2008 Pontiac Grand PRIX Owners Manual

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ACTIVE also appears in the Head-Up Display (HUD), if your vehicle has this feature. This message only displays while the ignition is in ON/RUN and will not disappear until driving conditions change and the system is no longer active. This message cannot be acknowledged or cleared from the screen. 3-87 TRACTION CONTROL OFF This symbol comes on with this message. If the vehicle has the traction system, this message displays when the system turns off. TRACTION CONTROL OFF also appears in the Head-Up Display (HUD), if your vehicle has this feature. This message only displays while the ignition is in ON/RUN and disappears after three seconds. A chime sounds once and the message stays on for three seconds and then disappears. A warning light indicating that this system is deactivated also appears on the instrument panel cluster. See Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 3-47. Any of the following conditions may cause the system to turn off: (cid:127) The system is turned off by pressing the TC (traction control) button located on the center console. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 or Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7 for more information. (cid:127) The battery is low. (cid:127) There is a system failure. See your dealer/retailer for service. TURN SIGNAL ON This message displays if the vehicle is driven for more than 0.75 mile (1.21 km) while one of the turn signals are on. It appears as a reminder to turn off the turn signal. This message only displays when the ignition is in ON/RUN. A chime sounds for two seconds and the message will not disappear until the turn signal is manually turned off, or a turn is completed. 3-88 DIC Vehicle Customization Your vehicle may have customization capabilities that allow you to program certain features to one preferred setting. Customization features can only be programmed to one setting on the vehicle and cannot be programmed to a preferred setting for two different drivers. All of the customization options may not be available on your vehicle. Only the options available will be displayed on the DIC. The default settings for the customization features were set when your vehicle left the factory, but may have been changed from their default state since then. The customization preferences are automatically recalled. To change customization preferences, use the following procedure. Entering the Personal Programming Mode 1. Turn the ignition on and make sure the vehicle is in PARK (P). To avoid excessive drain on the battery, it is recommended that the headlamps are turned off. 2. Press the options button until PERSONAL PROGRAMMING MODE appears on the DIC. 3. Press the set/reset button to display the ﬁrst screen. 4. Press the options button to access these modes: Personal Programming Mode Screens EXTERIOR LIGHTING DELAY: This screen allows this feature to be turned off, or allows the selection of the number of seconds the exterior lamps are turned on after the key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is unlocked using the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter. If OFF is selected, the exterior lamps will not turn on. If a time delay is chosen, the lamps will turn on for the selected time. The time delay will be cancelled and the exterior lamps will turn on automatically when the key is removed from the ignition, or the vehicle is unlocked using the RKE transmitter. To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to the selection you want to program. Choose from OFF, 15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. 3-89 To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to either OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. AUTO DOOR UNLOCK: This screen allows this feature to be turned off, used for the driver’s door only, or for all the doors. If OFF is selected, none of the doors will unlock when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P). If DRIVER is selected, only the driver’s door will unlock when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P). If ALL is selected, all the doors will unlock when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P). To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to either OFF, DRIVER, or ALL. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. INTERIOR LIGHTS WHEN DOOR CLOSED: This screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. If OFF is selected, the interior lamps will turn off immediately when the ignition is turned off and the last open door is closed. If ON is selected, the interior lamps will stay on for about 25 seconds after the vehicle’s ignition is turned off and the last open door is closed. To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to either OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. INTERIOR LIGHTS WHEN KEY REMOVED: This screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. This feature enables the interior lamps in the vehicle to turn on for about 25 seconds after the key is removed from the ignition. If OFF is selected, removing the key from the ignition will not cause the interior lamps to turn on. If ON is selected, removing the key from the ignition will cause the interior lamps to be turned on for about 25 seconds. 3-90 AUTO DOOR UNLOCK ON: If DRIVER or ALL was selected on the AUTO DOOR UNLOCK screen, this screen allows selection of when the vehicle’s doors will unlock. The choices are when the key is removed from the ignition or when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P). If KEY-OUT is selected, the auto door unlock will function when the key is taken out of the ignition. If PARK is selected, the auto door unlock will function when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P). To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to either KEY-OUT or PARK. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. DELAYED LOCKING: This screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. The key must be out of the ignition for this feature to work. If OFF is selected, there will be no delayed locking of the vehicle’s doors. If ON is selected, the locking of the vehicle’s doors will be delayed by ﬁve seconds after a power door lock switch is pressed while the door is open, or the LOCK button on the RKE transmitter is pressed while any door is open. To program this mode: 1. Press and release the set/reset button to scroll to either OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. REMOTE LOCKS FEEDBACK: This screen allows selection for this option to be turned OFF, or gives the choice of two methods of veriﬁcation; LIGHTS or LIGHTS and HORN; that indicate the vehicle’s doors are locked when the LOCK button on the RKE transmitter is pressed. If OFF is selected, this feature will not be programmed. If LIGHTS is selected, the exterior lamps will ﬂash when the LOCK button on the RKE transmitter is pressed. If LIGHTS and HORN is selected, the exterior lamps will ﬂash when the LOCK button on the RKE transmitter is pressed, and the horn will sound when the LOCK button on the RKE transmitter is pressed again within ﬁve seconds of the previous command. To program this mode: 1. Press the set/reset button to scroll to OFF, LIGHTS, or LIGHTS and HORN. