PONTIAC G5 2007 Owners Manual

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and may have
rear drum brakes or rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the
brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when
you are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied
or lightly applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to GM torque
specications.
If your vehicle has rear drum brakes, they do not
have wear indicators, but if you ever hear a rear
brake rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings
inspected immediately. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the
tires are removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brake pads replaced, have the
rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
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Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, the
disc brakes adjust for wear. If you rarely make
a moderate or heavier stop, then the brakes might
not adjust correctly. If you drive in that way,
then — very carefully — make a few moderate
brake stops about every 1,000 miles (1 600 km),
so the brakes will adjust properly.
If your vehicle has rear drum brakes and the
brake pedal goes down farther than normal, the
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust
them by backing up and rmly applying the brakes
a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be of top quality and work
well together if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. Your vehicle was designed and tested with
top-quality GM brake parts. When you replace parts
of the braking system — for example, when the
brake linings wear down and you need new ones
put in — be sure you get new approved GM
replacement parts. If you do not, the brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts
in brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between the front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance
you have come to expect can change in many other
ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
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Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery.
Your vehicle’s battery is located in the trunk. You
do not need to access the battery to jump start
your vehicle. SeeJump Starting on page 304.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery. This will help keep
your battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 304for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
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Jump Starting
If your vehicle’s battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly,
some or all of these things can hurt you.Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that would
not be covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it will not work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is
not a 12-volt system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged. Only use
vehicles with 12-volt systems with negative
grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper
cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are
not touching each other. If they are, it could
cause a ground connection you do not want.
You would not be able to start your vehicle, and
the bad grounding could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling,
set the parking brake rmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start procedure. Put
an automatic transaxle in PARK (P) or
a manual transaxle in NEUTRAL before
setting the parking brake.
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Notice:If you leave your radio or other
accessories on during the jump starting
procedure, they could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always
turn off your radio and other accessories when
jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory power outlet.
Turn off the radio and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save the radio!4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and
locate the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on that vehicle.
You will not see the battery of your vehicle
under the hood. It is located in the trunk. You
will not need to access your battery for jump
starting. Your vehicle has a remote positive (+)
and a remote negative (−) jump starting
terminal.
The remote positive
terminal is located
under a red tethered
cap on the engine
compartment fuse block.
Lift the cap to access
the terminal.
305

The remote negative (−)
ground terminal, marked
GND (−), is located
behind the engine
coolant surge tank.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 278for more information on the location
of the positive (+) and negative (−) terminals
on your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been
hurt doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a ashlight if you need more
light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You do not need to add water to the battery
installed in your new vehicle. But if a
battery has ller caps, be sure the right
amount of uid is there. If it is low, add
water to take care of that rst. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can
burn you. Do not get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on your
skin, ush the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
306

{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can
injure you badly. Keep your hands away
from moving parts once the engine is
running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have
loose or missing insulation. If they do, you
could get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will
go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative (−)
will go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part
or to a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−)or
you will get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts too. And do
not connect the negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal on the dead battery
because this can cause sparks.6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal location on the vehicle
with the dead battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect
it to the positive (+) terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote positive (+) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to
the negative (−) terminal of the good battery.
Use a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead battery. It goes
to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a
remote negative (−) terminal on the vehicle with
the dead battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative (−)
cable to the negative (−) terminal location
on the vehicle with the dead battery.
Your vehicle has a remote negative (−)
terminal marked GND (−).
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
307

11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead
battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice:If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the vehicle. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always
connect and remove the jumper cables in the
correct order, making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other metal.
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or
Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND)
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and
Remote Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal
Jumper Cable Removal
308

To disconnect the jumper cables from both
vehicles, do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from
the vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from
the vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) terminal cover to its
original position.
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system. The aim has been preset at the factory
and should need no further adjustment
However, If the vehicle is damaged in an accident,
the headlamp aim may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles ash their high beams at
you, this may also mean the vertical aim needs to
be adjusted.It is recommended that the vehicle is taken to your
dealer for service if the headlamps need to be
re-aimed. It is possible however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described in the following procedure.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as
follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the
headlamps are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a
perfectly level surface which is level all
the way to the wall.
The vehicle should be placed so it is
perpendicular to the wall.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or
mud on it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all
other work stopped while headlamp aiming is
being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
full tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs
(75 kg) on the driver’s seat.
Tires should be properly inated.
309

Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle’s
low-beam headlamps. The high-beam headlamps
will be correctly aimed if the low-beam headlamps
are aimed properly.
The vertical headlamp aiming screws are located
under the hood near the headlamps.
The adjustment screw can be turned with a 6 mm
socket wrench.To adjust the vertical aim on the headlamps, do
the following:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on
page 277for more information.
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the
low-beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the
aim dot on the low-beam headlamp. Record
the distance.
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