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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC,
the PONTIAC Emblem, and the name GRAND PRIX
are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without notice. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division whenever it
appears in this manual.

Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if
it is needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle
is sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.

Canadian Owners

A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:

Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

How to Use This Manual

Many people read the owner manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.

Index

A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is
an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and
the page number where it can be found.

Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05GRANDPRIX A First Edition

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Safety Warnings and Symbols

There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.

{

CAUTION:

These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.

In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.

You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or
“Do Not let this happen.”

iii

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Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this manual you will find these notices:

Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.

A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.

When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.

There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

Vehicle Symbols

The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.

If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:

•

Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1

•

Features and Controls in Section 2

•

Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3

•

Climate Controls in Section 3

•

Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3

•

Audio System(s) in Section 3

•

Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5

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These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:

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Front Seats ......................................................1-2

Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Power Seat ...................................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats .................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Head Restraints .............................................1-6
Passenger Folding Seatback ............................1-6

Rear Seats .......................................................1-8

Split Folding Rear Seat ...................................1-8

Safety Belts ...................................................1-10

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-15
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-16
Driver Position ..............................................1-16
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-22
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-23
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-23
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for

Children and Small Adults ..........................1-26

Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-28
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-28

Child Restraints .............................................1-29

Older Children ..............................................1-29
Infants and Young Children ............................1-32
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-35
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-38
Top Strap ....................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-40
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for

Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-40

Securing a Child Restraint Designed for

the LATCH System ....................................1-42

Securing a Child Restraint in a

Rear Seat Position ....................................1-43

Securing a Child Restraint in the Right

Front Seat Position ....................................1-45

Airbag System ...............................................1-48

Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-50
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-53
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-54
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-54
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-55
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-56

Restraint System Check ..................................1-57

Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-57
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ...1-57

Section 1

Seats and Restraint Systems

1-1

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Front Seats

Manual Seats

{

CAUTION:

You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.

Lift the bar located under the front seat cushion to
unlock the seat. Slide the seat to the desired position
and release the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth
to make sure it is locked in place.

1-2

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Power Seat

If the vehicle has this feature, the control is located on
the outboard side of the driver’s seat.

To adjust the seat do the following:

•

Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the
control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.

•

Raise or lower the seat cushion by sliding the
control up or down.

•

Raise or lower the front portion of the seat by
sliding the front part of the control up or down.

•

Raise or lower the rear portion of the seat by sliding
the rear part of the control up or down.

Power Lumbar

If the vehicle has this feature, the power lumber control
lets the driver adjust the amount and position of the
support in the lower seatback.

The four-way control is
located on the outboard
side of the driver’s
seat cushion.

To increase or decrease lumbar support, press and
hold the front or rear of the control. To raise or lower
the lumbar support, press and hold the top or bottom
of the control.

1-3

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Heated Seats

If the vehicle has this
feature, the buttons to
activate the heat on each
front seat cushion are
located on the climate
control panel.

The button for the driver’s seat is located on the bottom
left side of the climate control panel. The button for
the passenger’s seat is on the bottom right of the climate
control panel.

Push the button once to activate a high heat setting.
Both indicator lights next to the button will come
on. Push the button again to select a lower temperature
setting. Only the bottom indicator light will come on.
Press the button a third time to turn the heat off.

This feature only works when the ignition is turned on.

Reclining Seatbacks

The recliner levers for the driver’s and passenger’s front
seatbacks are located on the outboard side of each
front seat cushion.

Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the
seatback to the desired position. Release the lever
to lock the seatback in place. Pull up on the lever
without pushing on the seatback, and the seatback will
return to an upright position.

1-4

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But do not have a seatback reclined if the vehicle
is moving.

{

CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can not do their
job when you are reclined like this.

The shoulder belt can not do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.

The lap belt can not do its job either. In a
crash the belt could go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.

For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

1-5

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Head Restraints

Push the release button, located under the head
restraint to slide it up or down. Adjust the head restraint
so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of
the occupant’s head in each front seat. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Passenger Folding Seatback

{

CAUTION:

If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inflating
airbag might force that object toward a person.
This could cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area in which
an airbag would inflate. For more information,
see Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-50 and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-33.

1-6

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{

CAUTION:

Things you put on this seatback can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash. Remove or secure all items
before driving.

If the vehicle has this feature, the front passenger seat
can be folded flat for more cargo space. Used with
the split folding rear seat, additional cargo space
is gained. See Split Folding Rear Seat on page 1-8.

To fold the front passenger seat flat, pull up on the lever
located in the middle of the seatback. Lift up on the
seatback and push it forward to lock it in place.

To unlock the seat and return it to the normal seating
position, pull the lever in the middle of the seatback
and raise the seatback.

Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

1-7

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Rear Seats

Split Folding Rear Seat

Both sides of the rear seatback can be folded down in
the vehicle. Make sure the front seat is not reclined.
If it is, the rear seatback may not fold down all the way.

To lower the rear seatback, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect the rear center lap-shoulder belt latch

by using a pointed object to press the release
button.

2. Pull forward on the

seatback tab located
on the outboard
side of the rear seat
cushion to fold
the seatback down.

This gives direct access to the trunk.

{

CAUTION:

If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.

1-8

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{

CAUTION:

A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.

To raise the rear seatback, follow these steps:

1. Raise the seatback up and make sure it latches.

Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked in position.

2. Reconnect the center

safety belt latch plate
to the buckle.

Make sure the safety belt label is pointing to the
release button, and that both are facing the front of
the vehicle. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Push
and pull on the latch plate to be sure it is secure.

When the seat is not in use, the seatback should be
kept in the upright, locked position.

1-9

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Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone

This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.

{

CAUTION:

Do not let anyone ride where he or she can
not wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.

{

CAUTION:

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-38.

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.

1-10

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You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do
have a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many
of them, people who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have
been badly hurt or killed.

After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter...a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.

1-11

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