service PONTIAC G3 2009 Owner's Manual

The following can prevent more serious damage to the
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light is still ashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer/retailer for service as soon
as possible.
Light On Steady:An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
An emission system malfunction might be corrected by
doing the following:
Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. SeeFilling
the Tank on page 5-8. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
If the vehicle has been driven through a deep
puddle of water, the vehicle’s electrical system
might be wet. The condition is usually corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel.
Poor fuel quality causes the engine not to run
as efficiently as designed and may cause: stalling
after start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed
into gear, misring, hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration. These conditions
might go away once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions occurs, change
the fuel brand used. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5.
If none of the above have made the light turn off, have
your dealer/retailer check the vehicle. The dealer/retailer
has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to
x any mechanical or electrical problems that might have
developed.
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{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
The engine can become so hot that it catches re.
Someone could be burned. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
can damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Always follow
the maintenance schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
Change Engine Oil Light
The vehicle may have an
engine oil life system that
indicates when the oil
needs to be changed.When the change engine oil light comes on, it means
that the engine oil needs to be changed.
Once the engine oil has been changed, the engine oil
life system must be reset. After reset, the change engine
oil light goes out.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on page 5-16,Scheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4andEngine Oil on page 5-13
for more information.
Fog Lamp Light
If the vehicle has this
feature, the fog lamps light
will come on when the
fog lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps are turned off.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-14for more information.
3-35

Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells about how much fuel is left when the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
When the fuel tank is near empty, the low fuel warning
light comes on. There is still a little fuel left, but the
vehicle’s fuel tank should be lled soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with the fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the vehicle’s fuel gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the fuel tank was half full, but
it actually took a little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to ll the tank.
The indicator moves a little when the vehicle turns
a corner or accelerates.
The fuel gage indicator goes back to empty when
the ignition is turned off.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on when
the vehicle is low on fuel.
The low fuel warning light comes on when there is
approximately 1.7 gallons (6.0 liters) of fuel remaining
in the tank.
To turn the light off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFilling
the Tank on page 5-8.
United StatesCanada
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XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service that is based in the
48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian
provinces. XM Satellite Radio has a wide variety
of programming and commercial-free music,
coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your
trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited
access to XM Radio Online for when you are not in
the vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the
XM service. For more information, contact XM at
xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and
xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
Radio Messages for XM Only
SeeXM Radio Messages on page 3-54later in this
section for further detail.
Using the Auxiliary Input Jack
The radio system has an auxiliary input jack located on
the lower right side of the faceplate. This is not an
audio output; do not plug the headphone set into the
front auxiliary input jack. An external audio device such
as an iPod
®, laptop computer, MP3 player, CD changer,
etc. can be connected to the auxiliary input jack for
use as another audio source.Drivers are encouraged to set up any auxiliary device
while the vehicle is in P (Park). SeeDefensive
Driving on page 4-2for more information on driver
distraction.
To use a portable audio player, connect a 3.5 mm
(1/8 inch) cable to the radio’s front auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, press the radio CD/AUX
button to begin playing audio from the device over
the vehicle speakers.
O(Power/Volume):Turn to adjust the volume.
Additional volume adjustments may have to be made
from the portable device if the volume is too quiet or
too loud.
AUX (Auxiliary):Press to listen to the radio while a
portable audio device is playing. Press again and
the system begins playing audio from the connected
portable audio player. If a portable audio player is
not connected, No Aux Input Device Found may
display.
3-43

XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service that is based in the
48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian
provinces. XM Satellite Radio has a wide variety
of programming and commercial-free music,
coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your
trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited
access to XM Radio Online for when you are not in
the vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the
XM service. For more information, contact XM at
xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and
xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
Radio Messages for XM Only
SeeXM Radio Messages on page 3-54later in this
section for further detail.
Playing a CD
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up.
The player pulls it in and the CD begins playing.
A CD can be loaded while the ignition is in the
OFF position.
When the CD is inserted, CDP appears on the display.
As the CD is loading, LOADING appears on the
display. As each new track starts to play, the track
number displays.If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When a CD is in
the player and the ignition is in the ON/RUN position,
the radio must be turned on before the CD will start
playing. When the ignition and radio are turned on,
the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the
last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm)
single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the
smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
[TUNE (Next Track):Press[TUNE to go to the
next track. The track number will appear on the display.
The player will continue moving forward through the
CD with each press of
[TUNE.
rTUNE (Previous Track):Press to go to the start of
the current track. The track number will appear on
the display. The player will continue moving backward
through the CD with each press of
rTUNE.
BAND:Press to listen to the radio while a CD is playing.
The CD remains inside the radio for future listening.
CD/AUX:Press to play a CD when listening to the
radio. CDP appears on the display when the CD player
has been selected. The CD symbol will appear on
the display when a CD is loaded.
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XM Radio Messages
UPDATING:The encryption code in the receiver is
being updated, and no action is required. This process
should take no longer than 30 seconds.
NO SIGNAL:The system is functioning correctly, but
the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™
signal. When the vehicle is moved into an open area,
the signal should return.
LOADING:The audio system is acquiring and
processing audio and text data. No action is needed.
This message should disappear shortly.
OFF AIR:This channel is not currently in service.
Tune in to another channel.
CH UNAVAILABLE:This previously assigned channel
is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this
station was one of the presets, choose another station
for that preset button.
RADIO ID:If tuned to channel 0, this message
alternates with the XM™ Radio 8 digit radio ID label.
This label is needed to activate the service.
CHECK XM TUNER:If this message does not clear
within a short period of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If the vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel.
PWR (Power):Press and release to turn the system on
and off.
When the system is on, press and release for a short
time to mute the system. Press and release again to turn
the sound back on.Front View of the
Steering Wheel Controls
Side View of the
Volume Control
3-54

XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception
from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States,
and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills
can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or
standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or
tunnels may cause loss of the XM signal for a period
of time.
Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause interference with the
vehicle’s radio. This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls, charging the phone’s
battery, or simply having the phone on. This interference
causes an increased level of static while listening to
the radio. If static is received while listening to the radio,
unplug the cellular phone and turn it off.
Fixed Mast Antenna (Hatchback)
Vehicles without OnStar®have a xed mast antenna
that can withstand most car washes without being
damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent,
straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent,
replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still
tightened to the antenna base located on the roof of
the vehicle. If tightening is required, tighten by hand.
Backglass Antenna (Sedan)
Vehicles without OnStar®have the AM-FM antenna
integrated with the rear window defogger, located in the
rear window. Make sure that the inside surface of the
rear window is not scratched and that the lines on
the glass are not damaged. If the inside surface
is damaged, it could interfere with radio reception.
Also, for proper radio reception, the antenna connector
at the top-center of the rear window needs to be
properly attached to the post on the glass.
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Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to
clear the inside rear window can damage the rear
window antenna and/or the rear window defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not clear the inside rear window
with sharp objects.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting
with metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Because this antenna is built into the rear window, there
is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.
If static is heard on the radio, when the rear window
defogger is turned on, it could mean that a defogger grid
line has been damaged. If this is true, the grid line
must be repaired.If adding a cellular telephone to the vehicle, and the
antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make sure
that the grid lines for the AM-FM antenna are not
damaged. There is enough space between the grid lines
to attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering
with radio reception.
Multi-Band Antenna
Vehicles with OnStar®have a multi-band antenna
that is located on the roof of the vehicle. The antenna
is used for the AM/FM radio, OnStar
®and the
XM™ Satellite Radio Service System. Keep the
antenna clear of obstructions for clear reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the
AM/FM radio, OnStar
®, and the XM system may
be affected if the sunroof is open.
3-57

Before Leaving on a Long Trip
To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having
it serviced by your dealer/retailer before departing.
Things to check on your own include:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Reservoir full? Windows
clean — inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:In good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:All levels checked?
Lamps:Do they all work and are lenses clean?
Tires:Are treads good? Are tires inated to
recommended pressure?
Weather and Maps:Safe to travel? Have
up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings
while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, nd a
safe place to park your vehicle and rest.
Other driving tips include:
Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
Keep interior temperature cool.
Keep your eyes moving — scan the road ahead
and to the sides.
Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments
often.
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Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different
than driving on at or rolling terrain. Tips for driving
in these conditions include:
Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
Check all uid levels and brakes, tires, cooling
system, and transmission.
Going down steep or long hills, shift to a
lower gear.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could get so
hot that they would not work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition
off is dangerous. The brakes will have to do all the
work of slowing down and they could get so hot
that they would not work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have the engine running
and the vehicle in gear when going downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
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