2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE Owners Manual

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving
skills of many people are impaired at a BAC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC
levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the
chance of being in a collision increases sharply for
drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above.
A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has
doubled his or her chance of having a collision.
At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater;
at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times
greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the
alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or
number of cold showers will speed that up.
“I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if
there is an emergency, a need to take sudden
action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not
be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.There is something else about drinking and driving
that many people do not know. Medical research
shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the
brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that when
anyone who has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled is
higher than if the person had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Please do not drink and drive
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
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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. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 198and
Electronic Stability Control on page 200.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 235.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 134.
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 the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
194

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 235.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.
195

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.
196

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 195.
In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
197

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have 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 the rear wheels are
spinning too much or are beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system works the
rear brakes and reduces engine power by
closing the throttle and managing engine spark to
limit wheel spin.
This light will ash
when your traction
control system is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
SeeElectronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Indicator/Warning Light
(2.0L Engine Only) on page 136for more
information.If your vehicle is in cruise control when TCS
begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 111.
When this light is on
solid and either the
SERVICE TRACTION
or TRACTION OFF
message is displayed,
the system will not
limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 148for more information.
The Traction Control System is automatically
enabled whenever you start your vehicle. To limit
wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions,
you should always leave the system enabled.
You can turn TCS off if you ever need to.
198

It is recommended to leave the system on for
normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to
“rock” your vehicle to attempt to free it. It may also
be necessary to turn off the system when driving
in extreme off-road conditions where high
wheel spin is required. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 224.
To turn the system off
or on, press and release
this button located on
the instrument panel.
The DIC will display the appropriate message as
described previously when you press the button.Traction Control Operation
Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each
individual wheel (brake-traction control) as
necessary.
The traction control system is enabled
automatically when you start your vehicle, and it
will activate and ash the ESC/TCS light and
display the LOW TRACTION message if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction while driving. For more information
on the LOW TRACTION message, seeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 145.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the ESC/TCS, ABS and
Brake warning lights and the SERVICE ESC
and/or SERVICE TRACTION messages are
displayed, you could damage the differential.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin
the wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
this message are displayed.
199

Notice:When traction control is turned off,
or Competitive Driving Mode is active, it is
possible to lose traction. If you attempt to shift
with the rear wheels spinning with a loss of
traction, it is possible to cause damage to the
transmission. Do not attempt to shift when the
rear wheels do not have traction. Damage
caused by misuse of the vehicle is not covered.
See your warranty book for additional
information.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/
downshifts of the transmission. When this
happens, you may notice a reduction in
acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration.
This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the ESC/TCS light will ash and the
cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use cruise control
again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 115.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 235for more information.Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your vehicle may have a limited-slip rear
differential which provides maximum power and
performance. It is designed to give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but
when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow
the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
During a sudden shift, such as shifting from
FIRST (1) to SECOND (2) gear at low engine
speeds or suddenly applying the clutch, you may
feel or hear a clunking or rattling noise. This is
normal.
Electronic Stability Control
Your vehicle may be equipped with an Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system which combines
antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic
checks to ensure there are no problems. You may
hear or feel the system working.
200