PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2009 Owners Manual

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster ashes in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to ash
to signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane
change is complete.
The lever returns to its starting position when it is
released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane change the arrows
ash rapidly or does not come on, a signal bulb may
be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-99.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high
beam, push the turn signal lever away from you.
This indicator light appears
on the instrument panel
cluster when the high
beams are on.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
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Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper lever is located on the right side of
the steering wheel.
Move the lever to control the windshield wipers.
9(Off):Turns off the windshield wipers.
&(Intermittent; Speed Sensitive Wipers):For
intermittent or speed sensitive operation. The amount of
delay time varies between wiping cycles due to the
delay setting selected or the speed of the vehicle. As
vehicle speed is increased or decreased, the wiper
interval also increases or decreases.
x(Delay):While the lever is in the intermittent
position, turn the intermittent adjust band with this
symbol on it up or down to select a shorter or longer
delay between wiping cycles. To the left of the
adjust band are bars, increasing in size from bottom to
top, that indicate the frequency of the wipes. Smaller
bars mean the wipers movement is less frequent. Larger
bars mean the movement is more frequent.
6(Low Speed):For steady wiping at low speed.
1(High Speed):For wiping at a high speed.
8(Mist):Move the lever all the way down for a single
wiping cycle. Hold it there until the windshield wipers
start; then release. The wipers stop after one wiping
cycle. Hold the lever down longer, for more wipe cycles.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before
using them.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If they become damaged, install
new blades.
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Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A
circuit breaker stops the motor until it cools. If the motor
gets stuck, turn the wipers off, clear away the snow
or ice, and then turn the wipers back on.
As an added safety feature, if the wipers are on for
more than 15 seconds, the vehicle’s headlamps turn on
automatically. They turn off 15 seconds after the
wipers are turned off.
Windshield Washer
Press the button at the end of the windshield wiper
lever until the washers begin.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
uid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
When the button is released, the washers stop, but the
wipers continue to wipe about three times or resume
the previous speed.
Cruise Control
For vehicles with cruise control, a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more can be maintained without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. Cruise control does
not work at speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery roads.
On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and you could lose
control. Do not use cruise control on slippery roads.
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Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you are
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you do not want to. You could be
startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch off until you want to use cruise
control.
The cruise control buttons
are located on the left side
of the steering wheel.
J(On/Off):Press to turn the cruise control system on
and off.RES+ (Resume):Press to resume a set speed and to
accelerate the speed.
SET−(Set):Press to set a speed and to decrease the
speed.
To set a speed do the following:
1. Press
Ito turn cruise control on. The indicator
light on the button will come on.
2. Get to the desired speed.
3. Press the SET−control button and release it. The
CRUISE ENGAGED message will appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) to show the system
is engaged.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
When you apply the brakes or depress the clutch, the
cruise control will shut off.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is at a desired speed and then the
brake is applied, this disengages the cruise control.
But it does not need to be reset. Once the vehicle
is going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more, press the
RES+ button briey.
This takes you back up to the previously chosen speed
and stays there.
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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to increase speed.
1. Disengage the cruise control by applying the brake
pedal but do not turn it off. Accelerate to a higher
speed and reset the cruise control.
2. If the cruise control system is already engaged,
press the RES+ button. Press it until the desired
speed is reached, and then release the button.
To increase the vehicle speed in small amounts,
press the RES+ button briey and then release
it. Each time this is done, the vehicle goes about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already engaged,
Push and hold the SET−part of the button until the
lower speed desired is reached, then release it.
To slow down in small amounts, push the SET−
part of the button briey. Each time this is done,
the vehicle goes about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed
set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works on hills depends upon
the vehicle speed, load, and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle
speed. When going downhill, you might have to brake
or shift to a lower gear to keep the vehicle speed down.
When the brakes are applied the cruise control will
turn off.
Ending Cruise Control
To end cruise control, step lightly on the brake
pedal or the clutch pedal if the vehicle has a manual
transmission.
Stepping on the brake pedal or clutch pedal will only
end the current cruise control session.
Press
Ito turn the system completely off.
3-11

Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when
the cruise control or the ignition is turned off.
Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has the following four positions:
2(Headlamps):Turns on the headlamps, parking
lamps, and taillamps.
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the parking lamps and
taillamps only.AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System):Automatically
turns on the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) during
daytime, and the headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps at night.
P(Off/On):Turns the Automatic Headlamp System
on or off. In Canada, this applies to vehicles with
an automatic transmission set to P (Park) and manual
transmission vehicles with the parking brake engaged.
When operating in AUTO, a brief turn of the switch
to off/on will turn off the Automatic Headlamp System.
An AUTO LIGHTS OFF message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) and a chime will sound.
Turning the switch to off/on again will turn the Automatic
Headlamp System back on. An AUTO LIGHTS ON
message will display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
The Automatic Headlamp System is always turned on at
the beginning of an ignition cycle for vehicles with
manual transmission. When the parking brake is
engaged, the automatic headlamps will turn off.
For vehicles with an automatic transmission, when the
shift lever is shifted out of P (Park), the Automatic
Headlamp System turns on. Shifting the lever back to
P (Park) will turn off the automatic headlamp system.
3-12

