2003 Pontiac Montana Owner's Manual - Page 286

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. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle may have a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front brakes and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. See Traction Active Message on page 3-49. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road cnnrlitinns &x ynv to safely 11c.eit main>p~ may reengage the cruise control. See "Cruise Control" under Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever on page 3-7. 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 wrongthing 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 whiie maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or k e i the Wheeis 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." 4-9