check engine light SATURN ASTRA 2009 Owners Manual

Warning Lights,
Gages, and Indicators
Warning lights and gages can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gages could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
may be or is a problem with one
of the vehicle’s functions. Some
warning lights come on briey when
the engine is started to indicate
they are working.Gages can indicate when there may
be or is a problem with one of the
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to
indicate a problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be
costly and even dangerous.
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Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briey when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running,
as a check to show the light is
working. It should go out when the
engine is started.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer/retailer. Driving while this light
is on could drain the battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning
Light
The brake indicator light should
come on briey as the engine
is started. If it does not come on
have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer/retailer.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set.
The light stays on if the parking
brake does not fully release.
If it stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, there is a brake
problem. Have the brake system
inspected immediately.
{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.
If the light comes on while driving, a
chime sounds. Pull off the road
and stop. The pedal might be harder
to push or go closer to the oor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 9-73.
United StatesCanada
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Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light will come on briey, as a check,
when you start your vehicle.
If it does not, have your vehicle
serviced so that the light works
properly when it needs to.
If the light stays on longer than a
few seconds after you start your
engine, or comes on and stays on
while you are driving, try resetting
the system. To reset the system:
1. If you are driving, pull over when
it is safe to do so. It may take
longer to stop the vehicle.
2. Place the vehicle in P (Park).
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Then restart the engine.If the light remains on after resetting
the system or comes on again
while driving, your vehicle needs
service. The antilock brakes are not
working properly and there might
be a problem stopping the vehicle.
Pull off the road and stop. It may
take longer to stop the vehicle. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. SeeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 9-73for more
information.
{CAUTION
Your brake system may not be
working properly if the Antilock
Brake System (ABS) light is on.
Driving with the ABS light on can
lead to an accident. If the light is
still on after you have pulled off
the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
For vehicles with this light, it should
come on briey when the ignition is
turned on.
If the light does not come on, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving there may be a
problem with the StabiliTrak
system and your vehicle may
need service. When this light is on,
the StabiliTrak system does not
assist in controlling the vehicle.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 8-19for more information.
When the system is active, the light
will ash while the system helps
control the vehicle. You may also
feel or hear the system working.
This is normal.
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Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
The engine coolant temperature
light should come on briey as the
engine is started. If it does not
come on have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer/retailer.
Notice:Driving with the engine
coolant temperature warning light
on could cause the vehicle to
overheat. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 9-18. The vehicle’s engine
could be damaged, and it might
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Never drive with the
engine coolant temperature
warning light on.
If this light comes on and stays on,
the engine has overheated. Pull
over and seeEngine Overheating on
page 9-18for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with this light, it comes
on briey as a check when the
ignition is turned on.
This light comes on and stays on
when one or more of the vehicle’s
tires are signicantly underinated.
Stop and check the tires as
soon as it is safe to do so.
If underinated, inate to the proper
pressure. SeeTires on page 9-40
for more information.
This light ashes for approximately
one minute and then stays on
when the system detects a
malfunction. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 9-49for
more information.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It makes sure
that emissions are at acceptable
levels for the life of the vehicle,
helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
This light should come on when
the ignition is on, but the engine
is not running, as check to show
it is working. If it does not, have
the vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer.
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If the check engine light comes on
and stays on, while the engine
is running, this indicates that there
is an OBD II problem and service
is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem
is apparent. Heeding the light can
prevent more serious damage to the
vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist the service
technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, after a while, the emission
controls might not work as well,
the vehicle’s fuel economy
might not be as good, and the
engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Notice:Modications made
to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
the vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to
pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 9-3.This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misre condition
has been detected. A misre
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to ash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the
vehicle. Find a safe place to park
the vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and
see your dealer/retailer for service
as soon as possible.
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Light On Steady:An emission
control system malfunction has been
detected on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
An emission system malfunction
might be corrected by doing the
following:
Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. SeeFilling the Tank
on page 8-36. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn
the light off.
If the vehicle has been driven
through a deep puddle of water,
the vehicle’s electrical system
might be wet. The condition
is usually corrected when
the electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn
the light off.
Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel
quality causes the engine not to
run as efficiently as designed
and may cause: stalling after
start-up, stalling when the vehicle
is changed into gear, misring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand
used. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel
to turn the light off.
SeeGasoline Octane on
page 8-34.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, have your
dealer/retailer check the vehicle.The dealer/retailer has the proper
test equipment and diagnostic
tools to x any mechanical or
electrical problems that might have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments have or might begin
programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle.
Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things to know to
help the vehicle pass an inspection:
The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the check engine
light is on with the engine
running, or if the key is in the
ON/RUN and the light is not on.
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The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the OBD II
(on-board diagnostic) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. The vehicle would
be considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system
is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems
during normal driving. This can
take several days of routine
driving. If this has been done and
the vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of
OBD II (system readiness,
your dealer/retailer can prepare
the vehicle for inspection.Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches re.
Someone could be burned.
Check the oil as soon as possible
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.The oil pressure light should come
on briey as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer.
If the light comes on and stays on,
it means that oil is not owing
through the engine properly.
The vehicle could be low on oil
and might have some other system
problem.
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Low Oil Level Light
This light should come on briey
when the ignition is turned on as a
check to let you know that the
light is working.
If this light comes on and stays on
while the engine is running, it
means your engine is low on oil.
You need to check the oil level as
soon as possible. SeeEngine Oil on
page 9-7for further information.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
Winter Driving Mode
Light
This light will come on when the
winter driving mode feature is in use.
When you turn off the winter
driving mode feature, the light will
go out. If it stays on, your vehicle
may need service. See your
dealer/retailer. See “Winter
Driving Mode” underAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 8-6
for more information.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use.
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. SeeFog
Lamps on page 5-2for more
information.
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Some messages cannot be cleared
from the DIC display because
they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they
can be cleared. You should take
any messages that appear on
the display seriously and remember
that clearing the messages will
only make the messages disappear,
not correct the problem.
Warning messages for the
uplevel DIC follow. On the base
level DIC, messages appear in an
abbreviated form.
Brakelight check---
This message displays when there
is a problem with the vehicle
lighting. The source of the problem
is displayed as text. For example,
“Brakelight check right”.
Brakelight switch check
This message displays when the
brake lamp does not come on when
the brake is applied. Have your
vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer immediately.
Coolant level check
This message displays when the
engine coolant level is low. Have the
cooling system serviced by your
dealer/retailer as soon as possible.
SeeEngine Coolant on page 9-16.
Remote Control Battery check
This message displays if the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter battery is low. Replace
the battery in the transmitter.
See “Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-4.
Safeguard check
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. Have the system serviced
by your dealer/retailer immediately.
Washer Fluid Level
(Base Level) or Washing
Water Level (Uplevel)
This message displays when the
vehicle’s windshield washer uid is
low. When the washer uid level
is low, the rear window washer
system is deactivated. Fill the
windshield washer uid reservoir
to the proper level as soon as
possible. SeeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 9-20.
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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 9-3.
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
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.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 4-17.
Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue
braking. Here is what happens
with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot
up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you
get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough
time to apply the brakes if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even with ABS.Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and
let antilock work. The antilock pump
or motor might be heard operating,
and the brake pedal might be
felt to pulsate, but this is normal.
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