2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX stop start

RDM 2 / RDM 3 / RDM (Random):Depending on the
radio, press this button to hear the tracks in random,
rather than sequential, order. RDM and the track number
displays. Press RDM again to turn off random play.
For the Radio with Six-Disc CD player, the tracks can
be listened to in random order, on one CD or on all
of the CDs.
To use random on the Radio with Six-Disc CD player,
do one of the following:
To play the tracks on the CD in random order, press
and release the RDM button. RANDOM ONE
displays. Press RDM again to turn off random play.
To play the tracks on all of the CDs that are loaded in
random order, press and hold RDM for more than
two seconds. A beep sounds and RANDOM ALL
displays. Press RDM again to turn off random play.
#3 (Next Folder):This button does not have a
function for non-MP3 CDs. Press this button to go to
the next MP3 folder.
4
sor{REV (Reverse):Depending on the radio
that your vehicle has, the reverse arrows will look
different, but they function the same. Press and hold
this button to reverse quickly within a track. Sound
is heard at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton
to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track
displays.6
!(Previous Folder):This button does not have a
function for non-MP3 CDs. Press this button to go to
the previous MP3 folder.
EQ or AUTO EQ (Equalization):Press EQ, or
depending on the radio, AUTO EQ, to select the desired
customized equalization setting while playing a CD.
The equalization is automatically set when a CD
is played. See “EQ” or “AUTO EQ” listed previously for
more information.
wSEEKx(Radios with CD):Press the SEEK
arrows to go to the previous or to the next track. Press
either arrow for more than two seconds to search
the previous or next tracks at two tracks per second.
When the desired track number displays, release
the arrow to stop searching and to play the track.
sSEEKt(Radio with Six-Disc CD Player):Press
the left arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more
than ten seconds have played. Press the right arrow to go
to the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more
than once, the player continues moving backward or
forward through the CD.
wSCANx(Radios with CD):Press and hold either
arrow for more than two seconds until SCAN and the
track number displays and a beep sounds. The CD goes
to the next track, plays for a few seconds, then goes to
the next track. Press either arrow again to stop scanning.
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sSCANt(Radio with Six-Disc CD Player):
To scan one CD, press and hold either SCAN arrow for
more than two seconds until SCAN displays and a
beep sounds. The radio goes to the next track, plays for
10 seconds, then goes to the next track. Press either
SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning.
To scan all loaded CDs, press and hold either SCAN
arrow for more than four seconds until CD SCAN
displays and a beep sounds. Use this feature to listen
to 10 seconds of the rst track of each loaded CD.
Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning.
RCL (Recall):Push this button, or depending on the
radio, press the RCL knob, to see how long the current
track has been playing. To change the default on the
display, track and elapsed time, push the button until the
desired option displays, then hold the button until the
display ashes. The selected display is now the default.
BAND:Depending on the radio, press this button to
listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive
CD(s) remains inside the radio for future listening.
CD AUX (Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
while listening to the radio.Care of Your CDs
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. Handle them carefully.
Store CD-R(s) in their original cases or other protective
cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. The
CD player scans the bottom surface of the disc. If the
surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken,
or scratched, the CD does not play properly or not
at all. Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while
handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs
by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole
and the outer edge.
If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth
or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent
solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make sure the
wiping process starts from the center to the edge.
If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
3-106

Order of Play
Tracks are played in the following order:
Play begins from the rst track in the rst playlist
and continues sequentially through all tracks in
each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist
has played, play continues from the rst track of
the rst playlist.
If the CD does not contain any playlists, then play
begins from the rst track under the root directory.
When all tracks from the root directory have
played, play continues from les according to
their numerical listing. After playing the last track
from the last folder, play begins again at the
rst track of the rst folder or root directory.
When play enters a new folder, the display does not
automatically show the new folder name unless
you have chosen the folder mode as the default display.
See RCL later in this section for more information.
The new track name appears on the display.
File System and Naming
The song name that is displayed is the song name that is
contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present
in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the le name
without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name.Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages
are shortened. Parts of words on the last page of
text and the extension of the lename does not display.
Preprogrammed Playlists
Preprogrammed playlists that were created by
WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software
can be accessed, however, they cannot be edited
using the radio. These playlists are treated as special
folders containing compressed audio song les.
Playing an MP3
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The
player pulls it in, and READING displays. The CD
should begin playing and the CD symbol appears on the
display. If you want to insert a CD with the ignition off,
rst press the EJECT button or the RCL knob.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the
player it stays in the player. When the ignition or radio
is turned on, the CD starts to play where it stopped,
if it was the last selected audio source.
As each new track starts to play, the track number
appears on the display.
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wSEEKx:Press the up arrow to go to the start of
the next track. Press the down arrow to go to the start of
the previous track. Pressing either arrow for more than
two seconds searches the previous or next tracks at
two tracks per second. When the track number that
you would like to play appears on the display, release
the arrow to stop searching and to play the track.
TUNE:Turn this knob to fast track reverse or advance
through tracks in all folders or playlists. The track
number and le name appears on the display for each
track. Turn this knob while in random to fast track
reverse or advance the tracks in sequential order.
RCL (Recall):Push this knob to switch between track
mode, folder/playlist mode, and time of day mode.
The display shows only 13 characters, but there can
be up to three pages of text. If there are more than
13 characters in the song, folder, or playlist name
pushing this knob within two seconds takes you to the
next page of text. If there are no other pages to be
shown, pushing this knob within two seconds takes
you to the next display mode.
Track mode displays the current track number and
the ID3 tag song name.Folder/playlist mode displays the current folder or
playlist number and the folder/playlist name.
Time of day mode displays the time of day and the
ID3 tag song name.
To change the default on the display, push this knob
until you see the desired display, then hold this knob
for two seconds. The radio produces one beep and the
selected display is now the default.
INFO (Information):INFO displays whenever a current
track has ID3 tag information. Press this button to
display the artist name and album contained in the tag.
INFO disappears from the display when the information
in the ID3 tag has nished.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing. The inactive CD remains inside the radio
for future listening.
CD AUX (Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
when listening to the radio. The CD symbol appears on
the display when a CD is loaded.
EJECT:Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may
be activated with either the ignition or radio off.
CDs may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if
this button is pressed rst.
3-113

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 might 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 could 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 can take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle might have the Antilock 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 the engine, or when you begin to
drive away, ABS will check itself. You might hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you might even notice that the brake
pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
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.
4-4

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, the 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. See
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7or
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6.
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 Antilock 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.
4-13

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply the regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
Start the engine
Shift into a gear
Release the parking brake
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle will need service more often when it
pulls a trailer. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
uid, which should not be overlled, engine oil, drive
belts, cooling, and brake systems. Each of these
is covered in this manual, and the Index will help locate
them quickly. If trailering, it is a good idea to review
this information before starting on a trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-27.
4-36

Service............................................................5-3
Accessories and Modications..........................5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................5-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements.....5-4
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Pressure Cap...............................................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-29
Cooling System............................................5-30
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-39
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-40
Brakes........................................................5-41
Battery........................................................5-45
Jump Starting...............................................5-46
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-54
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-54
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps.................5-54
Front Turn Signal, Parking and Fog Lamps......5-57
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-58
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-59
License Plate Lamp......................................5-60
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-60
Windshield Replacement.................................5-61
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-61
Tires..............................................................5-62
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-63
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-66
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-69
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-71
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1