tow PONTIAC G8 2009 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-5
Safety Belts
................... 1-5
Airbag System
..............1-20
Child Restraints
.............1-34
Keys, Doors and
Windows............................ 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-8
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-11
Windows
......................2-14
Mirrors
.........................2-16
Sunroof
........................2-18
Storage.............................. 3-1
Storage
......................... 3-1
Instruments and
Controls............................. 4-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 4-2
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
..................4-10Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............4-22
OnStar
®System
............4-35
Lighting............................. 5-1
Lighting
......................... 5-1
Infotainment...................... 6-1
Audio System(s)
............. 6-1
Climate Controls............... 7-1
Climate Controls
............. 7-1
Driving and Operating....... 8-1
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
............... 8-2
Driving Your Vehicle
......8-16
Fuel
............................8-34
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-28
Bulb Replacement
.........9-31
Electrical System
...........9-36
Tires
...........................9-42Tire Changing
...............9-66
Jump Starting
...............9-84
Towing
........................9-88
Appearance Care
..........9-95
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identication
......10-1
Capacities and
Specications
............10-2
Service and
Maintenance.....................11-1
Service and
Maintenance
..............11-1
Customer Information......12-1
Customer Information
.....12-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
...................12-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
.............12-16
Index....................................i-1
2009 Pontiac G8 Owner ManualM

4. To make the lap part tight,
pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.Slide the latch plate up the safety
belt webbing, when the safety belt
is not in use. The latch plate
should rest on the stitching on the
safety belt, near the guide loop
on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the safety
belt pretensioners cannot be seen,
they are part of the safety belt
assembly. They can help tighten
the safety belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crash if
the threshold conditions for
pretensioner activation are met.And, if the vehicle has side impact
airbags, safety belt pretensioners
can help tighten the safety belts in
a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once.
If the pretensioners activate in a
crash, they will need to be
replaced and probably other new
parts for the safety belt system.
SeeReplacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash on page 1-19.
Seats and Restraints 1-15

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
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. 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.
Seat-mounted side impact and
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 1-23for
more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact 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 1-25.
Seats and Restraints 1-25

SeeAdding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-32for more information about
modications that can affect how the
system operates.
The passenger sensing system may
suppress the airbag deployment
when liquid soaks into the seat. If this
happens, the off indicator in the
passenger airbag status indicator
and the airbag readiness light will be
lit. Have your dealer/retailer check
the system.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing the vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 12-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualied to do so.
Seats and Restraints 1-31

{CAUTION
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment to
come loose or even break during a
crash. A child or others could be
injured. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, attach only one child
restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice:Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to avoid
rubbing the LATCH attachments.Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position.
1. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower attachments
or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the
top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint
manufacturer instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for
the desired seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the
lower attachments on
the child restraint to the
lower anchors.
Seats and Restraints 1-45

Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to
set the lock.5. To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt
to tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to use
your knee to push down on the
child restraint as you tighten
the belt.6. If your child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for more
information.
7. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.
Seats and Restraints 1-49

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to
set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.If the airbag is off, the off indicator
in the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint” underPassenger
Sensing System on page 1-27
for more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
1-52 Seats and Restraints

Power Windows
A. Power Window Switches
B. Rear Window Lockout SwitchThe power window switches (A)
for all doors are located on the
center console. The switches work
when the ignition is in ON/RUN,
ACC/ACCESSORY, or in Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 8-3.
Press down or pull up on the switch
to open or close a window.
Express-Down Window
The driver and front passenger
window switches have an
express-down feature to allow the
window to be lowered without
holding the switch. Press the switch
down all the way, release it, and the
window goes down automatically.
Stop the window while it is lowering
by pressing or pulling the switch.
Rear Window Lockout
Press the lockout buttono(B),
to prevent rear seat passengers
from operating the windows.
Press the button again to turn the
feature off.
Rear Power Windows
The rear doors have their own
switches.
R:Press to open the window.
Q:Press to close the window.
Sun Visors
Pull the visor toward you, or move it
to the side to help reduce glare.
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-15

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
The vehicle has a manual rearview
mirror with a compass display
and OnStar
®control buttons
located at the bottom of the mirror.
See your dealer/retailer for more
information on the system and
how to subscribe to OnStar.
SeeOnStar
®System on page 4-35
for more information about the
services OnStar provides.
Adjust the mirror to see clearly
behind your vehicle. Hold it in the
center to move it up or down and
side to side.
Headlamp Glare
1. To reduce headlamp glare from
vehicles following from behind,
pull the lever toward you.
The rear view clarity is reduced
when the mirror is set to
reduce headlamp glare.
2. Return the lever back to its
original position as soon as
the glare has disappeared to
restore the rear view.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a paper towel
or similar material dampened
with glass cleaner.
Compass
Compass Display
Y(On/Off):Press to turn the
compass on or off. The compass
display can show a maximum of
two characters. For example,
NE is displayed for north-east.
When the ignition and the compass
feature are on, a character box
displays for about two seconds.
After two seconds, the mirror
displays the direction the vehicle
is facing.
Compass Calibration
When on, the compass automatically
calibrates as the vehicle is driven.
If, after two seconds, the display
does not show a compass direction,
(N for North, for example), there may
be a strong magnetic eld interfering
with the compass. Interference can
be caused by a magnetic antenna
2-16 Keys, Doors and Windows

Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward,
to return to its original position.
Outside Convex Mirror
{CAUTION
A convex mirror can make things
(like other vehicles) look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror’s surface
is curved so more can be seen from
the driver’s seat.
Sunroof
The sunroof control is located
between the sun visors. It works
when the ignition is in ON/RUN.
The sunroof will not operate after
the engine is turned off.
From the closed position
9, turn
the control clockwise to one of the
six open positions. The sunshade
opens with the sunroof.
Tilt the sunroof by turning the
control counter-clockwise.
Obstruction Detection
When the sunroof encounters
an obstruction while closing,
it immediately returns to the fully
open or tilt position. The sunroof will
not move again until the control is
pressed upward, or a different
position is selected.
2-18 Keys, Doors and Windows