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. 3-91 If the vehicle does not have a content theft-deterrent system, the next screens with PROGRAMMING FINISHED and DISPLAY OFF will appear. If the vehicle does have a content theft-deterrent system, the next screen will appear. THEFT DETERRENT: The vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent system. Once it is turned on, the system will activate if someone tries to enter the vehicle without using the RKE transmitter or the correct key. This screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. If OFF is selected, the content theft-deterrent system will not function. If ON is selected, the content theft-deterrent system will be activated. To program this mode: 1. Press the set/reset button to scroll to OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. KEY CYLINDER DISARM: If the vehicle has a content theft-deterrent system, and ON was selected on the THEFT DETERRENT screen, this screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. This feature determines whether the driver’s door key cylinder may be used to disarm the content theft-deterrent system. If OFF is selected, the vehicle’s content theft-deterrent system can not be disarmed by unlocking the driver’s door using the driver’s door key cylinder. Selecting OFF prevents a thief from disarming the vehicle’s content theft-deterrent system by attacking the driver’s door key cylinder, and may make the vehicle more secure. However, if OFF is selected, unlocking an armed vehicle by using the driver’s door key cylinder and opening the door will cause the content theft alarm to activate. For this reason, it is recommended that the vehicle be unlocked using the remote keyless entry system when this feature is set to OFF. If ON is selected, the vehicle’s content theft-deterrent system can be disarmed by unlocking the driver’s door using the driver’s door key cylinder. To program this mode: 1. Press the set/reset button to scroll to OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. 3-92 LOCK SWITCH ARM: If the vehicle has the content theft-deterrent system and ON was selected on the THEFT DETERRENT screen, this screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. This feature controls whether the vehicle’s content theft system can be activated using a door lock switch. REMOTE START: If your vehicle has the remote start feature, this screen allows this feature to be turned OFF or ON. The remote start feature allows you to start the engine from outside of the vehicle using the RKE transmitter. See Remote Vehicle Start on page 2-7 for more information. If OFF is selected, locking the vehicle using a door lock switch will not cause the vehicle’s content theft system to arm. If ON is selected, the content theft-deterrent system can be armed using the driver’s door lock switch by pressing the driver’s door lock switch while the driver’s door is open and the key is not in the ignition, or by pressing the front passenger’s door lock switch while the front passenger’s door is open and the key is not in the ignition. To program this mode: 1. Press the set/reset button to scroll to OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. If OFF is selected, the remote start feature will be disabled. If ON is selected, the remote start feature will be enabled. To program this mode: 1. Press the set/reset button to scroll to OFF or ON. 2. Press the options button again to advance to the next screen. PROGRAMMING FINISHED will appear on the next screen. This conﬁrms that the personal options programming is complete. 3-93 Audio System(s) Determine which radio your vehicle has and then read the pages following to familiarize yourself with its features. {CAUTION: This system provides you with far greater access to audio stations and song listings. Giving extended attention to entertainment tasks while driving can cause a crash and you or others can be injured or killed. Always keep your eyes on the road and your mind on the drive — avoid engaging in extended searching while driving. Keeping your mind on the drive is important for safe driving. See Defensive Driving on page 4-2. Here are some ways in which you can help avoid distraction while driving. While your vehicle is parked: (cid:127) Familiarize yourself with all of its controls. (cid:127) Familiarize yourself with its operation. (cid:127) Set up your audio system by presetting your favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite radio stations using the presets and steering wheel controls if the vehicle has them. Notice: Before adding any sound equipment to your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player, CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can be added by checking with your dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile radio and telephone units. If sound equipment can be added, it is very important to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has been added. Notice: The chime signals related to safety belts, parking brake, and other functions of your vehicle operate through the radio/entertainment system. If that equipment is replaced or additional equipment is added to your vehicle, the chimes may not work. Make sure that replacement or additional equipment is compatible with your vehicle before installing it. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 3-94 Radio(s) Radio with CD (MP3) shown, Radio with CD (Base) similar Your vehicle has one of these radios as its audio system. Your vehicle may have a feature called Retained Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be played even after the ignition is turned off. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-24 for more information. Setting the Clock The radio may have a button marked with an H or HR to represent hours and an M or MN to represent minutes. Press and hold the hour button until the correct hour displays. AM or PM displays for morning or evening hours. Press and hold the minute button until the correct minute displays. The time can be set with the ignition on or off. To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and hold the hour and minute buttons at the same time until UPDATED and the clock symbol appear on the display. If the time is not available from the station, NO UPDATE or NO UPDAT will appear on the display. RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to an RDS broadcast station, it could take a few minutes for the time to update. 3-95 Radio Data System (RDS) The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. With RDS, the radio can do the following: (cid:127) Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming (cid:127) Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies (cid:127) Display messages from radio stations (cid:127) Seek to stations with traffic announcements This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information from these stations and only works when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that causes the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station name or the call letters appear on the display instead of the frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast. 3-96 XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ is a satellite radio service that is based in the 48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces. XM™ Satellite Radio has a wide variety of programming and commercial-free music, coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited access to XM™ Radio Online for when you are not in your vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the XM™ service. For more information, contact XM™ at www.xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and www.xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada. Playing the Radio PWR (Power): Push this knob to turn the system on and off. VOL (Volume): Turn this knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or to decrease the volume. RCL (Recall): Push this knob to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. When the ignition is turned off, push this knob to display the time. For RDS, push the RCL knob to change what appears on the display while using RDS. The display options are station name, RDS station frequency, PTY, and the name of the program (if available). For XM™ (if equipped), push the RCL knob while in XM™ mode to retrieve four different categories of information related to the current song or channel: Artist, Song Title, Category or PTY, Channel Number/Channel Name. To change the default on the display, push the RCL knob until you see the desired display, then hold the knob until the display ﬂashes. The selected display is now the default. SCV (Speed-Compensated Volume): Vehicles with the SCV feature, automatically lets the audio system adjust volume to make up for road and wind noise while driving. Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to select MIN (minimum), MED (medium), or MAX (maximum). Each higher setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then, as you drive, SCV automatically increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any speed. The volume level should always sound the same while driving. To turn SCV off, press this button until OFF displays. AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume): Vehicles with automatic volume, automatically lets the audio system adjust volume to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to select MIN (minimum), MED (medium), or MAX (maximum). Each higher setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then, as you drive, automatic volume increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. To turn automatic volume off, press this button until OFF displays. Finding a Station BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped). The display shows the selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. wx or s tSEEK: Press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio only seeks stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. wx or s tSCAN: Press and hold either SCAN arrow for two seconds until SCAN or SC displays and a beep sounds. The radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning. 3-97 To scan preset stations, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than four seconds until PSCAN or PRESET SCAN and the preset number displays and a double beep sounds. The radio goes to the ﬁrst preset station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next preset station. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning presets. The radio scans stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. Setting Preset Stations Up to 30 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM, six XM1 and six XM2 (if equipped)), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press EQ, or depending on the radio, AUTO EQ, to select the equalization. 5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until a beep sounds. When that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that was set returns and the equalization that was selected is stored for that pushbutton. 6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. 3-98 Setting the Tone (Bass/Midrange/Treble) TONE: Press and release the TONE button until BASS, MID (midrange), or TREB (treble) displays. The SELECT LED indicator lights to show that the tone control can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or has static, decrease the treble. To return all of the tone controls to the middle position, press and hold the TONE button until FLAT displays. AUDIO (Radio with Six-Disc CD Player): Push the AUDIO knob until BASS, MID (midrange), or TREB (treble) displays. Turn the knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. To adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle position, select BASS, MID, or TREB and push and hold the AUDIO knob. The display level adjusts to the middle position and a beep sounds. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is displayed. CENTERED displays and one beep sounds. EQ or AUTO EQ (Equalization): Press this button to select customized equalization settings. Up to six customized equalization settings, can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Use the TONE button and the SELECT knob to create the desired equalization. 3. Press and hold the EQ or AUTO EQ button for two seconds. SELECT EQ # displays and the EQ symbol ﬂashes. 4. Press EQ or turn the SELECT knob to select the desired EQ number. 5. Press and hold the EQ or AUTO EQ button or push the SELECT knob to store the equalization setting and the number. A beep sounds and EQ SAVED displays. 6. Repeat the steps for the other EQ settings and numbers. EQ 5 has been programmed at the factory for use with talk radio, but it can be set to a different tone. Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) BAL (Balance): Press this button until BAL displays, to adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers. The SELECT LED indicator lights to show that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. FADE: Press this button until FADE displays, to adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers. The SELECT LED indicator lights to show that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. Press and hold the BAL FADE button for two seconds to return all speaker settings to the middle position. AUDIO (Radio with Six-Disc CD Player): Push the AUDIO knob until BAL (balance) displays, to adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. To adjust the fade between the front and rear speakers, push and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD (fade) displays. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. To adjust the balance and the fade to the middle position, select balance or fade and push and hold the AUDIO knob. The display level adjusts to the middle position and a beep sounds. 3-99 To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker controls are displayed. CENTERED displays and one beep sounds. Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station (RDS and XM™) To select and ﬁnd a desired PTY perform the following: 1. Press PROG TYPE, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, to activate program type select mode. The PTY symbol displays. 2. Turn the SELECT, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, knob to select a PTY. 3. Press either SEEK arrow, once the desired PTY displays, to select the PTY and to go to the PTY’s ﬁrst station. 4. To go to another station within that PTY, and the PTY displays, press either SEEK arrow once. If the PTY is not displayed, press either SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to go to another station. 5. Press PROG TYPE, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, to exit program type select mode. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go back to Step 1. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio searches for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. The Radio with Six-Disc CD player has the PTY interrupt feature. To use this feature, press and hold the P-TYPE button until a beep sounds on the PTY used to interrupt. When selected, an asterisk displays beside that PTY on the display. Select multiple interrupts if desired. When listening to a CD, the last selected RDS station interrupts play if that selected program type format is broadcast. wx or s tSCAN: Scan the stations within a PTY by performing the following: 1. Press PROG TYPE, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, to activate program type select mode. The PTY symbol displays. 2. Turn the SELECT, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, knob to select a PTY. 3. Press and hold either SCAN arrow, once the desired PTY is displayed, and the radio begins scanning the stations in the PTY. 4. Press either SCAN arrow to stop at a station. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio scans for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. 3-100 BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON displays. The radio can switch to stations with a stronger frequency. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF displays. The radio does not switch to other stations. This function does not apply for XM™ Satellite Radio Service. Setting Preset PTYs (RDS Only) These pushbuttons have factory PTY presets. Up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Press BAND, or depending on the radio, AM/FM to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press PROG TYPE, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, to activate program type select mode. The PTY symbol displays. 3. Turn the SELECT, or depending on the radio, P-TYPE, knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until a beep sounds. When that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the PTY that was set, returns, if program type select mode is activated. 5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. RDS Messages ALERT!: Alert warns of local or national emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! displays. The announcement is heard, even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play stops during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. ALERT! is not affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations. INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, INFO displays. Press this button to see the message. The message can display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. 3-101 If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the message appears every three seconds. To scroll through the message, press and release the INFO button. A new group of words appear on the display after every press of this button. Once the complete message has been displayed, the information symbol disappears from the display until another new message is received. The last message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. The last message can be viewed until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to. TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF displays, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned station, press this button. Brackets are displayed around TRAF and when a traffic announcement broadcasts on the tuned radio station, you will hear it. If the station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio seeks to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio stops seeking and brackets are displayed around TRAF. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC displays. If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, press the TRAF button to remove the brackets or use the TUNE knob or the SEEK arrows to go to a station that supports traffic announcements. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC may display. The radio plays the traffic announcement if the volume is low. The radio interrupts the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements and the brackets are displayed. This function does not apply to XM™ Satellite Radio Service. Radio Messages CALIBRATE: The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CALIBRATE displays it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for your vehicle and it must be returned to your dealer/ retailer for service. LOCKED: Vehicles with the Theft-Deterrent Feature may display LOCKED when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up. Take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer/retailer. 3-102 Radio Messages for XM™ Only See XM Radio Messages on page 3-114 later in this section for further detail. Playing a CD Radio with CD (Base) Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in and the CD should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD when the ignition is off, ﬁrst press the eject button or push the RCL knob. If you insert a CD with the radio off and the ignition on, it starts to play. Radio with CD (MP3) Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in and READING DISC and the CD symbol appears on the display. If you want to insert a CD with the ignition off, ﬁrst press the EJECT button or push the RCL knob. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol appears on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number appears on the display. 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. For vehicles that have a radio with a Six-Disc CD player, see the following: LOAD / CD Z: Press the LOAD side of this button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player holds up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and release the LOAD button. 3. Wait for the indicator light, located to the right of the slot, to turn green. 4. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD button for two seconds. A beep sounds and the indicator light, located to the right of the slot, begins to ﬂash. 3. Once the light stops ﬂashing and turns green, load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. Once the CD is loaded, the light begins ﬂashing again. Once the light stops ﬂashing and turns green you can load another CD. The CD player takes up to six CDs. Do not try to load more than six. 3-103 To load more than one CD but less than six, complete Steps 1 through 3. When ﬁnished loading CDs, the radio begins to play the last CD loaded. If more than one CD has been loaded, a number for each CD displays. Playing a Speciﬁc Loaded CD For every CD loaded, a number appears on the display. To play a speciﬁc CD, ﬁrst press the CD AUX button, then press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to the CD. A small bar appears under the CD number that is playing and the track number displays. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD / CD Z (Eject): Press the CD eject side of this button to eject a CD(s). A beep sounds and the indicator light ﬂashes to indicate when a CD is being ejected. REMOVE CD displays. The CD can be removed. If the CD is not removed, after 25 seconds, the CD is automatically pulled back into the player. If the CD is pushed back into the player, before the 25 second time period is complete, the player senses an error and tries to eject the CD several times before stopping. Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD after trying to push it in manually. The player’s 25-second eject timer resets at each press of eject, causing the player to not eject the CD until the 25-second time period has elapsed. Once the player stops and the CD is ejected, remove the CD. After removing the CD, push the PWR knob off and then on again, or wait for the system to reset. This clears the CD-sensing feature and enables CDs to be loaded into the player again. \1 (Forward) or FWD | (Forward): 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 advance 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. RPT (Repeat): For the Radio with Six-Disc CD player, use this feature to repeat one track or an entire CD. To use repeat, do the following: (cid:127) To repeat the track you are listening to, press and release the RPT button. RPT displays. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. (cid:127) To repeat the CD you are listening to, press and hold the RPT button for two seconds. RPT displays. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. 3-104 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: (cid:127) 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. (cid:127) 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. w SEEK x (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. sSEEK t (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. w SCAN x (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. 3-105 s SCAN t (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 ﬁrst 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 ﬂashes. 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 Care of Your CD Player Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a marking pen instead. The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD player mechanism. Notice: CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error displays, see “CD Messages” later in this section. If a label is added to a CD, or more than one Using Song List Mode (Radio with Six-Disc CD Player) This type of radio has a feature called song list. This feature is capable of saving 20 track selections. To save tracks into the song list feature, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on and load it with at least one CD. See “LOAD CD” listed previously in this section for more information. 2. Check to see that the CD changer is not in song list mode. S-LIST should not display. If S-LIST displays, press the SONG LIST button to turn it off. 3. Select the desired CD by pressing the numbered pushbutton and then use the SEEK SCAN right arrow to locate the track to be saved. The track begins to play. 4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed, one beep sounds. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps sound to conﬁrm the track has been saved. 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections. S-LIST FULL displays if you try to save more than 20 selections. 3-107 To play the song list, press the SONG LIST button. One beep sounds and S-LIST displays. The recorded tracks begins to play in the order they were saved. Seek through the song list by using the SEEK SCAN arrows. Seeking past the last saved track returns to the ﬁrst saved track. To delete tracks from the song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on. S-LIST displays. 3. Press the SEEK SCAN arrows to select the desired track to be deleted. 4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for two seconds. When SONG LIST is pressed, one beep sounds. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps sound to conﬁrm the track has been deleted. After a track has been deleted, the remaining tracks are moved up the list. When another track is added to the song list, the track is added to the end of the list. To delete the entire song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on. S-LIST displays. 