automatic transmission PONTIAC G5 2010 User Guide

{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park (Automatic Transmission) on page 3-30 .If
you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer
(Automatic Transmission) on page 5-33 orTowing
a Trailer (Manual Transmission) on page 5-39 .Make sure the shift lever is fully in P (Park) before
starting the engine. The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You have to fully
apply the regular brakes first and then press the shift
lever button before the vehicle can shift from P (Park)
when the ignition key is in ON/RUN. If the vehicle cannot
shift out of P (Park), ease pressure on the shift lever
and push the shift lever all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and then move the shift lever into another gear.
See
Shifting Out of Park (Automatic Transmission)
on page 3-31.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging the transmission,
see If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 5-23.
3-25

N (Neutral):In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the engine when the
vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also,
use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is
not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive):
This position is for normal driving with the
automatic transmission. It provides the best fuel
economy. If you need more power for passing and
you are:
•Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
•Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the accelerator
all the way down.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions
could result in skidding, see “Skidding” under Loss of
Control on page 5-15 .
I (Intermediate): This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed without using
the brakes for slight downgrades where the vehicle
would otherwise accelerate due to steepness of grade.
If constant upshifting or downshifting occurs while
driving up steep hills, this position can be used to
prevent repetitive types of shifts. You might choose
I (Intermediate) instead of D (Drive) when driving
on hilly, winding roads and when towing a trailer, so that
there is less shifting between gears.
L (Low): This position reduces vehicle speed more
than I (Intermediate) without actually using the brakes.
You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow
or mud. If the shift lever is put in L (Low), the
transmission will not shift into a low gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.
3-26

Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. If
you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
(Automatic Transmission) on page 5-33 orTowing
a Trailer (Manual Transmission) on page 5-39 .
To shift into P (Park): 1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 3-29 for more
information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the shift lever and pushing the lever all
the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.
If you have to leave an automatic transmission vehicle
with the engine running, be sure the vehicle is in
P (Park) and the parking brake is firmly set before you
leave it. After you have moved the shift lever into
P (Park), hold the brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from P (Park) without first
pushing the button. If you can, it means that the shift
lever was not fully locked into P (Park).
3-30

Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too
much force on the parking pawl in the transmission.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver seat. To find
out how, seeShifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission)
on page 3-30.
Move the shift lever out of P (Park) before you release
the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock
release system. The shift lock release is designed to:
•Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift
lever is in P (Park) with the shift lever button fully
released, and
•Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park)
unless the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of a an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt)
battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with
low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery.
See Jump Starting on page 6-34 for more information.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Then press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
3-31

Running the Vehicle While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING:
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed area with poor
ventilation is dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
Never run the engine in an enclosed area that has
no fresh air ventilation. For more information, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3-33.
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
automatic transmission shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The
vehicle can roll. Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission)
on page 3-30.
If parking on a hill and pulling a trailer, see Towing a
Trailer (Automatic Transmission) on page 5-33 or
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transmission) on page 5-39 .
3-34

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
you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work 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’s speed.
When going downhill, you might have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed down. Applying
the brake will turn off the cruise control.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to end cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal or the clutch pedal if
the vehicle has a manual transmission. This will
only end the current cruise control session.
•PressJto turn the system completely off.
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. This position must be selected in
order for the Wiper Activated Headlamps to be activated.
See Wiper Activated Headlamps on page 4-10 .
4-9

P(Off/On):When operating in AUTO, a momentary
turn of the switch to Off/On will turn the Automatic
Headlamp System off or back on. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, the automatic transmission must be
in P (Park) or the manual transmission must have the
park brake set, before the Automatic Headlamp System
can be turned off.
Wiper Activated Headlamps
The headlamps and parking lamps are activated
15 seconds after the windshield wipers are turned on.
For this feature to work, automatic lighting must be
enabled. See Headlamps on page 4-9 for additional
information.
When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They also turn
off 15 seconds after the windshield wiper control
is turned off.
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.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The vehicle has a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel. Make sure it is not covered or the headlamps
will come on when you do not need them.
The DRL system will make the headlamps come 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 illuminated.
The DRL system will be off any time the vehicle is in
P (Park). The DRL system on U.S. vehicles can also be
turned off by using the off/on switch for one ignition cycle.
The regular headlamp system should be used when
needed.
4-10

Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to show how the vehicle is running. It shows how fast the vehicle is going,
about how much fuel is left in the tank, and many other things needed to drive safely and economically.United States, Manual Transmission Version shown, Canada and Automatic Transmission similar
4-20

AUTO UNLK (Unlock)
This feature, which allows the vehicle to automatically
unlock certain doors, can be enabled or disabled. When
AUTO UNLK appears on the display, press and hold
the reset button for at least one second to scroll through
the available settings:
ALL (default):All of the doors will automatically unlock.
DRIVER: The driver’s door will automatically unlock.
NONE: None of the doors will automatically unlock.
You will need to manually unlock the doors.
If you have a manual transmission vehicle, the door(s)
will automatically unlock when the ignition is turned off.
If you have an automatic transmission vehicle, you
can select when the automatic unlocking will occur.
See “UNLK (Unlock) (Automatic Transmission Only)”
following.
See Programmable Automatic Door Unlock on page 3-10
for more information.
To select a setting and move on to the next feature,
press the information button while the desired setting is
displayed on the DIC.
UNLK (Unlock) (Automatic
Transmission Only)
This screen displays only if your vehicle has an
automatic transmission and DRIVER or ALL is selected
for the AUTO UNLK feature. This feature determines
when the automatic door unlocking will occur. When
UNLK appears on the display, press and hold the reset
button for at least one second to scroll through the
available settings:
KEY OFF: The door(s) will unlock when the key is
turned off.
SHIFT TO P (Park) (default): The door(s) will unlock
when the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
See Programmable Automatic Door Unlock on
page 3-10 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to the next feature,
press the information button while the desired setting is
displayed on the DIC.
4-47

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............5-2
Defensive Driving .......................................... .5-2
Drunk Driving ................................................ .5-2
Control of a Vehicle ....................................... .5-3
Braking ........................................................ .5-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) ...........................5-4
Braking in Emergencies .................................. .5-5
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ......................5-6
Traction Control System (TCS) .........................5-8
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) ....................5-11
Steering ..................................................... .5-13
Off-Road Recovery ...................................... .5-15
Passing ...................................................... .5-15
Loss of Control ............................................ .5-15
Driving at Night ........................................... .5-17Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
..................5-18
Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................5-19
Highway Hypnosis ....................................... .5-19
Hill and Mountain Roads ................................5-20
Winter Driving ............................................. .5-21
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .................................................. .5-23
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................5-24
Loading the Vehicle ..................................... .5-24
Towing ......................................................... .5-30
Towing Your Vehicle .................................... .5-30
Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................5-30
Towing a Trailer (Automatic Transmission) ........5-33
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transmission) ...........5-39
Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
5-1