fuel PONTIAC GTO 2006 User Guide
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Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on when you
turn on the ignition,
until the engine is started,
as a check to show
you it is working.
When the engine is running, the light should go out.
If the light illuminates and the Check Alternator message
on the trip computer stays on, or comes on while you
are driving you may have a problem with the electrical
charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose
generator drive belt or another electrical problem.
Have it checked right away. Driving while this light is on
could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
The Check Alternator message will remain until the
MODE button on the trip computer is pressed, but the
symbol will remain until the problem is ®xed. See
Trip Computer on page 3-33for more information.
One-to-Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2).
You must complete the shift into FOURTH (4) to turn off
this feature. This helps you get the best possible fuel
economy.
After shifting to FOURTH (4), you may downshift to a
lower gear if you prefer.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
The temperature gage
shows the engine coolant
temperature when the
ignition is on.
If the gage pointer moves into the red area, the light
comes on and you hear a chime, your engine is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The check engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.
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Notice:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or replacement tires that do not match
your vehicle's original tires can affect your vehicle's
emission controls and may cause this light to
come on. Modi®cations to these systems could lead
to costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
This may also result in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modi®cations on page 5-3.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
·Light FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
·Reducing vehicle speed
·Avoiding hard accelerations
·Avoiding 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 stops ¯ashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still
¯ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See
Filling the Tank on page 5-8. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, mis®ring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.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 steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ®x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need 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.
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Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Indicator Light
This light will come on
when the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) are
activated. See
Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) on
page 3-14
.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the
ignition is on.When the indicator nears empty, the light will come on
and you will hear a chime. You still have a little fuel
left, but you should get more soon. If less than
two gallons of fuel is added to an empty tank, the gage
may take up to 15 minutes to register it.
Here are three things that some owners ask about.
None of these show 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. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to
®ll the tank.
·The gage returns below the empty mark when the
ignition is off.
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Trip Computer
The buttons for the trip
computer are located on
the instrument panel, to the
right of the instrument
panel cluster.
The trip computer displays are located directly beneath
the instrument panel cluster gages. Speed related
information appears in the left display, distance related
information appears in the center display, and fuel
related information appears in the right display.
The basic, more commonly used functions of the trip
computer are shown following. Tap the MODE button to
scroll between the different sets of displays.
When the ignition is turned to ON, the trip computer
displays the same functions as when the ignition
was last turned off.The trip computer can be reset when AVG SPEED or
TRIP TIME are shown on the left display. To reset, press
the SET button for less than two seconds. Resetting
does not affect the Odometer, Overspeed, Range, Time
to Arrival, Distance to Arrival, Instantaneous Fuel, or
Fuel Remaining.
Vehicle personalization is available through the trip
computer controls and display. See
Vehicle
Personalization on page 2-31.
AVG (Average) SPEED
This function shows the average speed, while the
engine is running, since the trip computer was reset.
Odometer
This function records miles travelled since the car
was built.
AVG (Average) FUEL
This function shows the average fuel used since the trip
computer was reset. After resetting, a high number
may initially be shown, due to the short distance
travelled and the high fuel used when accelerating.
TRIP TIME
This function shows the engine running time since the
trip computer was reset. If this exceeds 99 hours
and 59 minutes, the trip time is displayed in hours only.
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Trip Distance
This function shows the miles travelled from the start of
a particular trip. Reset the reading to zero by pressing
and holding the SET button down for eight seconds.
FUEL USED
This function shows the total gallons or liters of fuel
used since the trip computer was reset.
TIME TO ARRIVAL
This function shows trip time to arrival in hours and
minutes, based on distance to arrival. If this exceeds
99 hours and 59 minutes, the time to arrival is displayed
in hours only.
Dist (Distance) to Arrival
At the start of a trip, estimate your distance to arrival.
Tap the up or down arrows until the display shows your
estimated trip distance. When you drive, the computer
constantly updates your time to arrival, based on
changing driving speeds. You can use the up or down
arrows to adjust the miles (kilometers) any time this
display is shown.
FUEL REMAINING
This function shows the gallons (liters) of fuel left in the
fuel tank, rounded to the nearest one gallon (liter).
When the fuel level is down to about 2 gallons
(7.5 liters), LO is displayed instead of gallons (liters).
If the Low Fuel message in the trip computer comes on
when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is low.
The Low Fuel message is displayed until the MODE
button is pressed. The trip computer then displays
its calculation of Range, which is how far you can drive
with your current fuel level, for 10 seconds before
returning to the original trip computer display with a
small low fuel symbol on the left. The symbol will remain
until the fuel tank is ®lled above the low fuel level.