3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more than four seconds. One beep sounds, followed by two beeps after two seconds, and a ﬁnal beep sounds after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY displays indicating the song list has been deleted. If a CD is ejected, and the song list contains saved tracks from that CD, those tracks are automatically deleted from the song list. Any tracks saved to the song list again are added to the bottom of the list. To end song list mode, press the SONG LIST button. One beep sounds and S-LIST is removed from the display. Playing an MP3 CD-R Disc Your vehicle’s radio system may have the MP3 feature. If it has this feature, it is capable of playing an MP3 CD-R disc. For more information on how to play an MP3 CD-R disc, see Using an MP3 on page 3-109 later in this section. 3-108 CD Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the display and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: (cid:127) It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. (cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. (cid:127) The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. (cid:127) The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. (cid:127) The format of the CD may not be compatible. See Using an MP3 on page 3-109 later in this section. (cid:127) There may have been a problem while burning the CD. (cid:127) The label may be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer/retailer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer/retailer when reporting the problem. Using an MP3 MP3 CD-R Disc MP3 Format If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer: (cid:127) Make sure the MP3 ﬁles are recorded on a CD-R disc. (cid:127) Do not mix standard audio and MP3 ﬁles on one disc. (cid:127) Make sure playlists have a .m3u or .wpl extension, other ﬁle extensions may not work. (cid:127) Files can be recorded with a variety of ﬁxed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2. (cid:127) Create a folder structure that makes it easy to ﬁnd songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less. (cid:127) Make sure to ﬁnalize the disc when burning an MP3 disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once. 3-109 The player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles. Long ﬁle names, folder names, or playlist names may use more disc memory space than necessary. To conserve space on the disc, minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder or playlist names. You can also play an MP3 CD that was recorded using no ﬁle folders. The system can support up to 11 folders in depth, though, keep the depth of the folders to a minimum in order to keep down the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are ignored. Root Directory The root directory is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio ﬁles, the directory is displayed as F1 ROOT. All ﬁles contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always be accessed before root folders or ﬁles. Empty Directory or Folder If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the ﬁle structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed ﬁles directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the ﬁle structure that contains compressed audio ﬁles. The empty folder does not display. No Folder When the CD contains only compressed ﬁles, the ﬁles are located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions do not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. When the CD contains only playlists and compressed audio ﬁles, but no folders, all ﬁles are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons search playlists (Px) ﬁrst and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. 3-110 Order of Play Tracks are played in the following order: (cid:127) Play begins from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst playlist. (cid:127) If the CD does not contain any playlists, then play begins from the ﬁrst track under the root directory. When all tracks from the root directory have played, play continues from ﬁles according to their numerical listing. After playing the last track from the last folder, play begins again at the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst 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 ﬁle 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 ﬁlename 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 ﬁles. 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, ﬁrst 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. 3-111 \ 1 (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to advance at 10 times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to advance at 20 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the track. FWD and the elapsed time of the track appears on the display. RDM 2 (Random): To repeat the tracks in the current folder or playlist, press and release this pushbutton. FOLDER RANDOM displays. Once all of the tracks in the current folder or playlist have been played, the system moves on to the next folder or playlist and plays all of the tracks in random order. To repeat the tracks on the CD, press and hold this pushbutton for two seconds. A beep sounds and DISC RANDOM displays. This feature does not work with playlists. When in random, pressing and releasing either SEEK arrow takes you to the next or previous random track. Press and release this pushbutton again to turn off random play. NO RANDOM displays. 3 # (Next Folder): Press this pushbutton to go to the ﬁrst track in the next folder or playlist. If the disc contains playlists, it goes through the playlist, then the folders. Pressing this button while in folder random mode takes you to the next folder and random the tracks in that folder. This function does not work on a CD that does not contain folders or playlists. 4 REV (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to reverse at 10 times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 20 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the track. REV and the elapsed time of the track appears on the display. If this pushbutton is pressed for more than 20 seconds, the radio stops reversing and begins to play. 6 ! (Previous Folder): Press this pushbutton to go to the ﬁrst track in the previous folder or playlist. If the disc contains playlists, it goes through the playlist, then the folders. Pressing this pushbutton while in folder random mode takes you to the previous folder and random the tracks in that folder. This function does not work on a CD that does not contain folders or playlists. 3-112 w SEEK x: 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 ﬁle 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 ﬁnished. 