ABS PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2009 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specic component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when you need to see your
owner manual for additional instructions or information.
*:This symbol is shown when you need to see a
service manual for additional instructions or information.
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-5
Horn .............................................................3-5
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-6
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-7
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-7
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-7
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-8
Windshield Washer.........................................3-9
Cruise Control................................................3-9
Headlamps..................................................3-12
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-13
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-13
Fog Lamps ..................................................3-13
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-14
Entry/Exit Lighting.........................................3-14
Mirror Reading Lamps...................................3-14
Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-14
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-14
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-15
Climate Controls............................................3-16
Climate Control System.................................3-16
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-19Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-19
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-20
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-21
Tachometer.................................................3-21
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-22
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-23
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-24
Charging System Light..................................3-25
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-25
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light.....3-26
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Indicator/Warning
Light........................................................3-27
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-28
Low Coolant Warning Light............................3-28
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-29
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-29
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-32
Security Light...............................................3-32
Highbeam On Light.......................................3-33
Trunk Ajar Light............................................3-33
Fuel Gage...................................................3-33
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-34
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

If the light comes on while driving, pull off the road and
stop carefully. Make sure the parking brake is fully
released. The pedal might be harder to push or,
the pedal could go closer to the oor. It can take longer
to stop. Try turning off and restarting the vehicle one
or two times, if the light is still on, have the vehicle towed
for service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-25.
{CAUTION:
The brake system might not be working properly if
the brake system warning light is on. Driving with
the brake system warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after the vehicle has
been pulled off the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for service.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) light comes on
briey when the engine is
started.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer. If the system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the ignition off. If the light
comes on while driving, stop as soon as it is safely
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light is not
on, the vehicle still has brakes, but not antilock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, the vehicle does not have antilock brakes and
there is a problem with the regular brakes. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 3-25.
For vehicles with a Driver Information Center (DIC), see
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-37for all
brake related DIC messages.
3-26

Setting the Clock
Without Date Display
AM/FM Base Radio with a Single CD
Player
To set the time:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN. Press
Oto turn the radio on.
2. Press
Huntil the hour begins ashing on the
display. Press
Ha second time and the minute
begins ashing on the display.
3. While either the hour or the minute numbers are
ashing, turn
fto increase or decrease the time.
4. Press
Hagain 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.
To change the time default setting from 12 hour to
24 hour, press the
Hbutton until 12H or 24H is
displayed. Once 12H or 24H is displayed, turn
the
fknob to the desired option to select the setting.
Press the
Hbutton again to apply the setting, or let the
screen time out.
With Date Display
Radio with CD (MP3) and USB Port, and
Radio with Single CD (MP3) Player
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN. Press
Oto turn the radio on.
2. Press
Hand the HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY
(hour, minute, month, day, and year) displays.
3. Press the softkey located below any one of the tabs
that you want to change.
4. To increase the time or date do one of the following:
Press the softkey located below the selected tab.
Press¨SEEK, or\FWD.
Turnfclockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date do one of the
following:
Press©SEEK orsREV.
Turnfcounterclockwise.
The date does not automatically display. To see the
date press
Hwhile the radio is on. The date with display
times out after a few seconds and goes back to the
normal radio and time display.
3-47

To change the time default setting from 12 hour to
24 hour or to change the date default setting from
month/day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press
Hand then the softkey located below the
forward arrow label. Once the time 12H and 24H,
and the date MM/DD/YYYY (month, day, and
year) and DD/MM/YYYY (day, month, and year)
displays.
2. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
3. Press
Hagain to apply the selected default, or
let the screen time out.
Six-Disc CD (MP3) Player
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN. Press
Oto turn the radio on.
2. Press MENU.
3. Press the softkey below the
Htab. The HR, MIN,
MM, DD, YYYY displays.
4. Press the softkey below any one of the tabs you
want to change.5. To increase the time or date do one of the following:
Press the softkey located below the selected tab.
Press¨SEEK, or\FWD.
Turnfclockwise.
6. To decrease the time or date do one of the
following:
Press©SEEK orsREV.
Turnfcounterclockwise.
The date does not automatically display. To see the
date press MENU and then softkey below the
Htab
while the radio is on. The date with display times
out after a few seconds and goes back to the normal
radio and time display.
To change the time default setting from 12 hour to
24 hour or to change the date default setting from
month/day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press MENU, and then the softkey below the
Htab. The HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY displays.
2. Press the softkey below the forward arrow tab. The
time 12H and 24H, and the date MM/DD/YYYY
(month, day, and year) and DD/MM/YYYY
(day, month, and year) displays.
3. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
4. Press MENU again to apply the selected default,
or let the screen time out.
3-48

FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can be
stored as favorites using the six softkeys located below
the radio station frequency tabs and by using the
radio favorites page button (FAV button). Press FAV to
go through up to six pages of favorites, each having
six favorite stations available per page. Each page
of favorites can contain any combination of AM, FM, or
XM stations. The current balance/fade and tone
settings are also stored with the favorite stations.
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to the desired radio station and set the
balance/fade and tone settings to the desired levels.
2. Press FAV to display the page where to store the
station.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep
sounds.
4. Repeat the steps for each radio station to be stored
as a favorite.
To setup the number of favorites pages:
1. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the desired number of favorites pages
by pressing the softkey located below the displayed
page numbers.4. Press FAV, or let the menu time out, to return to
the original main radio screen showing the radio
station frequency tabs and to begin programming
favorites.
Auto Text (Satellite Radio Service, CD, MP3, and
WMA features):If additional information is available
for the current song being played, Auto Text will
automatically page/scroll the information every
three seconds above the FAV presets on the radio
display. By default, Auto Text is enabled.
To change the Auto Text setting:
1. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey under AUTO TXT tab on the radio
display.
3. Press the softkey under the ON or OFF tab on the
radio display.
If
4is pressed and the song title or artist information is
longer than what can be displayed, the extra
information will page every three seconds when Auto
Text is activated.
3-52

Storing a Radio Station as a Preset
Radios that have numbered pushbuttons store radio
stations as presets.
If the radio does not have XM, up to 18 stations
(six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), can be programmed on
the six numbered buttons.
To store preset stations:
1. Tune in the desired station.
2. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons for
three seconds until a beep sounds.
3. Repeat the Steps 1 and 2 for each numbered
button.
Setting the Tone
(Bass/Midrange/Treble)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange, or Treble):The
radio may display some or all tones such as BASS, MID,
and TREB.
To adjust the tone settings on the Radio with
CD (Base):
Press
funtil the tone control labels display, then turn
fto change the setting.To adjust the tone settings on the Radio with CD (MP3)
and USB Port, Radio with CD (MP3), or Radio with
Six-Disc CD (MP3):
1. Press
funtil the tone control tabs display.
2. Press the softkey below the desired tab to be
adjusted.
3. To increase the level of the bass, midrange,
or treble:
Press¨SEEK, or\FWD.
Turnfclockwise.
4. To decrease the level of the bass, midrange,
or treble:
Press©SEEK, orsREV.
Turnfcounterclockwise.
The radio may be capable of adjusting bass, midrange,
or treble to the middle position by pressing the
softkey below the BASS, MID, or TREB tab for more
than two seconds. The radio beeps once and the level
adjusts to the middle position.
The radio may also be capable of adjusting all tone and
speaker controls to the middle position by pressing
ffor more than two seconds until the radio beeps once.
If a station’s frequency is weak, or has static, decrease
the treble.
3-53

EQ (Equalization):Press this button to select preset
equalization settings.
To return to the manual mode, press EQ until Manual
displays or start to manually adjust the bass, midrange,
or treble by pressing
f.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
Depending on which radio the vehicle has, the
Balance/Fade can be adjusted using
for`.
To adjust balance or fade using
f:
1. Press
funtil the speaker control tabs display.
2. Press the softkey under the desired tab, or continue
pressing
fto highlight the desired tab.
3. Turn
fto adjust the highlighted setting. The
highlighted setting can also be adjusted by pressing
either SEEK arrow.
On some radios,
\FWD andsREV can also
be used to adjust the highlighted level.
To adjust balance or fade using
`:
1. Press
`until the speaker control labels display.
2. Continue pressing
`until the desired speaker
control label displays.3. Turn
fto adjust the setting. The setting can also
be adjusted by pressing either SEEK arrow,
\FWD, orsREV.
The radio may be capable of adjusting balance or fade
to the middle position by pressing the softkey below
the BAL or FADE tab for more than two seconds. The
radio beeps once and the level adjusts to the middle
position.
The radio may also be capable of adjusting all tone and
speaker controls to the middle position by pressing
ffor more than two seconds until the radio beeps once.
Finding a Category (CAT) Station
(XM Satellite Radio Service Only)
CAT (Category):The radio may have the CAT button
feature.
To select and nd a desired category:
1. Press BAND until the XM frequency displays.
2. Press CAT to display the category tabs on the radio
display. Continue pressing the CAT button until the
desired category name displays.
3. Press either of the two softkeys below the desired
category tab to immediately tune to the rst XM
station associated with that category.
3-54

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............4-2
Driving for Better Fuel Economy.......................4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)......................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-11
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-12Driving at Night............................................4-13
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-14
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-15
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-15
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-16
Winter Driving..............................................4-17
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-19
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-20
Loading the Vehicle......................................4-20
Towing..........................................................4-25
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-25
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-25
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-25
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-25.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
the vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. The brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The brakes will wear out much
faster with a lot of heavy braking. Keeping pace with thetraffic and allowing realistic following distances
eliminates a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being driven,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If the brakes
are pumped, the pedal could get harder to push down. If
the engine stops, there will still be some power brake
assist but it will be used when the brake is applied. Once
the power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
with the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When the engine is started and the vehicle begins to
drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor
or clicking noise might be heard while this test is going
on, and it might even be noticed that the brake pedal
moves a little. This is normal.
4-4