed While Using Cruise
Control
You may do one of the following:
·Turn the lever down to SET-DECEL until the car
slows down to the desired speed, then release it.
·Turn the lever up to RES-ACCEL until the car
accelerates up to the desired speed, then release it.
Minor changes in speed can be achieved by
momentarily turning the lever up or down. When
reducing speed, remember that the cruise control is not
designed to operate under 25 mph (40 km/h).
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual
Notice:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or replacement tires that do not match
your vehicle's original tires can affect your vehicle's
emission controls and may cause this light to
come on. Modi®cations 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. See
Accessories and Modi®cations 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 FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
·Reducing vehicle speed
·Avoiding hard accelerations
·Avoiding steep uphill grades
·If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ¯ashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still
¯ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual
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. STD will appear on
the display and you will hear a beep.
EQ (Equalization):Press this button to select
customized equalization settings designed for rock, pop,
jazz, classical, and vocal.
To turn equalization off, press this button until EQ OFF
appears on the display.
To give an equalization setting a boost, push the AUDIO
knob once while in any equalization setting. BOOST will
appear on the display. Turn the AUDIO knob to select
one of the available boost levels. Different levels of boost
can be set for each of the equalization settings.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO:To adjust the balance between the right
and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO
knob until BALANCE appears on the display. Turn the
knob to move the sound toward the right or the left
speakers.
To adjust the fade between the front and the rear
speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until
FADER appears on the display. Turn the knob to move
the sound toward the front or the rear speakers.
Playing a CD
If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition
or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it
stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
When a CD is inserted, the CD number will appear in
the CD symbol on the display. As each new track starts
to play, the track number will appear on the display.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single
CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the
smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase
in skipping, difficulty in ®nding tracks, and/or difficulty in
loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is
damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the
CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD
is soiled, see
Care of Your CDs on page 3-57for more
information.
If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual
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
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Competitive Driving.......................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17City Driving..................................................4-19
Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-23
Winter Driving..............................................4-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-29
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-30
Towing..........................................................4-35
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-35
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1
2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual