headlamp PONTIAC G6 2008 User Guide

Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog
lamps, the fog lamp button
is located on the
instrument panel, to the
left of the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on for the fog lamps to work.
Push the button to turn the fog lamps on. An indicator
light in the button will glow when the fog lamps are
on. Push the button again to turn the fog lamps off.
The parking lamps automatically turn on and off when
the fog lamps are turned on and off.
The fog lamps turn off while the high-beam headlamps
are turned on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The control for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to brighten
or dim the lights.
Courtesy Lamps
If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop, it has courtesy
lamps in the rear passenger area of the vehicle.
These lamps make it easier to see while entering and
exiting the vehicle. These lamps come on when any
door is opened and only turn off when all the doors
are closed.
3-16

Dome Lamp
If the vehicle has a dome lamp with a switch, the
following are the settings.
9(Off):Move the lever to this position to turn the
lamp off, even when a door is open.
1(Door):Move the lever to this position so that the
lamp comes on when a door is opened.
+(On):Move the lever to this position to turn the
dome lamp on.
Entry/Exit Lighting
The lamps inside the vehicle come on when any door is
opened. These lamps fade out about 20 seconds after all
of the doors have been closed or when the ignition is
turned to ON/RUN. They also come on when the unlock
symbol button or the horn symbol is pressed on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) system transmitter.
The lamps inside the vehicle stay on for about
20 seconds after the key is removed from the ignition
to provide light as you exit.
Parade Dimming
The instrument panel has an added feature called
parade mode. It automatically prohibits the dimming of
the instrument panel displays during the daylight
while the headlamps are on so that you will still be able
to see the displays.
Overhead Console Reading Lamps
The vehicle may have reading lamps on the overhead
console. These lamps come on when the doors are
opened if the lamp switch is not in the OFF position.
Press the side of each lamp to turn them on and
off, while the doors are closed.
Trunk Lamp
The trunk lamp comes on when the trunk is opened and
turns off when the trunk is closed.
3-17

Automatic Climate Control System
If your vehicle has this system, the heating, cooling, and
ventilation can be automatically controlled in your vehicle.
Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):Select AUTO on both the fan
speed control and the air delivery mode control knobs to
activate the automatic system. Automatic operation
controls the inside temperature and air delivery.
Use the steps below to place the climate control system
in automatic mode:
1. Turn the fan knob and the mode knob to AUTO.
The display shows the current set temperature.
When auto is selected, the air conditioning operation
and air inlet is automatically controlled. The airconditioning compressor runs when the outside
temperature is over about 40°F (4°C). The air inlet
is normally set to outside air. If it is hot outside,
the air inlet can automatically switch to recirculate
inside air to help quickly cool down your vehicle.
2. Set the temperature.
To nd your comfort setting, start with an initial
temperature setting and allow about 20 minutes for
the system to regulate. Press the up or down
arrow temperature buttons to adjust the temperature
setting as necessary. If you choose the temperature
setting of 60°F (15°C) the system remains at the
maximum cooling setting. If you choose the
temperature setting of 90°F (32°C) the system
remains at the maximum heat setting. Choosing
either maximum setting will not cause the vehicle to
heat or cool faster.
Be careful not to cover the sensor located on the
top of the instrument panel near the windshield. This
sensor regulates air temperature based on sun
load, and also turns on your headlamps.
Also be careful not to cover the sensor grille on the
lower right side of the climate control faceplate.
This senses the inside vehicle temperature needed
for proper regulation.
3-23

Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is turned off.
SeeCruise Control on page 3-10for more information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when
the high-beam headlamps
are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8
for more information.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left, when the ignition is on. SeeLow Fuel Warning
Light on page 3-42for more information.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, on the fuel gage, comes on when the fuel
tank is low on fuel. To turn if off, add fuel to the
fuel tank.
United StatesCanada
3-42

