2003 Pontiac VIBE Owners Manual

Control” in the Index.

Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level Warning Light (Canada Only)

This light will come on when your windshield washer fluid is low.

Overdrive Off Light

Your automatic transaxle has overdrive. The light will come on whenever you turn off the overdrive. See “Overdrive” in the Index.

Door Ajar Warning Light

This light will come on if any door is not completely closed.

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Fuel Gage

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United States

Canada

Your fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your tank. The fuel gage works only when the ignition switch is ON. When the gage first indicates E or empty, you still have a little fuel left about 1 or 2 gallons (3.8 L or 7.6 L), but you need to get more right away. When your vehicle is low on fuel the low fuel warning light will also come on to remind you to add fuel.

Here are five things some owners ask about. None of these show a problem with your fuel gage. D At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the

gage reads F or full.

D 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 more or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill it. D It takes the gage several minutes to read F or full

after filling the vehicle with fuel.

D The gage moves a little when you turn, stop or

speed up.

D The gage doesn’t go back to E or empty when you

turn off the ignition.

Low Fuel Warning Light

This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.

To turn it off, add fuel to the tank. See “Fuel” in the Index.

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The display screen is located in the center of the instrument panel. Your vehicle may be equipped with a turn by turn navigation guidance system that includes a DVD map media covering eleven regional areas throughout the contiguous United States and Canada. In addition, the system includes intersection and freeway entrances, route planning, a programmable address book, points of interest, a list of restaurants, emergency phone numbers, and a list of hotels and motels for all of the major cities on the DVD. The navigation system can also communicate with the radio data system to receive broadcast announcements on traffic and emergency alert communications. For more information on how to use this system, see the Navigation Supplement.

Navigation System (Option)

Navigation Display Controls

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Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

In this section, you’ll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle. Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.

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Comfort Controls Climate Control System Air Conditioning Heating Defogging and Defrosting Rear Window Defogger Ventilation System Audio Systems Setting the Time AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player with Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)

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AM-FM Stereo with Six-Disc Compact Disc Player with Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS) (Option) Navigation/Radio System (Option) Understanding Radio Reception Tips About Your Audio System Care of Your Compact Discs Care of Your Compact Disc Player Fixed Mast Antenna

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Comfort Controls With this system, you can control the heating, cooling and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the flow-through ventilation system described later in this section. Climate Control System

Mode Knob

(Vent): This position directs the airflow though the

upper instrument panel outlets.

(Bi-Level): This position directs the airflow

through the upper instrument panel vents and toward the floor.

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(Floor): This position directs the airflow toward the floor and through the right and left side vents. The side vents can be shut off to allow for more air to be directed toward the floor.

(Defog): This position directs the airflow

toward the floor, the windshield and the side windows. The air also comes from both vents at the ends of the instrument panel.

(Defrost): This position directs the airflow to the windshield and side windows. The air also comes from both vents at the ends of the instrument panel. For maximum defrosting and defogging, adjust the temperature knob to hot, use outside air mode and shut off airflow to the outside instrument panel vents to increase air through the side defroster vents.

Fan Knob Turn the knob away from OFF to turn the system on. Turn the knob toward HI to increase fan speed.

Temperature Knob Turn the knob to change the temperature of the air flowing from the system. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the temperature. Turn the knob counterclockwise to decrease the temperature.

(Recirculate): Press this button, located in the center of the instrument panel to the left of the audio system, to recirculate inside air through the comfort control system. An indicator light in the button will come on to let you know the feature is in use. Press the button again to turn off recirculate and to circulate outside air through the system. The indicator light will go off. Recirculate is automatically turned off when the climate control system mode knob is turned to defog or defrost or is between modes.

Air Conditioning A/C (Air Conditioning): Press the A/C button, located in the center of the instrument panel to the left of the audio system, to change your comfort control system to air conditioning. An indicator light will come on when the air conditioning is on. Air conditioning can also control the humidity in your vehicle. The incoming air is cooled and dehumidified. The air conditioner works best if you keep your windows closed. On very hot days, open the windows just long enough for the hot air to escape. For normal cooling, press the A/C button and make sure to use outside air. For faster cooling, also press the recirculate button. Then move the mode knob to vent and turn the temperature control knob counterclockwise. Turn the fan knob to HI. On days when it is raining or the humidity is high, follow these dehumidifying steps instead of the cooling directions. It will help clean windows that are cloudy with moisture. 1. Press the A/C button. 2. Turn the mode knob to defrost. Recirculate will be off. 3. Turn the fan knob to HI and adjust the temperature

knob to a comfortable setting.

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Heating For the quickest results, press the recirculate button and move the mode knob to the floor setting. Turn the temperature knob clockwise for warmer air and turn the fan knob toward HI. You should switch to outside air once in a while to avoid stale air and fogging windows. To prevent cold air from blowing in and to increase air flow to the floor area, you may close the outer instrument panel vents. You may want to use bi-level mode on cool but sunny days. This setting directs outside air toward your body and warmer air toward your feet. Using outside air, turn the mode knob to bi-level. Turn the temperature knob counterclockwise and the fan knob toward HI.

Defogging and Defrosting When the mode knob is turned to either the defog or defrost mode, outside air will be selected automatically. Outside air will clear the windshield more quickly. Turn the temperature knob clockwise and the fan knob toward HI. When the windshield is clear, turn down the fan speed. If you wish to return to the recirculate mode, the recirculate button can be set when the mode knob is set on full defog or full defrost. The indicator light will come on. D Recirculate cannot be set partway between floor and

defog, and

D recirculate cannot be set partway between defog

and defrost.

When the mode knob is turned to another position, outside air will be selected automatically. To defog the windshield and side windows, use outside air and turn the mode knob to defog.

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Rear Window Defogger The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to remove fog from the rear window.

The rear window defogger button is located in the center of the instrument panel, above the audio system. The defogger does not operate with the rear liftglass opened.

Press the button to turn on the defogger. The defogger will stay on for about 15 minutes, then it will shut off automatically. You can turn it off by pressing the button again. Use it only when the engine is running. Make sure you turn the defogger off when the window is clear. Leaving the defogger on for a long time could cause the battery to run down, especially during stop-and-go driving. The defogger is not designed for drying water or melting snow. Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license or a decal across the defogger grid on the rear window.

NOTICE:

Don’t use a razor blade or something else sharp on the inside of the rear window. If you do, you could cut or damage the warming grid, and the repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.

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Ventilation System For mild outside temperatures, when very little heating is required, you can still direct outside air through your vehicle. Use outside air and turn the mode knob to vent. Turn the temperature knob to a comfortable setting and the fan knob toward HI. Constant airflow through the side vents is normal in all airflow modes. To optimize the effectiveness of your system in the floor, defog, or defrost modes, close the outboard vents. Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside air will also enter the vehicle when the heater or the air conditioning compressor is running and the comfort control system is circulating outside air.

Your vehicle has air outlets that allow you to adjust the direction of airflow.

You can direct the airflow side-to-side by turning the vents. Airflow comes out of the vents on defrost, defog and floor positions at a reduced flow.

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Ventilation Tips D Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or

any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater and defroster will work far better, reducing the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

D When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, move the

fan knob toward HI for a few moments before driving off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

D Keep the air path under the front seats clear of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout your vehicle.

D Close outboard instrument panel vents to keep cold

air from blowing in.

Audio Systems Your audio system has been designed to operate easily and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it first. Find out what your audio system can do and how to operate all of its controls to be sure you’re getting the most out of the advanced engineering that went into it. Setting the Time Your radio may have a button marked with an H or HR to represent hours and an M or MIN to represent minutes. Press and hold the hour button until the correct hour appears on the display. AM will also appear for morning hours. Press and hold the minute button until the correct minute appears on the display. The time may 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 TIME UPDATED appears on the display. If the time is not available from the station, NO UPDATE will appear on the display instead.

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AM-FM Radio with Compact Disc Player with Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)

Playing the Radio PWR (Power): Press this knob to turn the system on and off. VOL (Volume): Turn the knob to increase or to decrease volume. RCL (Recall): Press this button to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. Pressing this button with the ignition off will display the time

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Finding a Station AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1
and FM2. The display will show your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to choose radio stations.

SEEK

: Press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio will seek only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal.

SCAN

: Press and hold one of the SCAN arrows for two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press one of the SCAN arrows again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold one of the SCAN arrows for more than four seconds until PSCAN and the preset number appear on the display. You will hear a double beep. The radio will go to the first preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press one of the SCAN arrows again to stop scanning presets. The radio will scan only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal.

Setting Preset Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press AM FM to select AM, FM1 or FM2. 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 you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that pushbutton.

6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) TONE: Press and release this button until BASS, MID or TREB appears on the display. The SELECT LED indicator will light to show that the tone control can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. To adjust all of the tone controls to the middle position, press and hold TONE until FLAT appears on the display.

EQ (Equalizer): Press this button to select customized bass, mid and treble equalization settings. You can set up to six customized equalization settings 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 button for two seconds.

SELECT EQ # will appear on the display and the EQ symbol will flash.

4. Press EQ or turn the SELECT knob to select the

desired EQ number.

5. Press and hold the EQ button or push the SELECT

knob to store the equalization setting and the number. You will hear a beep and EQ SAVED will appear on the display.

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 preset to a different tone.

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Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) BAL (Balance): Press and release this button until BAL appears on the display. The SELECT indicator will light to show that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the left or the right speakers. FADE: Press and release this button until FADE appears on the display. The SELECT indicator will light to show that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the front or the speakers. Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for two seconds will return all speaker settings to the middle position.

Using RDS Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. Using this system, the radio can do the following: D Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type

of programming,

D receive announcements concerning local and

national emergencies,

D display messages from radio stations, and D seek to stations with traffic announcements. This system relies upon receiving specific information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. When you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters will 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.

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Finding a PTY Station PROG TYPE (Program Type): Press this button to turn on and off program type (PTY) select mode. The PTY symbol will appear on the display and the SELECT indicator next to the SELECT knob will light. The last selected PTY will appear on the display for five seconds. SELECT: Turn the SELECT knob to select the PTY you want to listen to. To use the PTY interrupt feature, press and hold the PROG TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you want to interrupt with. An asterisk will appear next to the PTY name (for example CLASSICAL*). When you are listening to a compact disc, the last selected RDS station will interrupt play if that selected PTY format is broadcast.

SEEK SCAN

: Press the SEEK SCAN arrows to find radio stations of the PTY you want to listen to. The last PTY selected will be used for seek or scan modes. If a station with the selected PTY is not found, NOT FOUND will appear on the display. If both PROG TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements.

AM FM (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same programming. Press and hold AM FM for two seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. Press and hold AM FM again for two seconds to turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations.

Setting Preset PTY Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite program types (PTYs). These pushbuttons have factory PTY presets. You can set up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Press AM FM to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press PROG TYPE, if it is not already on. 3. Turn the SELECT knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons

until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the PTY you set will return.

5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

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TRAF (Traffic): Press this button to seek to a station that broadcasts traffic announcements. TRAF will appear on the display. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display. When a traffic announcement comes on the current station or on a related network station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is being used, play will stop during the announcement.

Radio Messages CALIBRATE: Your audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CALIBRATE appears on the display, it means that your radio has not been configured properly for your vehicle and must be returned to the dealership for service.

RDS Messages ALERT!: Alert warns of national or local emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is being used, play will stop during the announcement. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! will not be 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 will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist and song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the whole message is not displayed, parts of it will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message at your own speed, press the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on the display with each press. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to.

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Playing a Compact Disc With the ignition on, insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the disc should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD when the ignition is off, first press the eject symbol or press the RCL button. If you insert a CD with the radio off and the ignition on, it will start to play. When the disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be displayed. If you select an EQ setting for your CD, it will be activated each time you play a CD. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. If an error appears on the display, see “Compact Disc Messages” later in this section.

1 (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton

to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The display will show elapsed time. RDM 3 (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM and the track number will appear on the display.

(Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton

to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The display will show elapsed time. EQ (Equalizer): Press EQ to select the desired customized equalization setting while playing a compact disc. The equalization will be automatically set whenever you play a compact disc. See “EQ” listed previously for more information.

SEEK

: Press the down arrow while playing a CD to go to the start of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. Press the up arrow to go to the next track. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the disc.

SCAN

: Press and hold one of the arrows

for more than two seconds until SCAN and the track number appear on the display and you hear a beep. The disc will go to the next track, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next track. Press this button again to stop scanning.

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RCL (Recall): Press this button to see how long the current track has been playing. To change what is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press the button until you see the display you want, then hold the button until the display flashes. While elapsed time is showing, CD TIME will appear on the display. AM FM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD AUX (Auxiliary): Press this button to play a compact disc when listening to the radio. CD will appear on the display when a compact disc 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.

Compact Disc Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio display and the disc comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: D You’re driving on a very rough road. When the road

becomes smoother, the disc should play.

D The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down. D The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and

try again.

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 can’t be corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

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AM-FM Radio with Six-Disc Compact Disc Player with Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS) (Option)

Playing the Radio PWR (Power): Push this knob to turn the system on and off. VOLUME: Turn the knob to increase or to decrease volume. RCL (Recall): Push this knob to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. Pushing this knob with the ignition off will display the time.

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Setting Preset Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press AM FM to select AM, FM1 or FM2. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press AUTO EQ to select the equalization that best

suits the type of station selected.

5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons

until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that pushbutton.

6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

Finding a Station AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1
and FM2. The display will show your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. t SEEK u: Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio will seek only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal. t SCAN u: Press and hold either SCAN arrow for two seconds until SC appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than four seconds. PRESET SCAN will appear on the display. You will hear a double beep. The radio will go to a preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning presets. The radio will scan only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal.

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Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) AUDIO: Press the AUDIO knob until BASS, MID or TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. To adjust bass, midrange or treble to the middle position, select BASS, MID or TREB and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and adjust the display level to zero. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is displayed. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display. AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press this button to choose between bass, midrange and treble equalization settings. To return to the manual mode (CUSTOM), press the AUTO EQ button until CUSTOM appears on the display. Then you will be able to manually adjust the bass, midrange and treble using the AUDIO knob.

Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, press the AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the left or the right speakers. To adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers, press and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. To adjust the balance and fade to the middle position, select balance or fade and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will beep once and will adjust the display level to the middle position. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when tone or speaker controls are not displayed. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.

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Using RDS Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. Using this system, the radio can do the following: D Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of

programming

D receive announcements concerning local and

national emergencies,

D display messages from radio stations, and D seek to stations with traffic announcements. This system relies upon receiving specific information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters will 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.

Finding a PTY Station P-TYPE (Program Type Button): Press this button to turn on and off program type (PTY) select mode. PTY and the light next to the button will turn on. The last selected PTY will appear on the display for five seconds. P-TYPE (Program Type Knob): Turn the P-TYPE knob to select the PTY you want to listen to. To use the PTY interrupt feature, press and hold the P-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you want to interrupt with. When you are listening to a compact disc, the last selected RDS station will interrupt play if that selected program type format is broadcast. t SEEK SCAN u: Press an arrow to find radio stations for the PTY you want to listen to. The last PTY selected will be used for seek or scan modes. If a station with the selected PTY is not found, NONE FOUND will appear on the display. If both P-TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements.

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AM FM (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. Press and hold AM FM for two seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. Press and hold AM FM again for two seconds to turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations. When you turn the ignition off and then on again, the alternate frequency feature will automatically be turned on.

Setting PTY Preset Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite PTYs. These buttons have factory PTY presets. You can set up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Press AM FM to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press the P-TYPE button to activate program type

select mode.

3. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons

until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the PTY you set will return.

5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

RDS Messages ALERT!: Alert warns of national or local emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is playing, play will stop during the announcement. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! will not be 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 will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist and song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the whole message is not displayed, parts of it will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message at your own speed, press the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on the display with each press. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to.

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TRAF (Traffic): Press this button to seek to a station that broadcasts traffic announcements. TRAF will appear on the display. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display. When a traffic announcement comes on the current station or on a related network station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is being used, play will stop during the announcement.

: Press the LOAD side of this button

Playing a Compact Disc If an error appears on the display, see “Compact Disc Messages” later in this section. LOAD CD to load CDs into the compact disc player. This compact disc player will hold up to six discs. To insert one disc, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and release the LOAD side of the LOAD

CD button.

