2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

Cruise control will not work if your parking brake is set,
or if the master cylinder brake uid level is low.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
If cruise control is on when the Traction Control System
(TCS), if your vehicle has one, begins to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. When
road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you
may turn cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Press in the set button at the end of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
This symbol, along with
the CRUISE SET
message, will briey
appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC)
when the cruise control
is set.
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The CRUISE SET message will also appear briey on
the Head-Up Display (HUD), if your vehicle has one,
when the cruise control lever is pushed to the minus
(set) or the plus (resume/accelerate) positions.
A cruise control light will also appear on the instrument
panel cluster when the cruise control is on. This light
will disappear when the brakes are applied or the
cruise control is cancelled. It will reappear when the set
cruise speed is resumed. The light will go out when
the cruise control is turned off. SeeCruise Control Light
on page 3-53.
Resuming a Set Speed
Once you are going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch briey from on
to resume/accelerate.
Your vehicle will go back up to your previously chosen
speed and stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate the vehicle
will keep going faster until you release the switch or
apply the brake. Do not hold the switch at resume/
accelerate, unless you want the vehicle to go faster.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the set button at the end of the
lever, then release the button and the accelerator
pedal. You will now cruise at the higher speed. If the
accelerator pedal is held longer than 60 seconds,
cruise control will turn off.
Move the cruise switch from on to
resume/accelerate. Hold it there until you get up
to the speed desired, and then release the
switch. To increase the vehicle speed in
very small amounts, move the switch briey to
resume/accelerate. Each time this is done,
the vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The acceleration feature will only work after the
cruise control speed has been set by pushing the
cruise control set button.
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Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce the vehicle’s speed while
using cruise control:
Press and hold the set button until you reach the
lower speed desired, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, briey press
the set button. Each time this is done, the vehicle
will slow down about one mph (1.6 km/h).
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed
set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle’s speed, its load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills, the accelerator
pedal might have to be used in order to maintain
the vehicle’s speed. When going downhill, the brakes
might have to be applied, or the transmission might have
to be shifted to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s
speed down. Doing either of these things will take the
vehicle out of cruise. It may be better not to use
the cruise control if the brakes constantly have to be
applied, or the vehicle continuously needs to be shifted
to a lower gear.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise control switch to off.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when
the cruise control or the ignition is turned off.
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Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control is located to the left of the
steering wheel on the multifunction lever.
It controls the following systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
O(Exterior Lamp Control):Turn the band with
this symbol on it to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has four positions:
O(Off):Turn the band to this position to turn off
all lamps.
AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this position
to automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
To override AUTO mode, turn the control to off.
To reset to AUTO mode turn the control to exterior
lamps and then back to AUTO. Automatic mode will also
reset when the vehicle is turned off and then back on
again while the control is left in the AUTO position.
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;(Parking Lamp):Turn the band to this position to
turn on the parking lamps together with the following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
The parking brake indicator light comes on and stays
on when the parking lamps are on with the engine
in LOCK/OFF and the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
5(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the headlamps together with the following
lamps listed below. A warning chime sounds if the
driver’s door is opened while the ignition switch is off
and the headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the vehicle’s ignition is
off and the driver’s door is opened when the exterior
lamp control is left on in either the headlamp or
parking lamp position.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Daytime running
lamps are required to function at all times on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes
the DRL work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make the low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is off.
The parking brake is released.
While the DRL are on, only the vehicle’s low-beam
headlamps will be on at reduced brightness. The turn
signal, taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument panel cluster will not be lit up either.
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When it is dark enough outside, the DRL will turn off
and the vehicle’s headlamps and parking lamps will turn
on. The other lamps that come on with the headlamps
will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the DRL will come on.
To idle the vehicle with the DRL off, turn the exterior
lamp control off and then do one of the following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking
lamp position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to off
and back to AUTO.
This feature is not available for vehicles rst sold in
Canada.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it is
dark outside, move the exterior lamp control to the
parking lamp position. The parking lamps will remain
illuminated and the headlamps will turn off. The
fog lamps will also go on if they were on previously.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Fog Lamps
If equipped, fog lamps provide brighter roadway lighting
for better vision in foggy or misty conditions.
-(Fog Lamps):Turn the second band on the exterior
lamps control lever to this position to turn the fog
lamps on. The band will return to its original position.
This symbol appears on
the instrument panel
cluster when the fog
lamps are on.
To turn the fog lamps off, turn the band up to the fog
lamp symbol and release it. The band will return
to its original position. If the high-beam headlamps are
on, the fog lamps will turn off. The fog lamps will go
on again when the low-beam headlamps are turned
back on.
The parking lamps must be on for the fog lamps
to work.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps
to be on along with the fog lamps.
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Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on
after the ignition has been turned to off, the exterior
lamps will turn off after about 10 minutes. This protects
the battery from being drained.
Use the exterior lamp control to turn the lamps back on,
if they are still needed.
Interior Lamps
The interior lamps can be controlled, or automatically
turn on or off under certain conditions. They are
explained in the following text.
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
The interior lamps
control is located on
the instrument panel,
to the left of the
steering column.
Turn the control to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel lights.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the courtesy lamps will
automatically come on. These lamps will also come on
when the interior lamps control is fully turned clockwise.
3-19

Dome Lamp
If the vehicle does not have an overhead console, it will
have a dome light located in the front of the headliner.
The switch on this lamp has three positions. The
on position will turn on the lamp anytime. The door
position will turn on the lamp whenever a door is
opened. The off position will shut off the lamp
completely, even while a door is opened.
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting feature turns the interior lights on
before anyone enters the vehicle. The interior lamps will
come on for 40 seconds when the doors are unlocked
using the remote keyless entry transmitter and the
ignition is in LOCK/OFF. After 40 seconds have elapsed,
the interior lamps will slowly fade out. The lamps will
fade out before 40 seconds have elapsed if one of the
following is done:
Lock all doors using the remote keyless entry
transmitter.
Lock the doors using the power door lock switch.
When any door is opened, entry lighting is cancelled.
The interior lamps will stay on while any door is opened
and slowly fade out when all doors are closed. The
interior lamps may stay on for up to 25 seconds after all
doors have been closed if they have not been locked.
Delayed Entry Lighting
The delayed lighting feature will continue to light the
interior of the vehicle for 25 seconds after all the doors
have been closed. Delayed lighting will not occur while
the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY. After
25 seconds have elapsed, the interior lamps will slowly
fade out. The lamps will fade out before the 25 seconds
have elapsed if one of the following is done:
The ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The doors are locked using the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
The doors are locked using the power door
lock switch.
To turn the delayed lighting feature off or on, see
“Personal Programming Modes” underDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-89.
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