2007 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX steering

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 289.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
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To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, the ETS should always be left on. But
the system can be turned off. The system should be
turned off if the vehicle ever gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow and rocking the vehicle is required.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 316andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 316for more
information.
Press the traction
control button located
on the console to
turn the system off.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when the
button is pressed, the system will turn off instantly.
Press the traction control button again to turn
the system on.StabiliTrak®Plus System
The vehicle may have a vehicle stability
enhancement system called StabiliTrak®Plus. It is
an advanced computer controlled system that
assists with directional control of the vehicle
in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®Plus comes on whenever the vehicle
is started. It activates when the computer
senses a discrepancy between the intended path
and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak
®Plus selectively applies braking
pressure at any one of the vehicle’s brakes to
help control the vehicle in the steering direction.
This symbol, along
with the STABILITY
CONTROL ACTIVE
message comes on the
Driver Information
Center (DIC).
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 200.
You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer
the vehicle in the desired direction.
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This symbol will appear
on the DIC.
If there is a problem detected with StabiliTrak
®
Plus, this symbol along with the SERVICE
STABILITY SYSTEM warning message will
come on the DIC.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 200.
When this message is displayed, the system is not
operational. Driving should be adjusted accordingly.
To turn the StabiliTrak
®system off (GXP only),
press and hold the traction control button for more
than ve seconds. A message will appear on the
DIC indicating that StabiliTrak
®has been turned off.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when StabiliTrak
®
Plus activates, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow safe use of
it, the cruise control can be used again. SeeCruise
Control on page 140for 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.
Variable Effort Steering
If your vehicle has this steering system, the system
provides less steering effort for parking and when
driving at speeds below 20 mph (32 km/h). Steering
effort will increase at higher speeds for improved
road feel.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” 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.
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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.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — 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 — steering
and acceleration — can overwhelm those places
where the tires meet the road and make you lose
control. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 292orEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on
page 293.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 “drive” 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. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 336.
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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 — if you can stop in time. But sometimes
you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for
evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 288. 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.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.
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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.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move,
since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief
surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face with the worst of all
traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the
sides, and to crossroads for situations
that might affect your passing patterns. If you
have any doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
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Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — 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.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) or the Traction Control System (TCS), or
if the system is off, then an acceleration skid
is also best handled by easing your foot off the
accelerator pedal. SeeEnhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 293orTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 292.
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.
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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.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need
to slow down and keep more space between
you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
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