Pontiac 1997 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 79

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
THIRD (3) as
much
as
possible. Don't shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going slower than
65
mph
(105
km/h) or you can damage
your engine.
With automatic overdrive, SECOND (2) will select
either first or second gear depending on vehicle speed. If
your vehicle is slowing, the transaxle will downshift to
first gear at 20 to 25 miles per hour (32 to 40
km/h)
for
engine braking. You may notice some variation in shift
speed in SECOND (2) when accelerating or braking.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won't
shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
I
NOTICE:
1
If your front wheels can't rotate, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a
solid
object.
You
can damage your transaxle.
~
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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