2005 Pontiac GTO Owners Manual

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could be damaged, and the damages would not be covered by your warranty. Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the shaded warning area. Safety Belt Reminder Light When the key is turned to ON, the safety belt light will come on and stay on for several seconds and a chime will be sounded for eight seconds, then it will ﬂash continuously until the driver’s belt is buckled. If the driver’s belt is already buckled, the light will not come on. Speedometer The speedometer shows vehicle speed in both miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). Tachometer The tachometer shows engine speed in revolutions per minute (rpm). For automatic transmission vehicle’s, under wide open throttle acceleration, when the accelerator pedal is pushed ﬂat to the ﬂoor, it is possible that the tachometer needle may brieﬂy enter the lower end of the tachometer’s red zone just prior to automatically upshifting into a higher gear. This is normal during wide open throttle acceleration and will not harm the engine. 3-24 Airbag Readiness Light There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel which shows the airbag symbol. This light will come on when you start your vehicle, and it will ﬂash for a few seconds. Then the light should go out. This means the system is ready. The system checks the airbag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system check includes the airbag sensors, the airbag modules, the wiring and the diagnostic module. See Airbag System on page 1-44 for more information. If the airbag readiness light stays on after you start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your airbag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle serviced right away. The light comes on after an accident where the airbags were activated. {CAUTION: If the airbag readiness light stays on after you start your vehicle, it means the airbag system may not be working properly. The airbags in your vehicle may not inﬂate in a crash, or they could even inﬂate without a crash. To help avoid injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle serviced right away if the airbag readiness light stays on after you start your vehicle. 3-25 One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) When this light comes on, you can only shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) instead of FIRST (1) to SECOND (2). You must complete the shift into FOURTH (4) to turn off this feature. This helps you get the best possible fuel economy. After shifting to FOURTH (4), you may downshift to a lower gear if you prefer. Charging System Light The charging system light will come on when you turn on the ignition, until the engine is started, as a check to show you it is working. When the engine is running, the light should go out. If the light illuminates and the Check Alternator message on the trip computer stays on, or comes on while you are driving you may have a problem with the electrical charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this light is on could drain your battery. If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner. The Check Alternator message will remain until the MODE button on the trip computer is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the problem is ﬁxed. 3-26 Brake System Warning Light This light will come on when the ignition is turned ON and when the parking brake is applied. Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light This light will come on brieﬂy when the ignition is turned to ON. If this light comes on and the Brake message appears on the trip computer display while driving and the parking brake is released, a fault with the brakes is indicated. You should immediately stop the car on the side of the road as carefully as possible. Do not proceed until satisﬁed that braking is possible or that the cause of the problem has been ﬁxed. A warning will chime if you attempt to drive off without releasing the parking brake. The Brake message will remain until the MODE button on the trip computer is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the problem is ﬁxed. This light will also come on to indicate low brake ﬂuid. If the light does not come on then, have it ﬁxed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem. If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on and the ABS Fault message will appear on the trip computer display. See your GM dealer for service. The vehicle’s brake system will still operate without ABS. The ABS Fault message will stay on until the MODE button on the trip computer is pressed, but the light will stay on until the problem is ﬁxed. 3-27 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage The temperature gage shows the engine coolant temperature when the ignition is on. If the gage pointer moves into the red area, the light comes on and you hear a chime, your engine is too hot! It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you have been operating your vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible. 3-28 Malfunction Indicator Lamp Check Engine Light Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which monitors operation of the fuel, ignition, and emission control systems. This system is called OBD II (On-Board Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment. The check engine light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing any malfunction. Notice: light on, after awhile, your emission controls may not work as well, your fuel economy may not be as good, and your engine may not run as smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warranty. If you keep driving your vehicle with this Notice: Modiﬁcations made to the engine, transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or replacement tires that do not match your vehicle’s original tires can affect your vehicle’s emission controls and may cause this light to come on. Modiﬁcations to these systems could lead to costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test. This light should come on, as a check to show you it is working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired. This light will also come on during a malfunction in one of two ways: • Light Flashing — A misﬁre condition has been detected. A misﬁre increases vehicle emissions and may damage the emission control system on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be required. • Light On Steady — An emission control system malfunction has been detected on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be required. If the Light is Flashing The following may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle: • Reducing vehicle speed • Avoiding hard accelerations • Avoiding steep uphill grades • If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible If the light stops ﬂashing and remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light continues to ﬂash, when it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ﬂashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer for service as soon as possible. 