audio PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2008 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-22
Airbag System
.........................................1-36
Restraint System Check
............................1-50
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-10
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-13
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-31
OnStar
®System
......................................2-32
Storage Areas
.........................................2-35
Convertible Top
.......................................2-36
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-17
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-20
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-37
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-49Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-29
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-45
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-46
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-50
Tires
......................................................5-51
Appearance Care
.....................................5-85
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-94
Electrical System
......................................5-95
Capacities and Specications
...................5-101
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-17
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Pontiac Solstice Owner ManualM

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/OFF.
5. Remove the key.
Have your vehicle serviced at your dealer/retailer as
soon as possible.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used for up to
10 minutes after the engine is turned off:
Audio System
Power Windows
The radio will work when the key is in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY. Once the key is turned off, power
to the radio and windows will continue to work for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is opened.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the proper gear.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
The engine will not start in any other position — this
is a safety feature. To restart when you are already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage
the transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when
your vehicle is stopped.
2-20

OnStar Steering Wheel Controls
Your vehicle may have a Talk/Mute button that can
be used to interact with OnStar Hands-Free Calling.
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-69
for more information.
On some vehicles, you may have to hold the button
for a few seconds and give the command “ONSTAR”
to activate the OnStar Hands-Free Calling.
On some vehicles, the mute button can be used to
dial numbers into voicemail systems, or to dial phone
extensions. See the OnStar Owner’s Guide for
more information.
How OnStar Service Works
Your vehicle’s OnStar system has the capability
of recording and transmitting vehicle information.
This information is automatically sent to an OnStar
Call Center at the time of an OnStar button press,
Emergency button press or if your airbags or
AACN system deploys. The vehicle information
usually includes your GPS location and, in the event
of a crash, additional information regarding the
accident that your vehicle has been involved in
(e.g. the direction from which your vehicle was hit).When you use the Virtual Advisor feature of OnStar
Hands-Free Calling, your vehicle also sends OnStar
your GPS location so that we can provide you with
location-based services.
OnStar service cannot work unless your vehicle is
in a place where OnStar has an agreement with
a wireless service provider for service in that area.
OnStar service also cannot work unless you are in
a place where the wireless service provider OnStar
has hired for that area has coverage, network capacity
and reception when the service is needed, and
technology that is compatible with the OnStar service.
Not all services are available everywhere, particularly
in remote or enclosed areas, or at all times.
Location information about your vehicle is only available
if the GPS satellite signals are unobstructed and
available.
Your vehicle must have a working electrical system
(including adequate battery power) for the OnStar
equipment to operate. There are other problems OnStar
cannot control that may prevent OnStar from providing
OnStar service to you at any particular time or place.
Some examples are damage to important parts of your
vehicle in an accident, hills, tall buildings, tunnels,
weather or wireless phone network congestion.
2-34

Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-37
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-38
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-40
DIC Vehicle Personalization............................3-44
Audio System(s).............................................3-49
Setting the Time...........................................3-50
Radio(s)......................................................3-53Using an MP3..............................................3-63
XM Radio Messages.....................................3-67
Theft-Deterrent Feature..................................3-68
Audio Steering Wheel Controls.......................3-69
Radio Reception...........................................3-69
Fixed Mast Antenna......................................3-70
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System.............3-70
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-2

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Side Window Outlets. SeeClimate Control
System on page 3-17.
B. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-20.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. Cruise Control Buttons (If Equipped).
SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument
Panel Cluster on page 3-21.
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-69.
G. Instrument Panel Brightness Control.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-15.
H. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-25.
I. Hazard Warning Flashers Button.
SeeHazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
J. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped).
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-14.
K. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Button (If Equipped).
SeeElectronic Stability Control (ESC) on page 4-9
orTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6.L. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls.
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-37.
M. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
N. Windshield Wiper/Washer Controls. SeeWindshield
Wipers on page 3-9andWindshield Washer
on page 3-10.
O. Climate Controls. SeeClimate Control System
on page 3-17.
P. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). Accessory Power
Outlet (If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-16andAccessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 3-16.
Q. Shift Lever. SeeManual Transmission Operation
on page 2-24. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-22(If equipped with
automatic transmission).
R. Parking Brake Lever. SeeParking Brake
on page 2-25.
S. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-49.
T. Cupholder. SeeCupholder(s) on page 2-35.
U. Trunk Release. SeeTrunk on page 2-9.
V. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-35.
3-5

LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the language in which
the DIC will display. When LANGUAGE appears on
the display, press and hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the available settings:
ENGLISH (default):All messages will appear in
English.
FRENCH:All messages will appear in French.
SPANISH:All messages will appear in Spanish.
GERMAN:All messages will appear in German.
To select a setting and exit out of the personalization
menu mode, press the information button while the
desired setting is displayed on the DIC.
Exiting Personalization Menu
The personalization menu will be exited when any of
the following conditions occur:
A ten second time period has elapsed.
The ignition is turned off.
The end of the personalization menu list is reached.
Audio System(s)
Determine which radio your vehicle has and then
read the pages following to familiarize yourself with
its features.
{CAUTION:
This system provides you with far greater
access to audio stations and song listings.
Giving extended attention to entertainment
tasks while driving can cause a crash and
you or others can be injured or killed. Always
keep your eyes on the road and your mind
on the drive — avoid engaging in extended
searching while driving.
Keeping your mind on the drive is important for
safe driving. SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
3-49

Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio,
make sure that it can be added by checking with
your dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units. If sound
equipment can be added, it is very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine,
radio, or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can
be played even after the ignition is turned off.
SeeRetained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-20
for more information.Setting the Time
Without Date Display
AM/FM Base Radio with a Single
CD Player
This type of radio has aH(clock) button for setting the
time. You can set the time by following these steps:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN. Press the
O(power) knob, located in
the center of the radio, to turn the radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton until the hour begins ashing
on the display. Press the
Hbutton a second time
and the minute begins ashing on the display.
3. While either the hour or the minute numbers are
ashing, turn the
f(tune) knob, located on the
upper right side of the radio, clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the time.
4. Press the
Hbutton again until the clock display
stops ashing to set the currently displayed time;
otherwise, the ashing stops after ve seconds and
the current time displayed is automatically set.
3-50

Undesired XM™ categories can be removed through
the setup menu. To remove an undesired category,
perform the following:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the pushbutton located below the
XM CAT label.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the category you
want removed.
4. Press the pushbutton located under the
Remove label until the category name along
with the word Removed displays.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Removed categories can be restored by pressing
the pushbutton under the Add label when a removed
category displays or by pressing the pushbutton
under the Restore All label.
Categories cannot be removed or added while the
vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h).
Radio Messages
Calibration Error:The audio system has been
calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If Calibration
Error displays, it means that the radio has not been
congured properly for your vehicle and it must
be returned to your dealer/retailer for service.
Loc or Locked:This message displays when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked up the radio.
Take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer/retailer.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ is a satellite radio service that is based in the
48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM™ Satellite Radio has a wide variety of programming
and commercial-free music, coast-to-coast, and in
digital-quality sound. During your trial or when you
subscribe, you will get unlimited access to XM™ Radio
Online for when you are not in your vehicle. A service
fee is required to receive the XM™ service. For more
information, contact XM™ at www.xmradio.com or
call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and www.xmradio.ca
or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
Radio Messages for XM Only
SeeXM Radio Messages on page 3-67later in
this section for further detail.
3-58

Playing a CD (Single CD Player)
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up.
The player pulls it in and the CD should begin playing.
Playing a CD(s) (Six-Disc CD Player)
LOAD^:Press this button to load CDs into the
CD player. This CD player holds up to six CDs.
To insert one CD, do the following:
1. Press and release the
^button.
2. Wait for the message to insert the disc.
3. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot,
label side up. The player pulls the CD in.
To insert multiple CDs, do the following:
1. Press and hold the
^button for two seconds.
A beep sounds and Load All Discs displays.
2. Follow the displayed instruction on when to insert
the discs. The CD player takes up to six CDs.
3. Press the
^button again to cancel loading
more CDs.
If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD in the
player, it stays in the player. When the ignition or radio
is turned on, the CD starts playing where it stopped,
if it was the last selected audio source.When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol displays on
the CD. As each new track starts to play, the track
number displays.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm)
single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and
the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
Care of Your CDs
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced due
to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of
the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R
has been handled. Handle them carefully. Store CD-R(s)
in their original cases or other protective cases and
away from direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans
the bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is
damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the
CD does not play properly or not at all. Do not touch the
bottom side of a CD while handling it; this could damage
the surface. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth
or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent
solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make sure the
wiping process starts from the center to the edge.
If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
3-59

RDM (Random):With the random setting, you can
listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential
order, on one CD or all CDs in a six-disc CD player.
To use random on the Radio with CD (Base), do one
of the following:
1. Press to play tracks from the CD you are listening
to in random order. The random icon displays.
2. Press again to turn off random play. The random
icon disappears from the display.
To use random on the Radio with CD (MP3) or the
Radio with Six-Disc player, do one of the following:
Press the CD/AUX button, or for a single CD player,
insert a disc partway into the slot of the CD player.
A RDM label displays.
To play the tracks from the single CD in random
order, press the pushbutton positioned under the
RDM label until Random Current Disc displays.
Press the pushbutton again to turn off random play.
Press the CD/AUX button, or for a six-disc CD
player, press and hold the LOAD
^button. A beep
sounds and Load All Discs displays. Insert one or
more discs partway into the slot of the CD player.
To play tracks from all CDs loaded in a six-disc
CD player in random order, press the pushbutton
positioned under the RDM label until Randomize
All Discs displays. Press the same pushbutton
again to turn off random play.RPT (Repeat):For Radios with CD (Base), one track
can be repeated by using the repeat setting.
To repeat the track you are listening to, press and
release the RPT button. An arrow symbol displays.
Press RPT again to turn off repeat play.
4(Information) (Radio with CD (Base)):Press to
switch the display between the track number, elapsed
time of the track, and the time. When the ignition is
off, press this button to display the time.
BAND:Press to listen to the radio while a CD is
playing. The CD remains inside the radio for future
listening.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary):Press to play a CD while
listening to the radio. The CD icon and a message
showing disc and/or track number displays when
a CD is in the player. Press again and the system
automatically searches for an auxiliary input device,
such as a portable audio player. If a portable audio
player is not connected, “No Aux Input Device” displays.
Playing an MP3 CD-R or CD-RW Disc
Radios with the MP3 feature are capable of playing
an MP3 CD-R or CD-RW disc. For more information
on how to play an MP3 CD-R or CD-RW disc, see
Using an MP3 on page 3-63later in this section.
3-61