steering PONTIAC G6 2006 Owners Manual

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
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{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. If your vehicle has
roof-mounted side impact airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by
routing the rope or tie-down through any door
or window opening. If you do, the path of an
inating airbag will be blocked. Do not let seat
covers block the ination path of a side impact
airbag. The path of an inating airbag must be
kept clear.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags
are designed to inate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inate
only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account
a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment
events and 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.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual-stage” frontal airbags,
which adjust the restraint according to crash severity.
Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors
which help the sensing system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags
inate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
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What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
inator, which inates the airbag. The inator, airbag
and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and the instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are also airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-mounted side impact
airbags, there are also airbag modules in the ceiling of
the vehicle, near the side window.
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. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear
impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. Airbags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate to
severe side collisions for side impact airbags.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inated. Some components of the airbag module — the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, the
side of the seatback closest to the door for the
seat-mounted side impact airbags (if equipped) and the
area along the ceiling of your vehicle near the side
windows for the roof–mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped) — will be hot for a short time. The parts of
the bag that come into contact with you may be
warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some
smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deated
airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent the driver from
seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is 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.
Your vehicle may have a feature that will automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, turn the
hazard warning ashers on, and turn off the HVAC,
when the airbags inate (if battery power is available).
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off,
turn the hazard warning ashers off and turn the HVAC
on by using the controls for those features.
1-64

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:Changing or moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and diagnostic
module (located under the center console), or the
instrument panel can affect the operation of
the airbag system. 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. SeeCustomer Satisfaction
Procedure on page 7-2.
Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The airbag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the airbag
covering on the driver’s and right front passenger’s
seatback (if equipped), or the side impact airbag
covering on the ceiling near the side windows
(if equipped), the bag may not work properly. You
may have to replace the airbag module in the
steering wheel, both the airbag module and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
airbag, the airbag module and seatback for the
driver’s and right front passenger’s seat-mounted
side impact airbags (if equipped), or side impact
airbag module and ceiling covering for the
roof-mounted side impact airbags (if equipped).
Do not open or break the airbag coverings.
1-71

The switch used to adjust
the pedals is located on
the left side of the
instrument panel.
To use your adjustable throttle and brake pedal feature,
do the following:
The adjustable pedal feature is meant to be used with
the adjustable seat and adjustable steering wheel
controls to reach a safe and comfortable position.
1. Adjust your seat to a comfortable position where
you can comfortably reach other controls such as
the radio and climate controls.
2. Adjust the throttle and brake pedals to reach a
comfortable and safe operating position.
3. Adjust the steering wheel to a safe operating
position.Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may have this feature. In very cold
weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine coolant
heater can provide easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant
heater should be plugged in a minimum of four
hours prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures
above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant heater is not
required. Your vehicle may also have an internal
thermostat in the plug end of the cord. This will prevent
operation of the engine coolant heater when the
temperature is at or above 0°F (−18°C) as noted on
the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. On
the 2.4L L4 ECOTEC
®engine, the engine coolant
heater cord is located near the air cleaner box
on the passenger’s side of the engine compartment.
On the 3.5L and 3.9L V6 engines, the engine
coolant heater cord is located on the driver’s side
around the battery box. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for more information on
location.
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Security Light...............................................3-44
Cruise Control Light......................................3-44
Highbeam On Light.......................................3-44
Service Vehicle Soon Light............................3-44
Fuel Gage...................................................3-45
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-45
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-45
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-46
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-48
DIC Vehicle Personalization............................3-52
Audio System(s).............................................3-54
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS)........................3-55
Setting the Time for Radios with
Radio Data Systems (RDS)........................3-55Radio with CD (Base Level)...........................3-56
Radio with CD (Up Level)..............................3-61
Radio with Six-Disc CD.................................3-71
Theft-Deterrent Feature..................................3-86
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(Three Spoke)...........................................3-86
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(Four Spoke)............................................3-87
Radio Reception...........................................3-87
Care of Your CDs and DVDs.........................3-88
Care of the CD and DVD Player.....................3-88
Fixed Mast Antenna
(Retractable Hardtop).................................3-88
Backglass Antenna.......................................3-89
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System.............3-89
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-2

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Side Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on
page 3-28.
B. Side Window Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on
page 3-28.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. Cruise Controls (If Equipped). SeeCruise Control
on page 3-10.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-29.
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls (Three Spoke)
on page 3-86orAudio Steering Wheel Controls
(Four Spoke) on page 3-87.
G. Windshield Wiper and Washer Lever. See
Windshield Wipers on page 3-9andWindshield
Washer on page 3-10.
H. Ignition Switch. SeeIgnition Positions on page 2-23.
I. Center Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on
page 3-28.
J. Hazard Warning Flashers Button. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
K. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-54.
L. Adjustable Pedal Buttons (If Equipped).
SeeAdjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal
(Automatic Transaxle) on page 2-26.M. Instrument Panel Brightness Control.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-17.
N. Fog Lamps (If Equipped). SeeFog Lamps on
page 3-17.
O. Hood Release Handle. SeeHood Release on
page 5-11.
P. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
Q. Climate Control System. SeeAutomatic Climate
Control System on page 3-23orClimate Control
System on page 3-20.
R. Shift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation
on page 2-28orManual Transaxle Operation on
page 2-32.
S. Accessory Power Outlet. SeeAccessory Power
Outlet(s) on page 3-19.
T. Traction Control System Button (If Equipped),
Enhanced Traction System Button (If Equipped),
and/or StabiliTrak
®(If Equipped). SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-9orEnhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-11and/or
StabiliTrak
®System on page 4-12.
U. Passenger Airbag Status Indicator. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-34.
V. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-45.
3-5

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located
in the center of the
instrument panel.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on your steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt and telescope wheel allows you to adjust the
steering wheel before you drive. You can raise
the steering wheel to the highest level to give your legs
more room when you enter and exit the vehicle.
3-6

The lever that allows you to tilt and telescope the
steering wheel is located on the left side of the
steering column.
To tilt and telescope the wheel, pull down the lever.
Then move the wheel to a comfortable position, pull up
the lever to lock the wheel in place. The wheel can
be adjusted up and down as well as forward and
backward.Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
GTurn and Lane-Change Signals. SeeTurn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.
3Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
Flash-to-Pass. SeeFlash-to-Pass on page 3-8.
2Exterior Light Control. SeeHeadlamps
on page 3-14.
3-7