3-29 If you experience one or more of these conditions, change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off. If none of the above steps have made the light turn off, your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ﬁx any mechanical or electrical problems that may have developed. Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs Some state/provincial and local governments have or may begin programs to inspect the emission control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration. Here are some things you need to know to help your vehicle pass an inspection: Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check engine light is on or not working properly. If the Light Is On Steady You may be able to correct the emission system malfunction by considering the following: Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle? If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install the cap. See Filling the Tank on page 5-8. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should turn the light off. Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water? If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition will usually be corrected when the electrical system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off. Have you recently changed brands of fuel? If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put the vehicle into gear, misﬁring, hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected by the system and cause the light to turn on. 3-30 Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical emission control systems have not been completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if you have recently replaced your battery or if your battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to evaluate critical emission control systems during normal driving. This may take several days of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the vehicle for inspection. Security Light Fog Lamp Light This light will come on when the fog lamps are in use. The light will go out when the fog lamps are turned off. See Fog Lamps on page 3-15 for more information. Highbeam On Light This light ﬂashes when the vehicle security system is activated. This light will come on when the high-beam headlamps are in use. Please see Theft-Deterrent Systems on page 2-13 for more information. See Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8. 3-31 When the indicator nears empty, the light will come on and you will hear a chime. You still have a little fuel left, but you should get more soon. If less than two gallons of fuel is added to an empty tank, the gage may take up to 15 minutes to register it. Here are three things that some owners ask about. None of these show a problem with your fuel gage: • At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before the gage reads full. • It takes a little more or less fuel to ﬁll up than the gage indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to ﬁll the tank. • The gage returns below the empty mark when the ignition is off. Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light This light will come on when the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) are activated. See Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) on page 3-14. Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have left, when the ignition is on. Fuel Gage 3-32 Trip Computer The buttons for the trip computer are located on the instrument panel, to the right of the instrument panel cluster. The trip computer displays are located directly beneath the instrument panel cluster gages. Speed related information appears in the left display, distance related information appears in the center display, and fuel related information appears in the right display. The basic, more commonly used functions of the trip computer are shown following. Tap the MODE button to scroll between the different sets of displays. When the ignition is turned to ON, the trip computer displays the same functions as when the ignition was last turned off. The trip computer can be reset when AVG SPEED or TRIP TIME are shown on the left display. To reset, press the SET button for less than two seconds. Resetting does not affect the Odometer, Overspeed, Range, Time to Arrival, Distance to Arrival, Instantaneous Fuel, or Fuel Remaining. Vehicle personalization is available through the trip computer controls and display. See Vehicle Personalization on page 2-30. AVG (Average) SPEED This function shows the average speed, while the engine is running, since the trip computer was reset. Odometer This function records miles travelled since the car was built. AVG (Average) FUEL This function shows the average fuel used since the trip computer was reset. After resetting, a high number may initially be shown, due to the short distance travelled and the high fuel used when accelerating. 3-33 TRIP TIME This function shows the engine running time since the trip computer was reset. If this exceeds 99 hours and 59 minutes, the trip time is displayed in hours only. Trip Distance This function shows the miles travelled from the start of a particular trip. Reset the reading to zero by pressing and holding the SET button down for eight seconds. FUEL USED This function shows the total gallons or liters of fuel used since the trip computer was reset. TIME TO ARRIVAL This function shows trip time to arrival in hours and minutes, based on distance to arrival. If this exceeds 99 hours and 59 minutes, the time to arrival is displayed in hours only. Dist (Distance) to Arrival At the start of a trip, estimate your distance to arrival. Tap the up or down arrows until the display shows your estimated trip distance. When you drive, the computer constantly updates your time to arrival, based on changing driving speeds. You can use the up or down arrows to adjust the miles (kilometers) any time this display is shown. 3-34 FUEL REMAINING This function shows the gallons (liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank, rounded to the nearest one gallon (liter). When the fuel level is down to about 2 gallons (7.5 liters), LO is displayed instead of gallons (liters). If the Low Fuel message in the trip computer comes on when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is low. The Low Fuel message is displayed until the MODE button is pressed. The trip computer then displays its calculation of Range, which is how far you can drive with your current fuel level, for 10 seconds before returning to the original trip computer display with a small low fuel symbol on the left. The symbol will remain until the fuel tank is ﬁlled above the low fuel level. If the Very Low Fuel message in the trip computer comes on when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is very low. The Very Low Fuel message is displayed until the MODE button is pressed. The trip computer then displays its calculation of Range, which is how far you can drive with your current fuel level, for 10 seconds before returning to the original trip computer display with a small ﬂashing low fuel symbol on the left. The symbol will remain until the fuel tank is ﬁlled above the low fuel level. O/SPEED (Overspeed) Overspeed sets the speed you do not want to exceed. For example, if driving in a 45 mph zone, set OVERSPEED to 45 mph by tapping the up or down arrows. The