3. Wait for the light, located to the right of the slot,

to turn green.

4. Load a disc. Insert the disc partway into the slot,

label side up. The player will pull the disc in.

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When a disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be displayed. If you select an equalization setting for your disc, it will be activated each time you play a disc. If the radio is on or off, the disc will begin to play automatically. To insert multiple discs, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD side of the LOAD CD

button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and the light, located to the right of the slot, will begin to flash.

3. Once the light stops flashing and turns green, load a disc. Insert the disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the disc in. Once the disc is loaded, the light will begin flashing again. Once the light stops flashing and turns green you can load another disc. The disc player takes up to six discs. Do not try to load more than six.

To load more than one disc but less than six, complete Steps 1 through 3. When you have finished loading discs, with the radio on or off, press the LOAD side of the LOAD CD button to cancel the loading function. The radio will begin to play the last CD loaded.

When a disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be displayed. If more than one disc has been loaded, a number for each disc will be displayed. If you select an equalization setting for your disc, it will be activated each time you play a disc. If the radio is on or off, the last disc loaded will begin to play automatically. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display.

Playing a Specific Loaded Compact Disc For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the radio display. To play a specific CD, first press the CD AUX button to start playing a CD. Then press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to the CD you want to play. A small bar will appear under the CD number that is playing, and the track number will appear. If an error appears on the radio display, see “Compact Disc Messages” later in this section.

(Eject): Pressing the CD eject side

LOAD CD of this button will eject a single disc or multiple discs. To eject the disc that is currently playing, press and release this button. To eject multiple discs, press and hold this button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and the light will flash to let you know when a disc is being ejected. REMOVE CD will be displayed. You can now remove the disc. If the disc is not removed, after 25 seconds, the disc will be automatically pulled back into the receiver. If you try to push the disc back into the receiver, before the 25 second time period is complete, the receiver will sense an error and will try to eject the disc several times before stopping. Do not repeatedly press the CD eject side of the LOAD CD eject button to eject a disc after you have tried to push it in manually. The receivers 25-second eject timer will reset at each press of eject, which will cause the receiver to not eject the disc until the 25-second time period has elapsed. Once the player stops and the disc is ejected, remove the disc. After removing the disc, press the PWR knob off and then on again. This will clear the disc-sensing feature and enable discs to be loaded into the player again.

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% REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The display will show elapsed time. FWD & (Forward): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The display will show elapsed time. RPT (Repeat): With repeat, you can repeat one track or an entire disc. To use repeat, do the following: D To repeat the track you are listening to, press and

release the RPT button. RPT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn it off.

D To repeat the disc you are listening to, press and hold the RPT button for two seconds. RPT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn if off.

RDM (Random): With random, you can listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order, on one disc or on all of the discs. To use random, do one of the following: D To play the tracks on the disc you are listening to in

random order, press and hold RDM for more than two seconds. You will hear a beep and RANDOM ONE will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn if off.

D To play the tracks on all of the discs that are loaded in random order, press and release the RDM button. RANDOM ALL will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn it off.

AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press AUTO EQ to select the desired equalization setting while playing a compact disc. The equalization will be automatically set whenever you play a compact disc. See “AUTO EQ” listed previously for more information.

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t SEEK u: To seek, press the left arrow while playing a CD to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have passed. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you press the button more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the disc. t SCAN u: To scan one disc, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. Use this feature to listen to each track of the currently selected disc for ten seconds. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning. To scan all loaded discs, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than four seconds until DISC SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. Use this feature to listen to the first track, for ten seconds for each disc loaded. Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning. RCL (Recall): Press this knob to see how long the current track has been playing. To change what is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time), push this knob until you see the display you want, then hold the knob until the display flashes. AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc(s) is in the player.

Using Song List Mode The integrated six-disc CD changer 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 disc player on and load it with at least one

disc. See “LOAD CD” listed previously in this section for more information.

2. Check to see that the disc changer is not in song list

mode. S-LIST should not appear in the display. If S-LIST is present, press the SONG LIST button to turn it off.

3. Select the desired disc by pressing the numbered pushbutton and then use the SEEK SCAN right arrow button to locate the track that you want to save. The track will begin to play.

