2007 PONTIAC TORRENT Owners Manual

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
lled with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 348for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst
is that the brake uid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are put in, the uid level goes back
up. The other reason is that uid is leaking out of
the brake system. If it is, you should have your
brake system xed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work well, or
will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your linings are worn, then you will
have too much uid when you get new brake
linings. You should add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has too much brake uid, it
can spill on the engine. The uid will burn
if the engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your
brake warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 180.
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What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3
brake uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed
container only. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 449.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This
will help keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in the brake
system, the brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake uid.Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a
few drops of mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in the brake system can
damage brake system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced. Do not
let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint nish can
be damaged. Be careful not to spill brake
uid on your vehicle. If you do, wash it
off immediately. SeeWashing Your Vehicle
on page 425.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the
brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you
are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
370

{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause
a brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean something is
wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to GM torque
specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without
the vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. Your vehicle was designed and tested with
top-quality GM brake parts. When you replace parts
of your braking system — for example, when your
brake linings wear down and you need new ones
put in — be sure you get new approved GM
replacement parts. If you do not, your brakes may
no longer work properly. For example, if someone
puts in brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle,
the balance between your front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance
you have come to expect can change in many other
ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
371

Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery.
For battery replacement, see your dealer or the
service manual. To purchase a service manual,
seeService and Owner PublicationsinService
Publications Ordering Information on page 474.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, negative (-)
cable from the battery. This will help keep
your battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 373for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
You must close all doors and the liftgate before
reconnecting the battery. After reconnecting
the battery, you must press the unlock button on
the remote keyless entry transmitter. Failure
to follow this procedure may result in a sounding
alarm. Pressing unlock on the remote keyless
entry transmitter would stop the sounding alarm.
372

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start
your vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps to
do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly,
some or all of these things can hurt you.Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that would
not be covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it will not work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is not a
12-volt system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged. Only use
vehicles with 12-volt systems with negative
grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper
cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are
not touching each other. If they are, it could
cause a ground connection you do not
want. You would not be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage
the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling,
set the parking brake rmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start procedure. Put
an automatic transaxle in PARK (P) or
a manual transaxle in NEUTRAL before setting
the parking brake.
373

Notice:If you leave your radio or other
accessories on during the jump starting
procedure, they could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Always turn off your radio and other
accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory power outlet.
Turn off the radio and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+)
and negative (−) terminal locations on each
vehicle.
You will not need to access your battery for
jump starting. Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) and a remote negative (−) jump
starting terminal for that purpose.The remote positive (+)
terminal is located
under the engine
compartment fuse block
cover, and is marked
with a plus (+) symbol
on the cover. To access
the terminal, remove
the fuse block cover.
The remote negative (−)
terminal is located in the
front of the engine
compartment, near the
engine oil dipstick.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 348for more information on the location
of the remote positive (+) terminal and the
engine oil dipstick.
374

{CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been
hurt doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a ashlight if you need
more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You do not need to add water to the
battery installed in your new vehicle.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
But if a battery has ller caps, be sure the
right amount of uid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that rst. If you
do not, explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on your
skin, ush the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can
injure you badly. Keep your hands away
from moving parts once the engine is
running.
375

5. Check that the jumper cables do not have
loose or missing insulation. If they do, you
could get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+)
will go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative (−)
will go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part
or to a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−)or
you will get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts, too. And
do not connect the negative (−) cable to
the negative (−) terminal on the dead battery
because this can cause sparks.6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the dead battery.
Use a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect
it to the positive (+) terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to
the negative (−) terminal of the good battery.
Use a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until
the next step. The other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead battery. It
goes to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part
or to a remote negative (−) terminal on the
vehicle with the dead battery.
376