2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX brake

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

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

If the vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow safe use of it, the cruise control can
be used again. SeeCruise Control on page 3-12.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3for more information.
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
If the vehicle has the 3.8L V6 engine and Antilock
brakes, it has an Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
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 reduces engine power and
may also upshift the transmission to limit wheel spin.This symbol comes on
the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when
the ETS is limiting
wheel spin.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when ETS begins to
limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow safe use of it,
the cruise control can be used again. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-12.
ETS operates in all transmission shift lever positions.
But the system can upshift the transmission only as
high as the chosen shift lever position, so use the
lower gears only when necessary. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-28.
4-7

This symbol, along with
the message TRACTION
CONTROL OFF will
display on the DIC for
three seconds when the
ETS is not on.
If there is a problem with the system, the service
traction system will also come on in the DIC. See
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on page 3-48.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, the ETS should always be left on. But
the system can be turned off. The system should be
turned off if the vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud,
or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-22and
If 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 button is
pressed, the system will turn off instantly. Press the
traction control button again to turn the system on.
StabiliTrak®Plus System
The vehicle may have a vehicle stability enhancement
system called Stabilitrak®Plus. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that assists with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
Stabilitrak
®Plus comes on whenever the vehicle is
started. It activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. Stabilitrak
®
Plus selectively applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle’s brakes to help control the vehicle in
the steering direction.
4-8

This symbol, along with
the STABILITY CONTROL
ACTIVE message comes
on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-67.
You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the desired direction.
This symbol will appear
on the DIC.
If there is a problem detected with Stabilitrak
®Plus,
this symbol along with the SERVICE STABILITY
SYSTEM warning message will come on the DIC.SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-67.
When this message is displayed, the system is not
operational. Driving should be adjusted accordingly.
To turn the Stabilitrak
®system off (GXP only), press
and hold the traction control button for more than
ve seconds. A message will appear on the DIC
indicating that Stabilitrak
®has been turned off.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when Stabilitrak
®Plus
activates, the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow safe use of it, the cruise
control can be used again. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-12for more information.
4-9