roof PONTIAC G5 2009 Owners Manual

Page 1 of 402

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-29
Airbag System
.........................................1-52
Restraint System Check
............................1-66
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-36
OnStar
®System
......................................2-37
Storage Areas
.........................................2-41
Sunroof
..................................................2-42
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-39
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-52Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-28
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-38
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-41
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-47
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-94
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-102
Electrical System
....................................5-102
Capacities and Specications
...................5-108
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-17
Index................................................................ 1
2009 Pontiac G5 Owner ManualM

Page 56 of 402

Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger
Your vehicle may also have the following airbags:
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right
front passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on
the middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury
from the force of an inating bag, all airbags must
inate very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts, but do not replace them. Also, airbags
are not designed to deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only restraint. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-56.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that
person.
1-52

Page 57 of 402

{CAUTION:
Airbags inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inates can be seriously injured
or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older children, but not for
young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed
for them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can provide.
Always secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, seeOlder Children on page 1-29or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-32.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-26for
more information.
1-53

Page 59 of 402

If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle with
roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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Page 60 of 402

When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the
potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s or right
front passenger’s head and chest. However, they are only
designed to inate if the impact exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used
to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inate and help restrain the occupants.
Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inate at different crash speeds.
For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the airbags
could inate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specic vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, your vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to crash
severity. Your vehicle has an electronic frontal sensor,
which helps the sensing system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inate at a level less than full deployment. For more
severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
Your vehicle may have roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag
System on page 1-52. Roof-rail airbags are intended to
inate in moderate to severe side crashes. Roof-rail
airbags will inate if the crash severity is above the
system’s designed threshold level. The threshold level
can vary with specic vehicle design.
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Page 61 of 402

Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
A roof-rail airbag is intended to deploy on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by what
the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly
the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags, deployment
is determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inator, the
airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-56for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
1-57

Page 62 of 402

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal airbags inate, they quickly deate,
so quickly that some people may not even realize an
airbag inated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after they deploy.
Some components of the airbag module may be hot
for several minutes. For location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-57.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from leaving
the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but cannot get
out of the vehicle after an airbag inates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the hazard
warning ashers on when the airbags inate. You can
lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and turn the
hazard warning ashers off by using the controls for
those features.
1-58

Page 64 of 402

The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag and roof-rail airbags are not affected
by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger seat. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger
frontal airbag should be enabled (may inate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the
inating airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inates and the passenger
seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear
seat, even if the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
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Page 69 of 402

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change the vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, front sensors, or airbag wiring can affect
the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger position, which
includes sensors that are part of the passenger’s
seat. The passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery or trim designed for a different
vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat fabric, could alsointerfere with the operation of the passenger sensing
system. This could either prevent proper deployment
of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-59.
If you have any questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modied. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and the service manual
have information about the location of the airbag sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module and airbag wiring.
1-65

Page 73 of 402

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-3
Remote Vehicle Start......................................2-6
Doors and Locks.............................................2-8
Door Locks....................................................2-8
Power Door Locks..........................................2-9
Delayed Locking.............................................2-9
Automatic Door Lock.....................................2-10
Programmable Automatic Door Unlock.............2-10
Rear Door Security Locks (Sedan)..................2-10
Lockout Protection........................................2-11
Trunk..........................................................2-12
Windows........................................................2-14
Manual Windows..........................................2-15
Power Windows............................................2-15
Sun Visors...................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-16
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer.............2-18
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation.................................................2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-20
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-20
Ignition Positions..........................................2-21Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-23
Starting the Engine.......................................2-24
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-25
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-26
Manual Transmission Operation......................2-28
Parking Brake..............................................2-30
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission)......2-31
Shifting Out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . .2-33
Parking the Vehicle (Manual Transmission).......2-33
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-34
Engine Exhaust............................................2-34
Running the Vehicle While Parked..................2-35
Mirrors...........................................................2-36
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-36
Outside Remote Control Mirror.......................2-36
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-36
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-37
OnStar
®System.............................................2-37
Storage Areas................................................2-41
Glove Box...................................................2-41
Cupholders..................................................2-41
Center Console Storage.................................2-41
Driver Storage Compartment..........................2-41
Convenience Net..........................................2-41
Sunroof.........................................................2-42
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

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