2007 PONTIAC G5 ABS

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
Your vehicle may have
an Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS)
warning light.
The ABS warning light will come on briey when
you turn the ignition key to LOCK. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then, have it xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off, if the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the light still
stays on, or comes on again while you are driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light is not on, you still have brakes,
but you do not have anti-lock brakes. If the regular
brake system warning light is also on, you do not
have anti-lock brakes and there is a problem with
your regular brakes. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 165.
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
If your vehicle is
equipped with the
Enhanced Traction
System (ETS), this
warning light should
come on briey as you
start the engine.
If the warning light does not come on, then have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, there may be a problem with your
Enhanced Traction System and your vehicle may
need service. When this warning light is on, the
system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
166

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 218
Defensive Driving...................................... 218
Drunken Driving........................................ 219
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 222
Braking...................................................... 222
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 223
Braking in Emergencies............................. 225
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).............. 226
Steering.................................................... 227
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 230
Passing..................................................... 230
Loss of Control.......................................... 232
Driving at Night......................................... 234
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 235
City Driving............................................... 238Freeway Driving........................................ 239
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 240
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 241
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 241
Winter Driving........................................... 243
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 248
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 248
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 249
Towing........................................................ 254
Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 254
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 254
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transaxle)......... 256
Towing a Trailer
(Automatic Transaxle)............................ 257
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
217

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. The brakes may not have
time to cool between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you
are driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder
to push down. If the 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 268.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
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 ABS 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.
223

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.ABS 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.
224

Remember: ABS 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 ABS.
Using ABS
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 ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS, 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.
If you do not have ABS, 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 ABS, it is different.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 223.
In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
225

A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS),
remember: It helps to avoid only the acceleration
skid. SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 226. If you do not have the Enhanced
Traction System, or if the 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 reducing vehicle speed 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 — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid.
If you do not have ABS, then in a braking
skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling,
release enough pressure on the brakes to get the
wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when
you have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
233

What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), it
will improve your ability to accelerate when driving
on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has
this system, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to the road conditions. SeeEnhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 226.
If your vehicle does not have ETS, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin
and polish the surface under the tires even more.
Unless your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently,
too. If your vehicle does have ABS, seeAnti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) on page 223. ABS improves
your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road.Whether your vehicle has ABS or not, you will want
to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle
begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the
brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction
you can.
Remember, unless your vehicle has ABS, if you
brake so hard that the wheels stop rolling,
your vehicle will just slide. Brake so the wheels
always keep rolling and you can still steer.
Whatever the braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a
patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you are
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
245

When towing under severe conditions such as hot
ambient temperatures or steep grades, your
vehicle may experience more transaxle shifting.
A COOLING MODE ON message may also appear
in the DIC. This alerts the driver that the shifting
mode is in progress and is aiding engine cooling.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 177
DIC Warnings and Messages for more information.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill,
here is how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P) for an automatic transaxle, or into
gear for a manual transaxle. When parking
uphill, turn your wheels away from the
curb. When parking downhill, turn your wheels
into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release
the regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift into PARK (P) for
an automatic transaxle or REVERSE (R) for a
manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
263