4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for two or

more seconds to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed a beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of pressing SONG LIST continuously, two beeps will sound to confirm that the track has been saved.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections.

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If you attempt to save more than 20 selections, S-LIST FULL will appear on the display. To play the song list, press the SONG LIST button. One beep will be heard and S-LIST will appear on the display. The recorded tracks will begin to play in the order that they were saved. You may seek through the song list by using the SEEK SCAN arrows. Seeking past the last saved track will return you to the first saved track. To delete tracks from the song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the disc player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

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 pressing SONG LIST, one beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of pressing the SONG LIST button continuously, two beeps will be heard to confirm that 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 will be added to the end of the list. To delete the entire song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the disc player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more

than four seconds. A beep will be heard, followed by two beeps after two seconds and a final beep will be heard after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY will appear on the display indicating that the song list has been deleted.

If a disc is ejected, and the song list contains saved tracks from that disc, 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 will be heard and S-LIST will be removed from the display.

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Navigation/Radio System (Option)

Compact Disc Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio display, it could be due to one of the following reasons: D You’re driving on a very rough road. When the road

becomes smoother, the disc should play.

D The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down. D The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and

try again.

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 can’t be corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

Navigation/Radio Display and Controls The display screen is located in the center of the instrument panel.

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Your vehicle may have an AM-FM radio navigation radio system that includes a Radio Data System (RDS) with program type selections (PTY) that will seek out the kind of music you want to listen to. The radio system can also communicate with your navigation system to broadcast announcements on traffic and emergency alert communications. For information on how to use this system, see the “Navigation/Radio System” supplement.

Understanding 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 if you ever get it.

FM Stereo 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.

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Tips About Your Audio System Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe sound level before your hearing adapts to it. To help avoid hearing loss or damage do the following: D Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting. D Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably

and clearly.

NOTICE:

Before you add any sound equipment to your vehicle -- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile telephone or two-way radio -- be sure you can add what you want. If you can, it’s very important to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, Delphi Electronics radio or other systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has been added improperly. So, before adding sound equipment, check with your dealership and be sure to check federal rules covering mobile radio and telephone units.

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Care of Your Compact Discs Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a disc 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 discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.

Care of Your Compact Disc Player The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Fixed Mast Antenna The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent, you can straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals, you should replace it. Check occasionally to be sure the mast is still tightened to the the antenna base located on the roof of the vehicle. If tightening is required, tighten by hand.

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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road

Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve also included many other useful tips on driving.

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Defensive Driving Drunken Driving Control of a Vehicle Braking All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System (Option) Steering Off-Road Recovery Passing Loss of Control Driving at Night

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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads City Driving Freeway Driving Before Leaving on a Long Trip Highway Hypnosis Hill and Mountain Roads Winter Driving Recreational Vehicle Towing Loading Your Vehicle Towing a Trailer

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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’s 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 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.

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” in the Index.

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Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It’s 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: D Judgment D Muscular Coordination D Vision D 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’s 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’s 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: D The amount of alcohol consumed D The drinker’s body weight D The amount of food that is consumed before and

during drinking

D 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 a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

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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 when each has the same number of drinks. The law in an increasing number of 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’ve 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!

It’s 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. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men.

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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’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s 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’s something else about drinking and driving that many people don’t 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.

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 don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a driver who will not drink.

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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’re driving on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. 4-6

Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time. Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s 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 3/4 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’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

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’re driving, brake normally but don’t 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 (Option) Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid.

United States

Canada

If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on the instrument panel will come on briefly when you start your vehicle. When you start your engine, or when you 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 or pulses a little. This is normal. If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.

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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.

Let’s say the road is wet and you’re driving safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s 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 front wheel and at both rear wheels.

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As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t 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 won’t 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. Using Anti-Lock Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may 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 anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time. However, if you don’t have anti-lock, your first reaction -- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down -- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t 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 don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You 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 anti-lock, it’s different. See “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System (Option) If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD system operates automatically without any action required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive the vehicle as required. There may be a slight engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.

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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’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here’s 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’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll 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’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.

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Suppose you’re 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’re 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. 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’ll 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. 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 can’t; there isn’t room. That’s 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 in Emergencies” earlier in this section. 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.