OIL LIFE:Press the information button until OIL LIFE
displays. The engine oil life system shows an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. It shows 100% when
the system is reset after an oil change. It alerts you to
change the oil on a schedule consistent with your driving
conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4andEngine Oil on
page 5-21.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-24.
Tire Pressure:The pressure for each tire can be
viewed in the DIC. The tire pressure is shown in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
Press the information button until LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF
displays for the front tires. Press the information
button again until LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for
the rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is detected by the system
while driving, a message advising you to check the tire
pressure appears in the display. SeeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-68andDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-46for more information.Personalization
MENU:Press this button while the ignition is on to
scroll through each of the personalization options in the
following order. To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that the headlamps are
turned off. If the vehicle is moving faster than 2 mph
(3 km/h), the personalization menu options are not
available, except for the UNITS option. All of the
personalization options may not be available on your
vehicle. Only the options available display on the DIC.
Oil Life Reset
Units Selection (English/Metric)
Tire Learn?, on vehicles without the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) system
Remote Start Capability
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Locking
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Unlocking
Exterior Light Flash During Remote Keyless
Entry Locking or Unlocking
Delayed Locking
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: Specic Doors
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: When Key is Off or
When Shift To Park
3-45

Exterior Perimeter Lighting During Remote Keyless
Entry Unlock
Select Language: (English, French, Spanish or
German)
When the desired option is reached, press the enter
button to toggle between the modes of that option. To
make a selection, press the MENU button again.
If no selection is made within 10 seconds, the display
reverts back to the previous information displayed.
The MENU mode is exited when the information button
is pressed, a 10 second time period has elapsed,
the ignition is turned off, or the end of the MENU list is
reached.
SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-50for more
information on the personalization options.
Enter
ENTER/r(Enter):Press this button to reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC display. This button also toggles through the
options available in each personalization menu.
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages appear if there is a problem detected
in one of your vehicle’s systems.
A message clears when the vehicle’s condition is no
longer present. To acknowledge a message and clear it
from the display, press and hold any of the DIC
buttons. If the condition is still present, the warning
message comes back on the next time the vehicle is
turned off and back on. With most messages, a warning
chime sounds when the message displays. Your
vehicle may have other warning messages.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS OFF
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is disabled with the headlamp switch.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is enabled with the headlamp switch.
BRAKE FLUID
This message displays, while the ignition is on, when
the brake uid level is low. The brake system warning
light on the instrument panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-34for more
information. Have the brake system serviced by
your dealer/retailer as soon as possible.
3-46

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 your headlamps can only
light up so much road ahead.
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 owing water.
{CAUTION:
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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
4-12

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
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 pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with the headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
4-18

Service............................................................5-4
Accessories and Modications..........................5-4
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................5-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements.....5-5
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-6
Fuel................................................................5-6
Gasoline Octane............................................5-6
Gasoline Specications....................................5-7
California Fuel...............................................5-7
Additives.......................................................5-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-8
Filling the Tank..............................................5-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-11
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-12
Hood Release..............................................5-12
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-14
Engine Oil...................................................5-21
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-24
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-26
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(3.9L Engine)............................................5-27Automatic Transmission Fluid
(2.4L L4, 3.5L and 3.6L V6 Engines)............5-30
Engine Coolant.............................................5-30
Pressure Cap...............................................5-33
Engine Overheating.......................................5-33
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-35
Cooling System............................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-40
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-41
Brakes........................................................5-42
Battery........................................................5-45
Jump Starting...............................................5-46
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-51
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
and Parking Lamps....................................5-52
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
(Sedan)...................................................5-54
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
(Retractable Hardtop and Coupe).................5-54
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps
and Back-up Lamps (Sedan).......................5-55
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps
and Back-up Lamps (Coupe).......................5-56
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Halogen Bulbs
{CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps
A. Front Sidemarker
B. Front Turn Signal/Parking Lamp
C. Low-Beam Headlamp
D. High-Beam Headlamp
5-52