Pontiac G8 manual Antilock Brake System ABS

Driving and Operating 8-15

And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of

the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in

spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.

This is a mistake. The brakes might not have time to cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with

the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life.

If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump the brakes.

If you do, the pedal could get harder to push down. If the engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it can take longer to

stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.

Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modifications on page 9-3.

Antilock Brake

System (ABS)

Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid.

When you start the engine and begin to drive away, ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you might even notice that the brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.

If there is a problem with ABS, this warning light will stay on. See Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light on page 4-17.

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you.