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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.

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. 4-12

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: D “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.

D 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’s 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.

D Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.

D When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,

start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t 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.

D If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot.

D 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.)

D Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.

D Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.

D If you’re being passed, make it easy for the

following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.

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Loss of Control Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, don’t 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 aren’t 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 and an acceleration skid are 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. 4-14

Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll 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. If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have anti-lock, 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.

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. D Drive defensively. D Don’t drink and drive. D Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the

glare from headlamps behind you.

D Since you can’t see as well, you may need to

slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles.

D Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your

headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

D In remote areas, watch for animals. D If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place

and rest.

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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’re driving, don’t 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 readjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t 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’s 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 aren’t even aware of it.

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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads

Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get even less traction. It’s 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’s 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.

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CAUTION:

Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t 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.

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 can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.

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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’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning doesn’t 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 isn’t 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 can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly.

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Driving Through Flowing Water

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. Don’t ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through flowing water.

Some Other Rainy Weather Tips D 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.

D Have good tires with proper tread depth. See “Tires”

in the Index.

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City Driving

One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: D 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.

D Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most

large cities. You’ll save time and energy. See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”

D 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.

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Freeway Driving

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. 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. 4-22

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’s 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 isn’t 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’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s work -- don’t 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’s ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you’ll find experienced and able service experts in Pontiac dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready and willing to help if you need it.

Here are some things you can check before a trip: D Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?

Are all windows clean inside and outside?

D Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? D Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked

all levels?

D Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? D 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?

D Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook

along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? D Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?

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Hill and Mountain Roads

Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling terrain.

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. Don’t 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: D Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a

comfortably cool interior.

D Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to

the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently.

D 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.

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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. D Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads.

D 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 don’t shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they wouldn’t 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.

CAUTION:

Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could get so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.

D Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear

possible.

D Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane

roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane.

D As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. D You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.

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Here are some tips for winter driving: D Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. D You may want to put winter emergency supplies in

your vehicle.

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.

Winter Driving

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Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very careful.

What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s 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. Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even more. Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to brake very gently, too. (If you do have anti-lock, see “Anti-Lock” in the Index. This system improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking system or not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can.

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If You’re Caught in a Blizzard

Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. D Whatever your braking system, allow greater

following distance on any slippery road.

D Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.

If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: D Turn on your hazard flashers.

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D Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that

you’ve been stopped by the snow.

D Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats -- anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.

CAUTION:

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow doesn’t collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help keep CO out.

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

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Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. Recreational Vehicle Towing Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle behind another vehicle -- such as behind a motorhome. The two most common types of recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).

With the proper preparation and equipment, many vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following. Here are some important things to consider before you do recreational vehicle towing: D What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?

Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

D How far will you tow? Some vehicles have

restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.

D Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your dealer or trailering professional for additional advice and equipment recommendations.

D Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would

prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See “Before Leaving on a Long Trip” in the Index.

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Dinghy Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive Vehicles with Manual Transmissions Only)

For vehicles with manual transmissions, do the following: 1. Put the shift lever in neutral.

NOTICE:

To avoid locking the steering wheel, turn the ignition to the ACC position.

2. Turn the ignition to ACC. Make sure the audio

system is turned off and that nothing is plugged into the power outlets.

3. Release the parking brake. After dinghy towing, let the engine idle for more than three minutes before driving the vehicle.

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NOTICE:

Towing your vehicle this way does not eliminate the possibility of damaging your vehicle.

Do not tow your vehicle from the rear. Your vehicle could be badly damaged and the repairs would not be covered by your warranty.

NOTICE:

Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain components. Don’t tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if any of its wheels will be on the ground.

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Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Only)

To tow your vehicle with two wheels on the ground, do the following: 1. Put the front wheels on a dolly. 2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P) for automatic

transmissions and in neutral for manual transmissions.

3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key. 4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position

with a clamping device designed for towing.

5. Release the parking brake.

NOTICE:

Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain components. Don’t tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if any of its wheels will be on the ground.

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Loading Your Vehicle

The Tire-Loading Information/Certification label on your vehicle, located in the glovebox, shows how much weight it may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label tells you the proper size, and