PONTIAC G8 2008 Owners Manual

Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light will come
on briey, as a check, when
you start your vehicle.
If it does not, have your vehicle
serviced so that the light works
properly when it needs to.
If the light and a message in the
DIC stays on longer than a few
seconds after you start your engine,
or comes on and stays on while
you are driving, try resetting
the system. To reset the system:
1. If you are driving, pull over when
it is safe to do so.
2. Place the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Then restart the engine.If the light remains on after resetting
the system or comes on again
while driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the ABS light is on,
but the regular brake system
warning light is not on, the antilock
brakes are not working properly,
but the regular brakes are still
functioning. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. If both brake
lights are on, you do not have
antilock brakes, and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes as
well. Have your vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle
on page 9-84.
The ABS Fault message will remain
until
3(Trip/Fuel) or8(Enter)
are pressed, but the warning
light will remain until the problem is
xed. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 4-27for more
information.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer
moves into the red area, the engine
is too hot. It means that the engine
has overheated. Pull off the road,
stop the vehicle, and turn off the
engine as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating on page 9-16.
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Tire Pressure Light
TPMS Light
This light comes on briey when the
engine is started and provides
information about tire pressures and
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
When the Light is Solid
This light will also come on when
one or more of your tires are
signicantly underinated. A CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE DIC message
will accompany the light.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4-27for more information.Stop and check your tires as soon as
it is safe to do so. If underinated,
inate to the proper pressure. See
Tires on page 9-39for more
information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is Solid
This indicates that there may be a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System.
The light ashes for about a minute
and stays on solid for the
remainder of the ignition cycle. This
sequence will repeat with every
ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 9-49
andTire Pressure Monitor Operation
on page 9-51for more information.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It makes sure that
emissions are at acceptable
levels for the life of the vehicle,
helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
This light comes on briey, as a
check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN. If the light does not come
on, see your dealer/retailer.
If the light stays on it indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
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Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem
is apparent. Heeding the light can
prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This system assists
your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your
vehicle with this light on, after
a while, the emission controls
might not work as well, your
vehicle’s fuel economy might not
be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This
could lead to costly repairs
that might not be covered by your
warranty.
Notice:Modications made to
the engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those
of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your
vehicle’s emission controls and
can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systemscould lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. This
could also result in a failure to
pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 9-3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misre condition
has been detected. A misre
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on your vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce
the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as it is possible.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 your vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
You might be able to correct the
emission system malfunction
by considering the following:
Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. SeeFilling the Tank
on page 8-35. 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.
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If you just drove through a deep
puddle of water, your 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.
If you recently changed brands of
fuel, be sure to fuel your vehicle
with quality fuel. SeeGasoline
Octane on page 8-33. Poor
fuel quality causes the engine
not to run as efficiently as
designed. You might notice this
as stalling after start-up,
stalling when you put the vehicle
into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on
acceleration — these conditions
might go away once the
engine is warmed up.
If you experience one or more of
these conditions, change the
fuel brand you use. It will require
at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light off.If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer/retailer
can check the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer has the proper test
equipment and diagnostic tools to
x any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments have or might begin
programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle.
Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent getting a vehicle
registration.Here are some things to know to
help your vehicle pass an
inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the check engine
light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass
this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not
been completely diagnosed by
the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced
the battery or if the battery has
run down. The diagnostic system
is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems
during normal driving. This can
take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and
your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of
OBD system readiness, your
dealer/retailer can prepare
the vehicle for inspection.
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Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle’s security system,
seeContent Theft-Deterrent
on page 2-13.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp 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 5-3for more
information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 4-7for more
information.
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) Indicator Light
This light turns on whenever the
Daytime Running Lamps are on.
SeeDaytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 5-2for more information.
Door Ajar Light
When the ignition is on, this light will
stay on until all doors are closed
and completely latched.
If a door is not closed properly, a
chime sounds after the engine
is started and the vehicle is not in
PARK (P).
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Oil Pressure Gage
The gage shows the engine oil
pressure.
It is located in the center of the
instrument panel.
{CAUTION
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. If you do, your
engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others
could be burned. Check your
oil as soon as possible and
have your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance may 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.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how
much fuel you have left, when the
ignition is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the
low fuel warning light will come
on and along with a chime. There is
still a little fuel left, but you should
refuel soon.Here are four things that some
owners ask about. These are normal
and do not indicate a problem
with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel
to ll up than the gage indicated.
The indicator moves a little when
you turn a corner or speed up.
The gage will continue to show
the remaining fuel when the
ignition is turned off.
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Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about
your vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC also allows some
features to be customized. SeeDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-32
for more information. All messages
will appear in the DIC display located
in the center of the instrument panel
cluster.
When the ignition is turned on, a
vehicle system check is performed
and the status is shown on the
DIC display. If there are no warnings
or service reminders, the display
shows a series of welcome screens.
When the ignition is turned off,
the odometer appears on the display
for a short period of time unless a
service reminder is active. Active
service reminders are displayed for
10 seconds before the odometer
appears. The odometer will
reappear on the display when the
driver door is opened. For moreinformation on the warnings and
messages seeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 4-27.DIC Operation and
Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
left side of the steering wheel. The
DIC displays trip, fuel, vehicle
system information, and warning
messages if a system problem
is detected.
DIC Buttons
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button
to go through the displays and
the select the information.