Headlamps on Reminder
If the drivers door is opened with the ignition off and the
lamps on, a warning chime will sound. This indicates
that the headlamps are still on.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. Fully functional daytime running lamps are required
on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The vehicle has a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel that helps control the DRL. Do not cover this
sensor or the headlamps will come on when they are
not needed.
The DRL system makes both low beam headlamps turn
on at reduced intensity when the following conditions
are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp control is turned to AUTO.
The light sensor detects daytime light.
The shift lever is not in P (Park).
While the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, and instrument panel lights will not be on.The DRL system turns off on U.S. vehicles by using the
on/off switch for one ignition cycle, if the vehicle is in
the P (Park) position, or if the vehicle speed is less than
5 mph (8 km/h) after the vehicle is started.
For vehicles rst sold in Canada the DRL system will
turn off when a automatic transmission vehicle is in the
P (Park) position or the park brake is set on a manual
transmission vehicle and the vehicle speed is less than
8 mph (13 km/h).
The regular headlamp system should be turned on
when it is needed.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the button is located on the
instrument panel, to the right of the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on to use the fog lamps.
#:Press to turn the fog lamps on and off. An indicator
light on the button comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The parking lamps automatically turn on and off when
the fog lamps are turned on and off.
The fog lamps will turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
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Instrument Panel Brightness
The control for this feature is located on the instrument
panel to the right of the steering wheel.
DInstrument Panel Brightness:Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the lights.
Entry/Exit Lighting
The lamps inside the vehicle come on when any door is
opened. These lamps will fade out after about
20 seconds after all of the doors have been closed or
when the ignition is turned on. These lamps will also go
on when you press the trunk release, unlock symbol
button or the horn symbol on the Remote Keyless Entry
System (RKE) Transmitter.
The lamps inside the vehicle will stay on for about
20 seconds after the key is removed from the ignition to
provide an illuminated exit.
Mirror Reading Lamps
The vehicle has reading lamps on the rearview mirror.
Push the button to turn the reading lamps on and off.
Battery Run-Down Protection
The vehicle has a battery saver feature designed to
protect the vehicle’s battery.
When any interior lamp is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after 20 minutes. This
prevents draining of the battery.
Accessory Power Outlet(s)
The accessory power outlet can be used to connect
electrical equipment, such as a cellular phone.
The accessory power outlet is located on the instrument
panel, below the radio.
To use the outlet, remove the cover. When not in use,
always cover the outlet with the protective cap.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment plugged in for
an extended period of time while the vehicle is off
will drain the battery. Power is always supplied
to the outlets. Always unplug electrical equipment
when not in use and do not plug in equipment
that exceeds the maximum 20 ampere rating.
3-14

Certain electrical accessories may not be compatible
with the accessory power outlet and could result
in blown vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a
problem, see your dealer/retailer for additional
information on the accessory power outlet.
Notice:Adding any electrical equipment to the
vehicle can damage it or keep other components
from working as they should. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not use
equipment exceeding maximum amperage rating of
20 amperes. Check with your dealer/retailer before
adding electrical equipment.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
installation instructions included with the equipment.
Notice:Improper use of the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the warranty. Do not hang
any type of accessory or accessory bracket from the
plug because the power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only.Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
The vehicle may have an ashtray and cigarette lighter.
To use the lighter, located on the instrument panel
below the radio, push it in all the way and let go. When
it is ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice:Holding a cigarette lighter in while it is
heating does not let the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot. Damage from
overheating can occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown. Do not hold a
cigarette lighter in while it is heating.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other ammable items
are put in the ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite them and possibly
damage the vehicle. Never put ammable items
in the ashtray.
3-15

Climate Controls
Climate Control System
A. Temperature
Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode
ControlD. Air Conditioning
E. Recirculation
F. Rear Window
DefoggerThe heating and ventilation of the vehicle can be
controlled with this system. For vehicles with air
conditioning, you will also be able to control the cooling
of the vehicle.
9(Off):Turn the fan control to this position to turn
the fan off.
Temperature Control:Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the
temperature.
9(Fan Control):Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the fan speed.
Air Delivery Mode Control:Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to change the direction of the airow
inside the vehicle.
Select from the following modes:
H(Vent):Air is directed to the instrument panel
outlets.
\(Bi-Level):Air is directed to the instrument panel,
oor, defroster and side window outlets. Cooler air
is directed to the upper outlets and warmer air to the
oor outlets. Climate Control System with Air Conditioning
shown, Climate Control System without Air
Conditioning similar
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