warning light PONTIAC G3 2010 Owner's Manual

When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when the parking brake is set. The
light will stay on if the parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after the parking brake is fully
released, it means there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving, carefully pull off the
road and stop. The pedal may be harder to push or may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle towed for service.
SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5‑25.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with the
Antilock Brake System
(ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF or if
the light comes on, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs service. See your
dealer/retailer. If the regular brake system warning light
is not on, the brakes will still work, but the antilock
brakes will not work. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, the antilock brakes will not
work and there is a problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on page 4‑26.
The ABS warning light will come on briefly when the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN. This is normal. If the light
does not come on then, have it fixed so it will be ready
to warn if there is a problem.
Hold Mode Light
If the vehicle has this
feature, this light comes
on when the hold mode
is active.
If the HOLD mode light flashes, have the vehicle
checked. See “Hold Mode”underAutomatic
Transmission Operation
on page 3‑22for more
information.
4-27

The oil light could also come on in three other
situations:
.When the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a test to show it
is working. It goes out when the ignition is turned
on. If it does not come on with the ignition on,
there may be a problem with the fuse or bulb.
Have it fixed right away.
.If the vehicle comes to a hard stop, the light may
come on for a moment. This is normal.
{WARNING:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
The engine can become so hot that it catches fire.
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.
See Engine Oil Life System
on page 6‑18,Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 7‑3and Engine Oilon
page 6‑15for more information.
4-32

Door Ajar Light
This light comes on and
stays on until all doors,
trunk and liftgate are
closed and completely
latched.
If the key is in the ignition while the driver's door is
open, a warning chime sounds.
Fuel Gage
United StatesCanada
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 filled soon.
4-34

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 fill 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 fill 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. See Filling
the Tank on page 6‑8.
4-35

For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person's
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking—driver or
passenger —is in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if
the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control the vehicle
while driving —brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road
can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. See Accessories and
Modifications on page 6‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on page 4‑26.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three‐fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three‐fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 feet). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between the
vehicle and others is important.
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.
5-3

The brakes might not have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much faster with a lot
of heavy braking. Keeping pace with the traffic and
allowing realistic following distances eliminates a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being
driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes.
If the brakes are pumped, the pedal could get harder
to push down. If the engine stops, there will still be
some power brake assist but it will be used when the
brake is applied. 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
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6‑3.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
The vehicle might have the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that helps prevent a braking skid.
If the vehicle has ABS,
this warning light comes
on briefly when the
vehicle is started.
The warning light is on the instrument panel cluster.
See Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on
page 4‑27.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure to each wheel, as
required, faster than any driver could. This can help the
driver steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
5-4

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to the vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, the wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid,
too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
the vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, slow
down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause thetires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
—such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on
the road to make a mirrored surface —and slow down
when you have any doubt.
If the vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If the
vehicle does not have ABS, then in a braking skid,
where the wheels are no longer rolling, release enough
pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again.
This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal
down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long
as the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving
because some drivers are likely to be impaired —by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
.Drive defensively.
.Do not drink and drive.
.Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
.Slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles because headlamps can only light
up so much road ahead.
5-8

.Watch for animals.
.When tired, pull off the road.
.Do not wear sunglasses.
.Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps.
.Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle
clean—inside and out.
.Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or
curves.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But, as we get older, these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and
affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive
slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and deep‐standing or
flowing water.
{WARNING:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal
until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
Driving through flowing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you
and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be very cautious about
trying to drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
5-9

WARNING: (Continued)
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑32.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only as needed to
keep warm, but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of the way to save heat.
Repeat this until help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to
keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then
when you run the engine, push the accelerator pedal
slightly so the engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to restart the vehicle
and to signal for help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible to save fuel.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 5‑14.
{WARNING:
If you let your vehicle's tires spin at high speed,
they can explode, and you or others could be
injured. The vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other damage. Spin
the wheels as little as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as shown on the
speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on the vehicle,
see Tire Chains on page 6‑68.
5-13

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a forward gear, or with a manual
transmission, between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as little as possible.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes
a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to
be towed out. If the vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5‑25.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight or maximum load amount and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory‐ installed options. Two labels on
your vehicle show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information
label and the Certification label.
{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts
on the vehicle can break, and it can change
the way your vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the life of the
vehicle.
5-14