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 ﬁrst. 3-113 XM Radio Messages XL (Explicit Language Channels): These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). Updating: The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. No Signal: The system is functioning correctly, but the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™ signal. When the vehicle is moved into an open area, the signal should return. Loading XM: The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. CH Off Air: This channel is not currently in service. Tune to another channel. CH Unavail: This previously assigned channel is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station was one of the presets, choose another station for that preset button. No Info: No artist, song title, category, or text information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No Info: No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. Not Found: There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. XM Locked: The XM™ receiver in your vehicle may have previously been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM™ receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this message is received after having your vehicle serviced, check with your dealer/retailer. Radio ID: If tuned to channel 0, this message alternates with the XM™ Radio eight digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. Unknown: If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there may be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. Chk XMRcvr: If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver may have a fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. 3-114 Audio Steering Wheel Controls Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it does not operate and LOCKED displays. When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK® is armed. With THEFTLOCK® activated, the radio does not operate if stolen. If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the following: wt u x(Seek/Scan): Press the seek arrows to go to the previous or the next station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold either scan arrow for two seconds until FREQUENCY SCAN displays. The radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press either scan arrow again to stop scanning. The sound mutes while seeking or scanning. The radio seeks or scans stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. 3-115 When a CD is playing, press either scan arrow to go to the previous or next track, if more than eight seconds have played. If either scan arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player continues moving backward or forward through the CD. BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped). 1–6 (Preset Pushbuttons): Press this button to play stations that are programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons. The radio seeks preset stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. $ (Mute//OnStar®): Press this button to silence the system. Press this button again, to turn the sound on. If your vehicle is equipped with OnStar®, press and hold this button to interact with the OnStar® system. See the OnStar® System on page 2-40 in this manual for more information. r (Play): When listening to the radio, press this button to play a CD. wux (Volume): Press the volume arrows to increase or decrease the volume. Radio Reception Frequency interference and static during normal radio reception can occur if items such as cellphone chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external electronic devices are plugged into the accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the item from the accessory power outlet. AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause station frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during the night. Static can also occur when things like storms and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this happens, try reducing the treble on your radio. FM Stereo FM stereo gives the best sound, but FM signals reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. 3-116 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 ﬁlm. The metallic ﬁlm 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 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle 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 .............................................4-12 Driving 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 4-1 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Defensive Driving Defensive driving means “always expect the unexpected.” The ﬁrst step in driving defensively is to wear your safety belt — See Safety 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: (cid:127) Allow enough following distance between you and the driver in front of you. (cid:127) 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. 4-2 Drunk Driving {CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, 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. 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. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 and Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Braking See Brake 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. See Accessories 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 brieﬂy 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 ﬁrmly 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 ﬁrst 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. See Antilock 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. 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. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-22 and If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-21 for more information. Press the traction control button located on the console to turn the system off. 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 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. See Cruise Control on page 3-12. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3 for 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. See Cruise 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. See Automatic 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. Press the traction control button located on the console to turn the system off. 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 4-22 and If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-21 for more information. 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 See DIC 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 ﬁve 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. See Cruise Control on page 3-12 for more information. This symbol, along with the STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE message comes on the Driver Information Center (DIC). See DIC 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. 