If the Very Low Fuel message in the trip computer
comes on when driving, it indicates that the fuel level is
very low. The Very Low Fuel message is displayed
until the MODE button is pressed. The trip computer
then displays its calculation of Range, which is how far
you can drive with your current fuel level, for
10 seconds before returning to the original trip computer
display with a small ¯ashing low fuel symbol on the
left. The symbol will remain until the fuel tank is ®lled
above the low fuel level.
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Underspeed Chime
Overspeed provides a chime when your vehicle's
travelling speed exceeds the overspeed value, whereas
underspeed provides a chime to indicate when your
vehicle's travelling speed drops below the overspeed.
Range
Range is an estimate of how far your current fuel level
will last. It is based on your previous fuel usage and
is frequently updated. Therefore, as conditions become
suited to more economical driving, the range may
actually increase, for example from city to highway
driving.
INST (Instantaneous) FUEL
This function shows instantaneous fuel usage in miles
per gallon or liters per 100 km when driving. When
speed drops below 6 mph (10 km/h) the usage is shown
in gallons per hour or liters per hour.
Display Units
Display units allows you to select the units of
measurement in which the trip computer and instrument
panel cluster will display information. Tap the up or
down arrows to select between ENG (English) or MET
(metric) units.
DIGITAL SPEEDO (Speedometer)
If digital speedo mode is activated, the mph (km/h) are
shown in a large digital mode.
Stop Watch
The stop watch function, when enabled, records
elapsed time. It can be used, for example, to measure
the time taken to travel between two points on a
trip. If you will be starting and stopping your vehicle, the
stop watch will automatically start timing where it left
off when you last stopped.
To start or stop the stop watch, press the SET button.
To reset the stop watch, press and hold the MODE
button for more than three seconds. The trip computer
must be on Trip Time for this function to work.
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Trip A/B
When the Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel
Remaining set of displays are turned on, using vehicle
personalization, and are showing on the display,
hold the MODE button down for two seconds. Now,
instead of the Time to Arrival set of displays, the
trip computer shows Trip B details.
Press the MODE button to view your displays. You now
have two different sets of trip displays counting, your
original set of trip displays Ð labelled A while B is turned
on Ð and a new set of trip displays, labelled B. This
is useful on a long trip, as Trip B can be reset at
the beginning of the journey and then locked away by
pressing the MODE button for two seconds when Trip B
is shown. Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel
Remaining will again be shown on the display, but Trip B
is still counting away in the background and the
original trip display can be used for short distances
during the journey. Trip B can be viewed at any time by
pressing the MODE button for two seconds when
Distance to Arrival is shown.
Trip A/B can also be enabled/disabled in vehicle
personalization. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 2-31. If the Trip A and B function is selected,
the Average Speed and Average Fuel displays
indicate Trip A.
Trip Computer Notes:
·If the wrong buttons are accidentally pressed,
causing the display to show a display other
than normal, turn the ignition off and then on again
when the vehicle is stopped.
·Several warning lights are linked to the trip
computer displays. See
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators on page 3-22.
·When the overspeed warning symbol is ®rst shown,
the overspeed trip computer display is automatically
shown for 10 seconds. This is to show what your
pre-selected speed is and allow you to adjust
it if desired. After 10 seconds, the trip computer
returns to its previous display.
·Some displays change the units of measurement
over time. For example, the Time to Arrival shows
hours only above 99 hours and 59 minutes, and
hours and minutes below. Time to Arrival also
shows 10 minute units above 2 hours, 5 minute
units below 2 hours and 1 minute units below
10 minutes.
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Cruise Enabled
This symbol, the Cruise
Enabled message, and the
CRUISE message come
on for a few seconds
whenever you turn on the
cruise control.
The message then returns to the original trip computer
display with a small CRUISE message on the right.
The CRUISE message will remain until the cruise control
is set or turned off. See
Cruise Control on page 3-10for more information.
Cruise Off
This symbol and the
Cruise Off message come
on for a few seconds
whenever you turn off the
cruise control.
The message then returns to the original trip computer
display. See
Cruise Control on page 3-10for more
information.
Engine Temp (Temperature) Hot
If the Engine Temp Hot
message and this symbol
come on while driving,
it indicates that the engine
coolant temperature is
dangerously hot.
You should stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so.
The Engine Temp Hot message will display until the
MODE button is pressed. The message then returns to
the original trip computer display with a small over
temperature symbol on the left. The symbol will remain
until the condition is repaired. See
Engine Overheating
on page 5-26for more information.
Low Fuel
If the Low Fuel message comes on when driving, it
indicates that the fuel level is low. The Low Fuel
message is displayed until the MODE button is pressed.
The trip computer then displays its calculation of
miles to empty for 10 seconds.
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