2006 PONTIAC GTO steering

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
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

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. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle's
performance. See
Accessories and Modi®cations
on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-27.
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.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down ®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may
hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the
brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle 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 rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power and applies the
brakes, as necessary.Traction control helps you to keep control of the
vehicle and reminds you to match your speed to the
road conditions.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. The TCS is automatically turned on whenever
the ignition is turned from off to on. A Low Traction
message is displayed on the trip computer, indicating
traction control is limiting wheel spin, until the MODE
button on the trip computer is pressed. The message
then goes back to the original trip computer display with
a small low traction symbol on the left. The symbol
will remain as long as the low traction situation exists.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the TCS on. But
you can turn the system off if you prefer.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

To turn the system off,
press the T/C button. On
manual transmission
vehicles, the button is
located on the driver's side
of the center console. On
automatic transmission
vehicles, the button is
located on the passenger's
side of the shift lever.
When you turn the system off, a Traction Ctrl Off
message is displayed on the trip computer. After
two seconds, the display goes back to the original trip
computer display with a small TRAC OFF message
on the right.
If the Traction Ctrl Off message does not display when
the button is pressed, or if it comes on during driving,
a problem is indicated in the system and traction
control is no longer operational. You should contact
your dealer for service.
Pressing the T/C button again or the next time the
ignition is turned on, will turn the system back on. The
Traction Ctrl On message is displayed on the trip
computer. After two seconds, the display goes back to
the original trip computer display. See
Trip Computer
on page 3-33for more information.Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle's
performance. See
Accessories and Modi®cations
on page 5-3for more information.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you
are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems Ð steering and braking Ð have to do their work
where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems Ð steering and acceleration Ð can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control. See
Traction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your
front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle's
performance. See
Accessories and Modi®cations
on page 5-3.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ®nd
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You
can avoid these problems by braking Ð if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action Ð steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes Ð but, unless you
have anti-lock brakes, not enough to lock your wheels.
See
Braking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you
can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may ®nd that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

·Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. Remember that
your passenger side outside mirror is convex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther
away from you than it really is.
·Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
·Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ¯ashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
·If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems Ðbrakes,
steering, and acceleration Ð 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.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual

A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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 Ð such as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a mirrored surface Ð and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle for
competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, the engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level
often during racing or other competitive driving and
keep the level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual