2006 PONTIAC TORRENT traction control

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. If your
vehicle has traction control, you should turn your traction
control system off. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning
your wheels in the forward and reverse directions,
you will cause a rocking motion that may free your
vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-36.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle
can carry. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Vehicle Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on
your vehicle can break, and it can change
the way your vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the life of your
vehicle.
4-31

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and safety,
including such things as, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics, durability,
and electronic systems like antilock brakes, traction
control and stability control. Some of these accessories
may even cause malfunction or damage not covered
by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize your vehicle using genuine
GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer and
ask for GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained
and supported service technicians will perform the
work using genuine GM Accessories.
5-3

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for your
vehicle. The original equipment tires installed on
your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to meet
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria Specication
(TPC spec) system rating. If you need replacement
tires, GM strongly recommends that you get tires with
the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to give the
same performance and vehicle safety, during normal
use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over a
dozen critical specications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling, traction control, and
tire pressure monitoring performance. GM’s TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire
manufacturer. If the tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC spec number will be followed by an
MS for mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling
on page 5-47for additional information.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types (radial and bias-belted
tires), the vehicle may not handle properly,
and you could have a crash. Using tires of
different sizes, brands, or types may also
cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the correct size, brand, and type of tires
on all wheels. It is all right to drive with
your compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 5-73.
5-56

{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those that
do not have a TPC Spec number, make sure they
are the same size, load range, speed rating, and
construction type (radial and bias-belted tires) as
your vehicle’s original tires.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information Label. This label
is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar).
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-31, for more
information about the Tire and Loading Information
Label and its location on your vehicle.
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size than
your original equipment wheels and tires, this may
affect the way your vehicle performs, including its
braking, ride and handling characteristics, stability
and resistance to rollover. Additionally, if your vehicle
has electronic systems such as, anti-lock brakes,
traction control, and electronic stability control, the
performance of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable level
of performance and safety if tires not
recommended for those wheels are selected.
You may increase the chance that you will
crash and suffer serious injury. Only use
GM specic wheel and tire systems developed
for your vehicle, and have them properly
installed by a GM certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 5-56andAccessories
and Modications on page 5-3for additional information.
5-57

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-58

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You cannot know how it has been
used or how far it has been driven. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash. If you have
to replace a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to lose control
of your vehicle and you or others may be
injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and do
not spin your vehicle’s wheels. If you do nd
traction devices that will t, install them on
the front tires.
5-61

Light (cont.)
Battery Warning..........................................3-27
Brake System Warning.................................3-28
Change Engine Oil......................................3-36
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator..................3-37
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-31
Gate Ajar...................................................3-37
Highbeam On.............................................3-37
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-38
Low Traction...............................................3-30
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-32
Oil Pressure...............................................3-35
Reduced Engine Power................................3-36
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-26
Security.....................................................3-36
TCS Warning Light......................................3-30
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-30
Lighting
Entry.........................................................3-17
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-31
Lockout Protection............................................ 2-9
Locks
Automatic Door Lock..................................... 2-8
Delayed Locking........................................... 2-7
Door........................................................... 2-6
Lockout Protection......................................... 2-9
Power Door.................................................. 2-7
Programmable Automatic Door Unlock.............. 2-8
Rear Door Security Locks............................... 2-8Loss of Control...............................................4-15
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-38
Low Traction Light..........................................3-30
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-35
Lumbar
Manual Controls............................................ 1-4
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-8
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-9
At Least Once a Year.................................... 6-9
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.............6-11
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Using.......................................................... 6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-32
Manual Lumbar Controls.................................... 1-4
Manual Seats................................................... 1-2
Map Lamps....................................................3-17
7

Storage Areas (cont.)
Rear Compartment Storage Panel/Cover.........2-37
Table.........................................................2-39
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................4-30
Sun Visors.....................................................2-12
Sunroof.........................................................2-40
T
Table............................................................2-39
Tachometer....................................................3-25
Taillamps
Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps....5-43
TCS Warning Light..........................................3-30
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-79
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-13
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-13
Passlock
®...................................................2-15
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-7
Tires.............................................................5-46
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning..........................5-79
Buying New Tires........................................5-56
Chains.......................................................5-61
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-62
Cleaning....................................................5-80
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-73
Different Size..............................................5-57Tires (cont.)
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-62
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-52
Inspection and Rotation................................5-54
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-65
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-65
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-64
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-72
Tire Sidewall Labeling..................................5-47
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-50
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-58
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-59
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-55
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-36
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-38
Your Vehicle...............................................4-36
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-9
Control System Warning Light.......................3-30
Low Light...................................................3-30
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-19
Trip Odometer................................................3-25
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7
11