4-9 Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort. Variable Effort Steering If your vehicle has this steering system, the system provides less steering effort for parking and when driving at speeds below 20 mph (32 km/h). Steering effort will increase at higher speeds for improved road feel. Steering Tips It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of the tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control systems — steering and braking — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have antilock brakes, adding the hard braking can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. The same thing can happen if you are steering through a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems — steering and acceleration — can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 or Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while the front wheels are straight ahead. 4-10 Try to adjust your speed so you can drive through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply the brakes. See Braking on page 4-3. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 4-11 Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your vehicle’s right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. 4-12 Passing Passing another vehicle on a two-lane road can be dangerous. To reduce the risk of danger while passing, we suggest the following tips: (cid:127) Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect a successful pass. If in doubt, wait. (cid:127) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines that could indicate a turn or an intersection. Never cross a solid or double-solid line on your side of the lane. (cid:127) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass. Doing so can reduce your visibility. (cid:127) Wait your turn to pass a slow vehicle. (cid:127) When you are being passed, ease to the right. Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems — brakes, steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. 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 4-7 or 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 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving because some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Night driving tips include: (cid:127) Drive defensively. (cid:127) Do not drink and drive. (cid:127) Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside rearview mirror. (cid:127) Slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles because your headlamps can only light up so much road ahead. (cid:127) Watch for animals. (cid:127) When tired, pull off the road. (cid:127) Do not wear sunglasses. (cid:127) Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps. (cid:127) Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or curves. No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But, as we get older, these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. 4-14 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep-standing or ﬂowing water. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not work as well in a quick stop and could cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until the brakes work normally. Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. Driving through ﬂowing water could cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warnings and be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet. Other Rainy Weather Tips Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips include: (cid:127) Allow extra following distance. (cid:127) Pass with caution. (cid:127) Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape. (cid:127) Keep the windshield washer ﬂuid reservoir ﬁlled. (cid:127) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-62. Before Leaving on a Long Trip To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having it serviced by your dealer/retailer before departing. Things to check on your own include: (cid:127) Windshield Washer Fluid: Reservoir full? Windows clean — inside and outside? (cid:127) Wiper Blades: In good shape? (cid:127) Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked? (cid:127) Lamps: Do they all work and are lenses clean? (cid:127) Tires: Are treads good? Are tires inﬂated to recommended pressure? (cid:127) Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Have up-to-date maps? 4-15 Highway Hypnosis Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, ﬁnd a safe place to park your vehicle and rest. Other driving tips include: (cid:127) Keep the vehicle well ventilated. (cid:127) Keep interior temperature cool. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving — scan the road ahead and to the sides. (cid:127) Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments often. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different than driving on ﬂat or rolling terrain. Tips for driving in these conditions include: (cid:127) Keep your vehicle serviced and in good shape. (cid:127) Check all ﬂuid levels and brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. (cid:127) Going down steep or long hills, shift to a lower gear. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, the brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let the engine assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope. 4-16 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You might want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. Also see Tires on page 5-62. {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down and they could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have the engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (cid:127) Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your lane (stalled car, accident). (cid:127) Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks area, winding roads, long grades, passing or no-passing zones) and take appropriate action. 4-17 Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You have a lot less traction, or grip, and need to be very careful. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it can offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. If your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS) or the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), it will improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction system, slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you might want to turn the TCS or ETS off, such as when driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 or Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-7. If your vehicle does not have TCS or ETS, accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you

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2008 Pontiac Grand PRIX Owners Manual