2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Owners Manual

XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM,
tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio
signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In
addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage,
bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of the
XM™ signal for a period of time. The radio may
display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that the
inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and
that the lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside
surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio
reception. Also, for proper radio reception, the antenna
connector at the top-center of the rear window needs to
be properly attached to the post on the glass.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting
with metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
Because this antenna is built into the rear window,
there is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.
If static is heard on the radio, when the rear window
defogger is turned on, it could mean that a defogger
grid line has been damaged and the grid line must
be repaired.
If adding a cellular telephone to your vehicle, and the
antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make
sure that you do not damage the grid lines for the
AM-FM antenna. There is enough space between the
lines to attach a cellular telephone antenna without
interfering with radio reception.
3-117

XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the
roof of the vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow
and ice build up for clear radio reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the
XM™ system may be affected if the sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of the vehicle can
interfere with the performance of the XM™ system.
Make sure the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is
not obstructed.
Chime Level Adjustment
The radio is used to adjust the vehicle’s chime level.
To change the volume level of the chime, press and hold
pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power
off. The volume level will change from the normal
level to loud, and LOUD will appear on the radio display.
To change back to the default or normal setting,
press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The volume level
will change from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL
will appear on the radio display. Each time the chime
volume is changed, three chimes will sound to indicate
the new volume selected. Removing the radio and
not replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.
3-118

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-6
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).....................4-7
StabiliTrak
®Plus System.................................4-8
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-12Driving at Night............................................4-14
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-14
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-15
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-16
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-16
Winter Driving..............................................4-17
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-21
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-22
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-22
Towing..........................................................4-27
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-27
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-27
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-29
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road,
and Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The rst step in driving defensively
is to wear your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts: They
Are for Everyone on page 1-10.
{CAUTION:
Assume that other road users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause collisions
resulting in injury or possible death. These
simple defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Drunk Driving
{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.
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.
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving
is a global tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have
been associated with the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
4-2

For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
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.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your vehicle
while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road can
provide. Meaning, you can lose control of your vehicle.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6and
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-45.
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.
4-3

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

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, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
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 the 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 antilock work for you. You might
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 — might 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. SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-4.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
4-5

Traction Control System (TCS)
If the vehicle has a 5.3L V8 engine, it has 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 one or both of the
front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
When this happens, the system works the front
brakes and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
This symbol, along with the
TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message, comes
on the DIC screen when
the system is active.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
This symbol, along with
the message TRACTION
CONTROL OFF will
display in the DIC for
three seconds when
the traction control
system is disabled.If there is a problem with the system, the service
traction system will also appear on the DIC. When
these symbols and messages appear on the instrument
panel and the DIC, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever the vehicle is started. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, always
leave the system on. But the traction control system
can be turned off if needed. 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 4-22
andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or
Snow on page 4-21for 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 traction
control button is pressed, the system will turn off
instantly. Turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again.
4-6