QR(Thumbwheel):Use the
thumbwheel to scroll through
the available options.
8(ENTER to Reset/Select):Press
the thumbwheel to set or reset
certain functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
Press3to scroll through the
following menu items:
Speedometer
UNITS
Tire Pressure
Customize Options
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Distance/Time To Go
Range
Avg (Average)Speed/Avg
(Average) Fuel
OverSpeed
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Speedometer
Press
3until the speedometer is
displayed.
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either miles
per hour (MPH) or kilometers per
hour (km/h). To switch between
English and metric measurements,
see “UNITS” later in this section.
The digital speedometer display can
be enabled or disabled. See
“Digital Speedometer” underDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-32
for more information.
UNITS
Move the thumbwheel up
Qor down
Rto highlight English or Metric
when the UNITS display is active.
Press
8to conrm the setting. This
will change the displays on the
cluster, DIC, and the temperature
display in the mirror to either English
or metric measurements.Tire Pressure
Press
3until Tire Pressure is
displayed.
The display will show a vehicle and
the approximate pressures of all
four tires. Tire pressure is displayed
in either pounds per square
inch (PSI) or in kilopascal (kPa).
This display can be customized. See
DIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
Customize Options
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Press
3until the Odometer/Trip
Odometer is displayed.
The odometer display shows the
distance the vehicle has been driven
in either miles (MI) or kilometers
(km). To switch between English
and metric measurements, see
“UNITS” earlier in this section.The Trip Odometer display shows
the current distance traveled
since the last reset for the trip
odometer. The trip odometer can be
reset to zero by pressing and
holding
8while the trip odometer
value is highlighted. If
8is only
pressed briey, the Avg Speed/Avg
Fuel will be reset as well.
Distance/Time To Go
Press
3until To Go is displayed.
If this item doesn’t display, check
that the display is turned on through
the Customize Options menu.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
At the start of a trip, estimate
the distance to arrival (for example,
from maps, road signs). Move
the thumbwheel up or down until the
display shows the estimated trip
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distance. When driving, the
computer constantly updates the
time to arrival, based on changing
driving speeds. Use the thumbwheel
to adjust the distance any time
this display is shown. Time to go is
shown in hours and minutes and
is only shown if the distance to go is
more than zero.
This display can be turned on or off
and the default setting can be
changed.
Range
Press
3until Range is displayed.
This display shows the approximate
distance the vehicle can be
driven without refueling. The fuel
range estimate is based on an
average of the vehicle’s fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining
in the fuel tank. Fuel range cannot
be reset.Avg (Average)Speed/Avg
(Average) Fuel
Press
3until Avg Speed/Avg
Fuel is displayed.
Avg Speed shows the average
speed (while the engine is running)
since the last reset.
Avg Fuel shows average fuel used
since the last reset.
To reset only the Avg Speed or Avg
Fuel, press and hold
8while
either value is highlighted. If
8is
only pressed briey, the Trip
Odometer will be reset as well.OverSpeed
OverSpeed allows the driver to set
a speed that they do not want
to exceed. OverSpeed will illuminate
in the display and a chime will
sound to warn that the vehicle’s
speed is equal or has exceeded the
preselected value. During an
OverSpeed warning, the OverSpeed
display is shown, allowing the
driver to make adjustments.
To set the OverSpeed warning
press3when OverSpeed
is displayed to highlight the
OverSpeed mode. Move the
thumbwheel up
Qor downRto
scroll through and highlight one
of the following options:
Off:No OverSpeed warning set.
Manual:Allows you to manually set
the OverSpeed warning. See
“Manual OverSpeed” following.
Preset 1:Default setting 30 MPH
(48 km/h)
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Preset 2:Default setting 45 MPH
(72 km/h)
Preset 3:Default setting 55 MPH
(89 km/h)
Preset 4:Default setting 70 MPH
(113 km/h)
The selection is set automatically
after a few seconds.
The corresponding value of the
presets will be shown on the display.
The preset OverSpeed warnings
can be reprogrammed. See
“Programming the OverSpeed
Presets” later in this section.
Manual OverSpeed
To manually set the OverSpeed
warning:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select
Manual for OverSpeed.
2. Press
8to highlight the current
value.3. Use the thumbwheel to adjust
the value in 5 MPH or km/h
increments and press
8
to conrm the setting.
To set the OverSpeed warning to
the vehicle’s current speed:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select
Manual as described in the
OverSpeed section.
2. Press
8to highlight the current
value.
3. Press and hold
8for more than
3 seconds to set the value to
the nearest 5 MPH or km/h
above the current vehicle’s
speed.
Programming the OverSpeed
Presets
While the vehicle’s speed is 6 MPH
(10 km/h) or below, each of the
presets can be altered and values
can be stored for future use.To reprogram the OverSpeed
presets:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select the
desired preset and press
8.
2. Move the thumbwheel up
Qor
down
Rto adjust the value in
1km/h increments.
3. Press
8to conrm the setting.
Adjusting the Setting During
an OverSpeed Warning
While the OverSpeed warning is
displayed move the thumbwheel up
Qor downRto adjust the
value when in Manual mode or to
select a different preset when
in Preset mode. Press and hold
8
for more than 3 seconds to set
the value to the nearest 5 MPH or
km/h above the current vehicle’s
speed. If Preset mode was selected,
this will change it to Manual mode.
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