overspeed setting is shown in the left display. When your vehicle’s speed exceeds the setting, the overspeed warning message and an audible chime warn you that you are speeding. At that time, the trip computer automatically shows the overspeed display, allowing you to make adjustments if desired. If in the Overspeed preset mode, press and hold the MODE button for two seconds to make adjustments. Preset O/Speed (Overspeed) Instead of adjusting overspeed up and down in increments of 3 mph (5 km/h), you can set four commonly used speeds. Hold down the MODE button for two seconds when the overspeed display is shown. The display changes from normal overspeed operation to preset overspeed. Preset 1 has a default setting of 25 mph (40 km/h). Tap the up arrow to see the other three presets. The overspeed preset display has now replaced the normal overspeed display. Tap the MODE button to scroll through the other displays. To change the display back to normal overspeed, hold down the MODE button for two seconds while the overspeed preset display is shown. Altering Overspeed Presets The default overspeed settings can be changed for your individual preference. The vehicle must be stopped when changing a preset. Ensure the preset you wish to change is showing. Then brieﬂy press the SET button. The display will start to ﬂash. Use the up or down arrows to adjust the setting. When at the desired speed, brieﬂy press the SET button. Each PRESET can be changed in this way. The presets are automatically arranged in ascending order. One or more presets can be assigned to OFF, by reducing the preset down to 0 (OFF). When driving, you then only have three or less presets to choose from. To turn back on, select the OFF preset when the vehicle is stopped, brieﬂy press the SET button, and use the up arrow to increase the number. If the up or down arrows are brieﬂy pressed while driving, the overspeed setting is changed to the speed at which you are travelling. If the SET button is pressed for two seconds, either while driving or stopped, overspeed is turned completely off or on. 3-35 Underspeed Chime Overspeed provides a chime when your vehicle’s travelling speed exceeds the overspeed value, whereas underspeed provides a chime to indicate when your vehicle’s travelling speed drops below the overspeed. Range Range is an estimate of how far your current fuel level will last. It is based on your previous fuel usage and is frequently updated. Therefore, as conditions become suited to more economical driving, the range may actually increase, for example from city to highway driving. INST (Instantaneous) FUEL This function shows instantaneous fuel usage in miles per gallon or liters per 100 km when driving. When speed drops below 6 mph (10 km/h) the usage is shown in gallons per hour or liters per hour. Display Units Display units allows you to select the units of measurement in which the trip computer and instrument panel cluster will display information. Tap the up or down arrows to select between ENG (English) or MET (metric) units. DIGITAL SPEEDO (Speedometer) If digital speedo mode is activated, the mph (km/h) are shown in a large digital mode. Stop Watch The stop watch function, when enabled, records elapsed time. It can be used, for example, to measure the time taken to travel between two points on a trip. If you will be starting and stopping your vehicle, the stop watch will automatically start timing where it left off when you last stopped. To start or stop the stop watch, press the SET button. To reset the stop watch, press and hold the MODE button for more than three seconds. The trip computer must be on Trip Time for this function to work. 3-36 Trip A/B When the Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel Remaining set of displays are turned on, using vehicle personalization, and are showing on the display, hold the MODE button down for two seconds. Now, instead of the Time to Arrival set of displays, the trip computer shows Trip B details. Press the MODE button to view your displays. You now have two different sets of trip displays counting, your original set of trip displays — labelled A while B is turned on — and a new set of trip displays, labelled B. This is useful on a long trip, as Trip B can be reset at the beginning of the journey and then locked away by pressing the MODE button for two seconds when Trip B is shown. Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel Remaining will again be shown on the display, but Trip B is still counting away in the background and the original trip display can be used for short distances during the journey. Trip B can be viewed at any time by pressing the MODE button for two seconds when Distance to Arrival is shown. Trip A/B can also be enabled/disabled in vehicle personalization. See Vehicle Personalization on page 2-30. If the Trip A and B function is selected, the Average Speed and Average Fuel displays indicate Trip A. Trip Computer Notes: • If the wrong buttons are accidentally pressed, causing the display to show a display other than normal, turn the ignition off and then on again when the vehicle is stopped. • Several warning lights are linked to the trip computer displays. See Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators on page 3-22. • When the overspeed warning symbol is ﬁrst shown, the overspeed trip computer display is automatically shown for 10 seconds. This is to show what your pre-selected speed is and allow you to adjust it if desired. After 10 seconds, the trip computer returns to its previous display. • Some displays change the units of measurement over time. For example, the Time to Arrival shows hours only above 99 hours and 59 minutes, and hours and minutes below. Time to Arrival also shows 10 minute units above 2 hours, 5 minute units below 2 hours and 1 minute units below 10 minutes. 3-37 Trip Computer Warning Messages The following messages may appear on the center trip computer display located on the instrument panel cluster. If a message is active, it will appear on the display for 10 seconds, unless the trip computer MODE button is pressed. Pressing the MODE button will acknowledge and clear messages from the display. ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) Fault ALARM ACTIVATED If the ALARM ACTIVATED message comes on, it indicates that the content theft-deterrent alarm has been set off because a door, the hood, or the trunk has been opened, or that your vehicle’s electrical system has been tampered with. See “How to Detect a Tamper Condition” under Content Theft-Deterrent on page 2-14 for more information. Brake If this symbol and the ABS Fault message come on, there is a malfunction of the anti-lock brake system. See your GM dealer for service. If this symbol and the Brake message come on while driving and the park brake is released, a fault with the brakes is indicated. Your vehicle’s brake system will still operate without ABS. The ABS Fault message will remain until the MODE button is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the condition is repaired. You should immediately stop your vehicle on the side of the road as carefully as possible. Do not proceed until satisﬁed that braking is possible or the condition is repaired. A warning will chime if you attempt to drive off without releasing the park brake. The Brake message will remain until the MODE button is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the condition is repaired. This message will also come on to indicate low brake ﬂuid. 3-38 Check Alternator If this symbol and the Check Alternator message stay on, or come on while you are driving you may have a problem with the electrical charging system. It could indicate that your vehicle has a loose generator drive belt or another electrical problem. Have your vehicle checked right away by your GM dealer. Driving while this symbol is on could drain your battery. If you must drive a short distance with the symbol on, be certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner. The Check Alternator message will remain until the MODE button is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the condition is repaired. Check Oil If this symbol and the Check Oil message stay on after you start the engine, or come on when you are driving, there is a low engine oil pressure problem. This indicates that the engine is not receiving enough oil. The engine could be low on oil, or could have some other oil problem. Have it repaired immediately by your GM dealer. The Check Oil message will remain until the MODE button is pressed, but the symbol will remain until the condition is repaired. {CAUTION: Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If you do, your engine can become so hot that it catches ﬁre. You or others could be burned. Check your oil as soon as possible and have your vehicle serviced. Notice: Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance schedule in this manual for changing engine oil. CRUISE ACTIVE The CRUISE ACTIVE message comes on whenever you set the cruise control. See Cruise Control on page 3-10 for more information. 3-39 Cruise Enabled Engine Temp (Temperature) Hot This symbol, the Cruise Enabled message, and the CRUISE message come on for a few seconds whenever you turn on the cruise control. If the Engine Temp Hot message and this symbol come on while driving, it indicates that the engine coolant temperature is dangerously hot. The message then returns to the original trip computer display with a small CRUISE message on the right. The CRUISE message will remain until the cruise control is set or turned off. See Cruise Control on page 3-10 for more information. Cruise Off This symbol and the Cruise Off message come on for a few seconds whenever you turn off the cruise control. The message then returns to the original trip computer display. See Cruise Control on page 3-10 for more information. 3-40 You should stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. The Engine Temp Hot message will display until the MODE button is pressed. The message then returns to the original trip computer display with a small over temperature symbol on the left. The symbol will remain until the condition is repaired. See Engine Overheating on page 5-26 for more information. Low Fuel If the Low Fuel message comes on when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is low. The Low Fuel message is displayed until the MODE button is pressed. The trip computer then displays its calculation of miles to empty for 10 seconds. O/Speed (Overspeed) When your vehicle’s speed exceeds the pre-selected overspeed setting, the overspeed warning message and an audible chime warn you that you are speeding. If the overspeed is maintained for longer than 10 seconds, but is less than 9 mph (15 km/h) over the set overspeed value, the overspeed returns to the original trip computer display with an O/SPEED message on the left. If the overspeed is maintained for longer than 10 seconds and is more than 9 mph (15 km/h) over the set overspeed value, the overspeed returns to a ﬂashing O/SPEED message. See “O/SPEED (Overspeed)” earlier in this section for more information. The display then returns to the original trip computer display with a small low fuel symbol on the left. The symbol will remain until the fuel tank is ﬁlled above the low fuel level. Low Traction If this symbol and the Low Traction message come on while driving, the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. The Low Traction message displays as long as a low traction event is occurring. If the MODE button is pressed while the message is still displayed, then the message returns to the original trip computer display with a small low traction symbol on the left. The symbol will remain as long as the low traction situation exits. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. 3-41 Rest Reminder This symbol and message alert you when you may have been travelling for too long without a break. Service Error (X Symbol) If the Service Error message or the X symbol comes on, it indicates a fault in the trip computer. See your GM dealer for service. Service Vehicle Soon This symbol and the Service Vehicle Soon message will come on and a chime will sound if there is a problem with your vehicle. When this message displays, see your GM dealer as soon as possible. The Service Vehicle Soon message will display until the MODE button is pressed. The message then returns to the original trip computer display with a small SVS message on the right. The SVS message will remain until the condition is repaired. After the ignition is turned to ON, a timer will start. After two hours of continuous driving, the trip computer automatically shows the rest reminder display. See “REST REMINDER” under Vehicle Personalization on page 2-30 for more information. Service Engine Oil If this symbol and the Service Engine Oil message come on after you start the engine, it means that service is required for your vehicle. See your GM dealer. See Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4 and Engine Oil on page 5-13 for more information. 3-42 Shift Traction Ctrl (Control) Off If you have a manual transmission vehicle, this symbol, the Shift message, and the One-to-Four Shift light come on when you can only shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4). If this symbol and the Traction Ctrl Off message come on while driving, without the traction control being turned off by the driver, the traction control system is not working. You will not be able to shift from FIRST (1) to SECOND (2). You must complete the shift into FOURTH (4) to turn off this feature. This helps you get the best possible fuel economy. After shifting to FOURTH (4), you may downshift to a lower gear if you prefer. See One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) on page 3-26 and Manual Transmission Operation on page 2-21 for more information. See your GM dealer for service. The Traction Ctrl Off message is displayed for two seconds. The message then returns to the original trip computer display with a small TRAC OFF message on the right. The TRAC OFF message will remain until the condition is repaired. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8 for more information. 3-43 Traction Ctrl (Control) On This symbol and the Traction Ctrl On message will come on when the driver turns on the traction control system. The traction control system is automatically on after the next time the ignition is turned on. After two seconds, the display returns to the original trip computer display and the TRAC OFF message will turn off. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8 for more information. Very Low Fuel If the Very Low Fuel message comes on when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is very low. The Very Low Fuel message is displayed until the MODE button is pressed. The trip computer then displays its calculation of miles to empty for 10 seconds. The display then returns to the original trip computer display with a small ﬂashing low fuel symbol on the left. The symbol will remain until the fuel tank is ﬁlled above the low fuel level. 3-44 Audio System(s) 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. 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. Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, ﬁnd out what your audio system can do, and how to operate all of its controls. Setting the Time To change the time, perform the following: 1. Turn the radio on and wait for the time to appear on the display. 2. Press the TIME button for more than two seconds. TIME ADJ will appear on the display and the time will ﬂash. 3. Press either SEEK arrow to adjust the hour. 4. Press either TUNE arrow to adjust the minutes. 5. Press the TIME button again to save the new time. The radio will automatically exit the time setting mode if no adjustments are made for eight seconds. 3-45 Radio with Six-Disc CD Finding a Station FM AM: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, and AM. The display will show the selection. r TUNE DISC [: Press the right or the left arrow to select radio stations. gSEEK TRACK l: Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. LOC (Local): Press this button to switch the radio to local mode. LOCAL will appear on the display and you will only be able to listen and search for local stations. This feature is useful when using seek for searching for strong signals with good reception and clear sound quality. Playing the Radio ON OFF: Press this button to turn the system on and off. AUDIO (Volume): Turn this knob to increase or to decrease the volume. The radio has a feature that limits the amount of ampliﬁer distortion that you can hear, see “Dynamic Distortion Limiting (DDL)” later in this section for more information. 3-46 Setting Preset Stations Up to 18 stations, six FM1, six FM2, and six AM, can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press FM AM to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press EQ to select the equalization. 5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that was set will return and the equalization that was selected will be stored for that pushbutton. 6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. ASM (Automatic Station Memory): The radio will automatically store the six strongest AM and FM radio stations for the current area, without deleting the preset stations that are stored. To activate ASM do the following: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press FM AM to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Press the ASM button for more than two seconds. The sound will brieﬂy mute and SEARCH will appear on the display, while the radio is in the process of ﬁnding and storing radio stations. When storing is complete, ASM will appear on the display. The radio station now stored on pushbutton 1 will begin to play. 4. Press any of the pushbuttons to listen to the station stored on that pushbutton. 5. To stop listening to the stations stored by ASM, press the ASM button and ASM will go off the display. 6. Repeat the above steps if you have driven out of the stored stations’ range to select new stations. Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) AUDIO: The audio system must be out of EQ mode to adjust the bass and treble. To turn equalization off, press this button until EQ OFF appears on the display. Push and release the AUDIO knob until BASS or TREBLE appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. 3-47 To adjust bass or treble to the middle position, select BASS or TREB and push and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and adjust the display level to the middle position. 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. STD will appear on the display and you will hear a beep. EQ (Equalization): Press this button to select customized equalization settings designed for rock, pop, jazz, classical, and vocal. To turn equalization off, press this button until EQ OFF appears on the display. To give an equalization setting a boost, push the AUDIO knob once while in any equalization setting. BOOST will appear on the display. Turn the AUDIO knob to select one of the available boost levels. Different levels of boost can be set for each of the equalization settings. Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BALANCE appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. To adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until FADER appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. Playing a CD If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When a CD is inserted, the CD number will appear in the CD symbol on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. 3-48 If playing a CD-R the sound quality may 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. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD: Press the LOAD button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player will hold 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 INSERT CD to appear on the display, the indicator light, located to the left of the slot, to ﬂash, and for the radio to produce a beep, if beeps are turned on. See “Conﬁrmation Beeps” later in this section for information about turning beeps on and off. 4. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull 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. 3. Wait for LOAD ALL to appear on the display, the indicator light, located to the left of the slot, to ﬂash, and for the radio to produce a beep, if beeps are turned on. See “Conﬁrmation Beeps” later in this section for information about turning beeps on and off. 4. Once the light stops ﬂashing and turns green, load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the CD in. Once the CD is loaded, the light will begin 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. To load more than one CD but less than six, complete Steps 1 through 3. When ﬁnished loading CDs, press the EJECT button to cancel the loading function. The radio will begin to play the last CD loaded. For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the display. To play a speciﬁc CD, press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to the CD you want to play. The CD number that is playing will ﬂash, and the track number will appear. 