tow PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2007 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems
....................... 7
Front Seats
.............................................. 8
Safety Belts
............................................ 12
Child Restraints
...................................... 27
Airbag System
........................................ 42
Restraint System Check
......................... 56
Features and Controls
................................ 59
Keys
....................................................... 60
Doors and Locks
.................................... 65
Windows
................................................ 70
Theft-Deterrent Systems
......................... 72
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
....... 76
Mirrors
.................................................... 93
OnStar
®System
..................................... 94Storage Areas
........................................ 98
Convertible Top
...................................... 99
Instrument Panel
....................................... 105
Instrument Panel Overview
................... 108
Climate Controls
................................... 122
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
.......................................... 127
Driver Information Center (DIC)
............ 145
Audio System(s)
................................... 157
Driving Your Vehicle
................................. 189
Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
..................................... 190
Towing
................................................. 231
2007 Pontiac Solstice Owner ManualM
1

{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same
belt. The belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two children
can be crushed together and seriously
injured. A belt must be used by only
one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder
belt, but the child is so small that the
shoulder belt is very close to the child’s
face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the
vehicle, but be sure that the shoulder belt still
is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash
the child’s upper body would have the restraint
that belts provide.
28

{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is
quite unlike that of an adult or older child,
for whom the safety belts are designed.
A young child’s hip bones are still so
small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt
may not remain low on the hip bones, as
it should. Instead, it may settle up around
the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt
would apply force on a body area that
is unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or fatal
injuries. Young children always should be
secured in appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use
in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system
designed to restrain or position a child on a
continuous at surface. Make sure that the infant’s
head rests toward the center of the vehicle.
33

Frontal airbags are not intended to inate during
vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many
side impacts.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair
costs were. Ination is determined by what the
vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
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 inside the steering wheel
and in the instrument panel in front of the right front
passenger.
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. 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 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 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.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?
After an 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 or the instrument panel for the right front
passenger’s bag — may be hot for a short time.
48

From inside the vehicle,
use the manual door
lock knob. Pull up or
down on the knob to
unlock or lock the door.
To lock either door from the outside, turn the key
toward the rear of the vehicle. To unlock the
door, turn the key toward the front of the vehicle.
Power Door Locks
You can use the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter to lock and unlock the doors from inside
or outside the vehicle. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on page 62for
more information.
The power door lock switches are located on the
driver’s and passenger’s door.
Press the top of the switch to unlock all doors.
Press the bottom of the switch to lock all doors.
Delayed Locking
If your vehicle has power door locks, it will have
the delayed locking feature. This feature delays the
actual locking of the doors when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter is used to lock
the vehicle.
If any door is open when locking the vehicle using
the RKE transmitter, three chimes will sound
signaling that the delayed locking feature is active.
Five seconds after the last door is closed, both
doors will lock and the parking lamps will ash.
To cancel the delay and lock the doors immediately,
press the lock button on the RKE a second time.
If the key is in the ignition, this feature will not lock
the doors.
Your vehicle is programmed from the factory with
this feature turned off. To turn the feature on,
you must go through the Driver Information
Center (DIC), if the vehicle has one. SeeDIC
Vehicle Personalization on page 152.
66

Manual Windows
If your vehicle has
manual windows, use
the window crank
to open and close each
window.
Power Windows
If your vehicle has
power windows, the
switches on the driver’s
door armrest control
both windows.In addition, the passenger’s door has a window
switch that controls that window. Press the front of
the switch to open the window. Pull the switch
up to close it.
Express-Down Window
The driver’s window has an express-down feature
which allows the window to be lowered fully without
pressing and holding the switch. Press the front of
the switch to the rst position, and the window will
open a small amount. Press the switch down fully
and the window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while it is lowering, pull the
front of the switch up.
Sun Visors
To use the sun visor(s), pull the edge of the visor
nearest to the windshield toward you.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Your vehicle may have a driver’s side vanity
mirror. Swing down the sun visor and slide the
cover to expose the mirror.
71

Shift Lock Release
For vehicles with an automatic transmission, the
following procedure allows the ignition to be turned
to LOCK, and for the removal of the ignition key, in
case of a dead battery or low voltage battery.
1. Make sure the shift lever is in PARK (P).
2. Using a tool, pry off the cover to the lock
release access hole, located at the bottom
of the steering column.3. Place your nger into the access hole and
locate the plunger.
4. Press and hold the plunger toward the driver’s
door while turning the ignition key to LOCK.
5. Remove the key.
Have your vehicle serviced at your dealer as soon
as possible.
79

Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
At low vehicle speeds, you can also use
REVERSE (R) to rock your vehicle back and forth
to get out of snow, ice, or sand without damaging
your transmission. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 224for
additional information.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
You can also use NEUTRAL (N) when your
vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) with the engine running at high
speed may damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting your vehicle.
83

To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the release button in
as you move the brake lever all the way down.
If you forget to release your parking brake, a chime
will sound and a warning message will be
displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph
(8 kph). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 148.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning light is
off before driving.Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding
the button on the shift lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you
can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
87

Outside Power Mirrors
The controls for the
outside power mirrors
are located on the
driver’s door.
Move the selector switch located next to the
four-way control pad to the left or right to choose
either the driver’s side or passenger’s side mirror.
To adjust a mirror, use the arrows located on the
four-way control pad to move the mirror in the
desired direction. Adjust each outside mirror so that
a little of the vehicle and the area behind it can be
seen while sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Both mirrors can be manually folded by pulling
them toward the vehicle. This feature may
be useful when going through a car wash or a
conned space. Push the mirrors away from the
vehicle to the normal position before driving.
OnStar®System
OnStar®uses several innovative technologies and
live advisors to provide you with a wide range
of safety, security, information, and convenience
services. If your airbags deploy, the system is
designed to make an automatic call to OnStar
®
Emergency advisors who can request emergency
services be sent to your location. If you lock
your keys in the vehicle, call OnStar
®at
1-888-4-ONSTAR and they can send a signal to
unlock your doors. If you need roadside
assistance, press the OnStar
®button and they
can contact Roadside Service for you.
94