3-49 TRACK SCAN: Press this button to listen to the ﬁrst 10 seconds of each track on the CD that is playing. Press this button again to stop scanning. II (Pause): Press this button to pause a CD. CD PAUSE will appear on the display. Press this button again to play the CD. TRACK REPEAT: Press this button to repeat the track that is playing. Press this button again to turn off repeat play. FM AM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD(s) will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. TRACK RANDOM: Press this button to listen to the tracks, on the CD that is playing, in random, rather than sequential order. Press this button again to turn off random play. DISC SCAN: If more than one CD is loaded, press this button to listen to the ﬁrst 10 seconds of the ﬁrst track on each loaded CD. Press this button again to stop scanning. DISC REPEAT: Press this button to repeat the CD that is currently playing. Press this button again to turn off repeat play. DISC RANDOM: If more than one CD is loaded, press this button to play all of the CDs in random, rather than sequential order. Press this button again to turn off random play. EQ (Equalization): Press EQ to select the desired equalization setting while playing a CD. The equalization will be stored whenever a CD is played. For more information on EQ, see “EQ” listed previously in this section. g SEEK TRACK l: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than 10 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 will continue moving backward or forward through the CD. If the audio system is in random mode, pressing the left arrow will only go to the start of the current track. 3-50 r TUNE DISC [: When more than one CD is loaded, press the left or right arrow to go to the previous or next CD loaded. If the audio system is in random mode, pressing the left arrow will only go to the start of the current track. FR FF (Fast Reverse/ Fast Forward): Press and hold FR to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold FF to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. EJECT: Press this button to eject a single CD or multiple CDs. To eject the CD that is currently playing, press and release this button. EJECTING CD # will appear on the display, the indicator light, located to the left of the slot, will ﬂash, and the radio will produce a beep, if beeps are turned on. See “Conﬁrmation Beeps” later in this section for information about turning beeps on and off. You can now remove the CD. Press the LOAD button to cancel the eject function. To eject multiple CDs, press and hold this button for two seconds. EJECTING ALL will appear on the display, the indicator light, located to the left of the slot, will ﬂash, and the radio will produce a beep, if beeps are turned on. See “Conﬁrmation Beeps” later in this section for information about turning beeps on and off. You can now remove the CD. Press the LOAD button to cancel the eject function. If the CD is not removed, after 25 seconds, the CD will be automatically pulled back into the player. If you try to push the CD back into the player before the 25 second time period is complete, the player will sense an error and will try to eject the CD several times before stopping. Do not repeatedly press the EJECT button to eject a CD after you have tried to push it in manually. The player’s 25-second eject timer will reset at each press of eject, which will cause 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, press the ON OFF button, off and then on again. This will clear the CD-sensing feature and enable CDs to be loaded into the player again. 3-51 Options Menu The following features can be adjusted through the vehicle’s options menu located in the instrument panel cluster in the trip computer display window. Conﬁrmation Beeps Beeps are used to conﬁrm various actions of the radio such as storing a preset. The beeps can be turned on or off using the options menu. See “Options Menu Adjustment” later in this section to adjust the conﬁrmation beeps. BEEPS ON: The radio will make a beep sound when storing radio stations, when it is time to insert or remove a CD from the CD changer, or to conﬁrm that the LOAD ALL or EJECT ALL functions have started. BEEP ONLY: The radio will make a beep sound when it is time to insert or remove a CD from the CD changer or to conﬁrm that the LOAD ALL or EJECT ALL functions have started. BEEPS OFF: The radio will not produce any beeps. CD Messages CD ERROR PLAY: The CD cannot be read. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. CD ERROR MECH (Mechanism): If this message appears on the display, it could be for one of the following reasons: • The CD is stuck in the player and cannot be played, loaded, or ejected. • It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. • You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. • The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. • There may have been a problem while burning the CD. • 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. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. 3-52 Speed-Dependent Volume (SDV) With SDV, the audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road or wind noise as you drive. This feature will never completely compensate for driving noise. There are other factors such as road surface, wind noise, windows open, and engine speed that may alter the interior noise for any given road speed. You can select compensation rates between 0 (off) and 5 (maximum compensation) in the options menu. See “Options Menu Adjustment” later in this section to adjust SDV. Dynamic Distortion Limiting (DDL) The radio has a feature that limits the amount of ampliﬁer distortion that you can hear. When this feature is turned on, it continuously monitors the quality of the signal to the speakers. When the signal distortion exceeds the preset limits the radio will automatically limit or reduce the volume until the distortion is minimized. Under some circumstances, distortion may be heard for a very short period of time until the system has taken the necessary steps to limit it. The speakers may go off when the volume level is set at a high or full volume for a long period of time in order to protect the ampliﬁer from overheating. When the ampliﬁer cools down, the radio will reset and you will again hear sound through the speakers. The main source of distortion in music is the low frequency bass caused by drums or large instruments. Music that features very strong bass may trigger the distortion limiting system and the system will then reduce the volume to minimize the distortion. Increasing the bass control or the EQ boost may also result in a reduced volume level due to the emphasized bass. See “Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)” previously in this section. The DDL can be turned off so that the radio will deliver a higher volume level, but distortion will also be increased. See “Options Menu Adjustment” later in this section to adjust DDL. 3-53 Options Menu Adjustment Conﬁrmation beeps, SDV, and DDL can all be adjusted by doing the following: 1. Turn off the radio by pressing the OFF button. 2. Press and hold pushbutton 1, then press the ON button until OPTION MENU appears on the display. 3. Push the AUDIO knob until the correct option appears on the display. 4. Turn the AUDIO knob to adjust the setting of the option being displayed. 5. Push the AUDIO knob to select another option or press the OFF button to exit the options menu. The selection will be saved. If no buttons are pressed or turned for eight seconds, the radio will automatically exit the menu and the radio will turn on. Master Reset The radio has a reset feature that allows you to return certain settings back to the factory default settings. Use this feature when adjustments have been made that affect the sound quality or operation of the radio and you are unsure of how to return to the original settings. This master reset feature will reset the following: • Bass, Treble, Fade, and Balance • Conﬁrmation beeps to on • SDV to setting 2 • DDL to on • EQ to off. To perform the master reset, do the following: 1. Turn off the radio by pressing the OFF button. 2. Press the ON button and pushbutton 4 at the same time for about two seconds. After the radio has ﬁnished resetting, the radio will turn on with the original settings and no message will appear on the display. 3-54 Theft-Deterrent Feature Your vehicle’s radio has an electronically coded security system. The system recognizes the vehicle which the radio has been installed. If the radio is kept in the vehicle, the PIN should not be required, even if the battery or the radio has been removed and reinstalled. If the link between your vehicle and the radio is disrupted, the radio will prompt you for a four-digit PIN code to be entered. The PIN is supplied on the security card. As the pin is the only means of enabling operation of the radio, place the security card in a safe place. Do not leave the security card in the glovebox. The PIN should also be written down and kept with other important documents. If the security card is lost and the PIN is not recorded, the PIN can be requested from your GM dealer, after supplying proof of ownership. There may be a charge for this service. When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking red light indicates that the radio is armed. Security Release Procedure To type in the PIN code, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition to ON. 2. Turn the radio on. CODE_ _ _ _ will appear on the display. 3. Use the preset buttons to enter the PIN code. If the wrong PIN code is entered, the radio will display CODE ERR WAIT. After a few seconds, the radio will display CODE 2_ _ _ _, indicating that this is the second attempt. The correct code should now be entered. After three attempts, the radio will display LOCK OUT 1 HR. After 1 hour, the radio will allow another three attempts to enter the PIN. 3-55 Audio Steering Wheel Controls If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the following: MODE: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or CD. 3-56 Q NEXT: Press this button to go to the next radio station and stay there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. When a CD is playing, press and release this button to go to the next track. Press and hold this button to go to the next CD, if multiple CDs are loaded. NEXT R: Press this button to go to the previous radio station and stay there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. When a CD is playing, press and release this button to go to the previous track. Press and hold this button to go to the previous CD, if multiple CDs are loaded. MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it again, or any other radio button, to turn on the sound. Q VOL (Volume): Press this button to increase the volume. VOL R (Volume): Press this button to decrease the volume. Radio Reception AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise. FM FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to come and go. Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled, dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge. Be sure never to touch the side without writing when handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. Care of the CD Player The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. 3-57 Because this antenna is built into your rear window, there is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes and vandals. If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your vehicle, and the antenna needs to be attached to the glass, be 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. Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting to the back glass. The metallic ﬁlm in some tinting materials will interfere with or distort the incoming radio reception. Care must be taken when cleaning the rear window because it breaks in the resistive material heating element and will adversely affect radio and defogger performance. See your dealer for details. Backglass Antenna The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window defogger, located in the rear window. Be 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. 3-58 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2 Drunken Driving .............................................4-2 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-5 Braking .........................................................4-5 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .........................4-6 Braking in Emergencies ...................................4-8 Traction Control System (TCS) .........................4-8 Steering ........................................................4-9 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-11 Passing .......................................................4-12 Loss of Control .............................................4-13 Driving at Night ............................................4-14 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-16 City Driving ..................................................4-18 Freeway Driving ...........................................4-19 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-20 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-21 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-22 Winter Driving ..............................................4-24 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ..............................................4-28 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................4-28 Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-29 Towing ..........................................................4-34 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-34 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-34 Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-34 4-1 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-6. Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the ﬂoor — makes 4-2 proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: • Judgment • Muscular Coordination • Vision • Attentiveness Police records show that almost half 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 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. 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. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: • The amount of alcohol consumed • The drinker’s body weight • The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking • The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka. It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. 4-3 There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. 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. 4-4 {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. Please 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. Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. Braking 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 your brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied. 4-5 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. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your 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 engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If your 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 may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine and begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves a little. This is normal. If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-27. 4-6 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. The anti-lock system 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, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: Anti-lock 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 your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. 4-7 Using Anti-Lock Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies With anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle 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 rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system reduces engine power and applies the brakes, as necessary. Traction control helps you to keep control of the vehicle and reminds you to match your speed to the road conditions. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. The TCS is automatically turned on whenever the ignition is turned from off to on. A Low Traction message is displayed on the trip computer, indicating traction control is limiting wheel spin, until the MODE button on the trip computer is pressed. The message then goes back to the original trip computer display with a small low traction symbol on the left. The symbol will remain as long as the low traction situation exists. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the TCS on. But you can turn the system off if you prefer. 4-8 To turn the system off, press the T/C button. On manual transmission vehicles, the button is located on the driver’s side of the center console. On automatic transmission vehicles, the button is located on the passenger’s side of the shift lever. When you turn the system off, a Traction Ctrl Off message is displayed on the trip computer. After two seconds, the display goes back to the original trip computer display with a small TRAC OFF message on the right. If the Traction Ctrl Off message does not display when the button is pressed, or if it comes on during driving, a problem is indicated in the system and traction control is no longer operational. You should contact your dealer for service. Pressing the T/C button again or the next time the ignition is turned on, will turn the system back on. The Traction Ctrl On message is displayed on the trip computer. After two seconds, the display goes back to the original trip computer display. 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. Steering Tips Driving on Curves 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 your 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. 4-9 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 your brakes — but, unless you have anti-lock, not enough to lock your wheels. See Braking on page 4-5. 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. 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 four-wheel anti-lock 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 4-8. 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 your front wheels are straight ahead. 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. 4-10 Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving. 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. 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 your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. 4-11 • Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. • When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a running start that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. • If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: • Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. • Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. 4-12 • Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is. • Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. • Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. • If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little 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, your 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. 4-13 A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. 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 engine braking 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. Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. 4-14 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here are some tips on night driving. • Drive defensively. • Do not drink and drive. • Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. • Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. • Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. • In remote areas, watch for animals. • If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. 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 may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. 4-15 It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even people walking. It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. 4-16 {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can 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. Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. 4-17 Driving Through Flowing Water City Driving {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Some Other Rainy Weather Tips • Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. • Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-52. 4-18 One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. Freeway Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: • Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. • Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 4-19. • Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. 4-19 The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot. Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. 4-20 Here are some things you can check before a trip: • Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? • Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? • Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? • Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? • Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? • Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? • Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: • Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. • Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently. • If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. 4-21 If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. • Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. • Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your 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 your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain.

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2005 Pontiac GTO Owners Manual