check engine PONTIAC G6 2008 User Guide

When the Light Flashes First and Then is
Solid
This indicates that there may be a problem with the Tire
Pressure Monitor System. The light will ash for
about a minute and then stay on solid for the remainder
of the ignition cycle. This sequence will repeat with
every ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure Monitor System
on page 5-70for 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.
The check engine light
comes on to indicate that
there is an OBD II
problem and service is
required.Malfunctions often are indicated by the system before
any problem is apparent. This can prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed
to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, the emission controls
might not work as well, your 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 your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-4.
3-38

This light comes on, as a check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned ON/RUN but the engine is not
running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired.
This light also 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
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.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 ignition off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-9. 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.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your 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.
3-39

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-6. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You
might notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — these
conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.
This will be detected by the system and cause the light to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Your
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 you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(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
you have recently replaced the battery 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 you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your dealer/retailer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
3-40

Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.This light will come on
briey when you start your
engine. If it does not,
have your vehicle serviced.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
is not owing through your engine properly. You
could be low on oil and you might have some other
system problem.
Security Light
For information regarding
this light and the vehicle’s
security system, see
Content Theft-Deterrent on
page 2-18.
3-41

OIL LIFE:Press the information button until OIL LIFE
displays. The engine oil life system shows an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. It shows 100% when
the system is reset after an oil change. It alerts you to
change the oil on a schedule consistent with your driving
conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4andEngine Oil on
page 5-21.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-24.
Tire Pressure:The pressure for each tire can be
viewed in the DIC. The tire pressure is shown in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
Press the information button until LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF
displays for the front tires. Press the information
button again until LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for
the rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is detected by the system
while driving, a message advising you to check the tire
pressure appears in the display. SeeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-68andDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-46for more information.Personalization
MENU:Press this button while the ignition is on to
scroll through each of the personalization options in the
following order. To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that the headlamps are
turned off. If the vehicle is moving faster than 2 mph
(3 km/h), the personalization menu options are not
available, except for the UNITS option. All of the
personalization options may not be available on your
vehicle. Only the options available display on the DIC.
Oil Life Reset
Units Selection (English/Metric)
Tire Learn?, on vehicles without the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) system
Remote Start Capability
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Locking
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Unlocking
Exterior Light Flash During Remote Keyless
Entry Locking or Unlocking
Delayed Locking
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: Specic Doors
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: When Key is Off or
When Shift To Park
3-45

CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when the life of the engine oil
has expired and it should be changed.
When this message is acknowledged and cleared from
the display, the engine oil life system must still be
reset separately. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-24,Engine Oil on page 5-21, andScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4for more information.
CHECK CARGO TOP
If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop, this message
displays if the cargo divider is not in place when
operating the retractable hardtop. Open the trunk and
make sure the cargo divider is secure and no objects are
on the divider. SeeTrunk on page 2-13,Lowering the
Retractable Hardtop on page 2-46, andRaising the
Retractable Hardtop on page 2-49for more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel cap has not been fully
tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to make sure that it
is on properly. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the message off.
CHECK TIRE PRESS (Pressure)
This message displays when the pressure in one or
more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked. If a tire
pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as soonas you can. Have the tire pressures checked and set to
those shown on the Tire Loading Information label.
SeeTires on page 5-60,Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-20, andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-68.
The DIC also shows the tire pressure values. See
DIC Operation and Displays on page 3-43. If the tire
pressure is low, the low tire pressure warning light
comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light on page 3-37.
DOOR AJAR
This message displays if one or more of the vehicle’s
doors are not closed properly. Make sure that the
door(s) are closed completely.
ENGINE DISABLED
This message displays if the starting of the engine is
disabled. Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer immediately.
ENG (Engine) PWR (Power) REDUCED
This message displays to inform you that the vehicle
has reduced engine power to avoid damaging the
engine. Reduced engine power can affect the vehicle’s
ability to accelerate. If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may be reduced the next
time the vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be driven
at a reduced speed while this message is on, but
3-47

Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering wheel
controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules covering
mobile radio and telephone units. If sound
equipment can be added, it is very important to do
it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere
with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation
of sound equipment that has been added.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-23for more
information.Setting the Clock
To set the hour, press the CLOCK button. The clock
symbol displays and the hour ashes. Turn the
ADJ (adjust) knob to increase or to decrease the hours.
To set the minutes, press the CLOCK button again.
The minutes ash. Turn the ADJ knob to increase or to
decrease the minutes. The time can be set with the
ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and
hold the clock button to enter the clock set mode, then
press and hold the clock button for three seconds
until UPDATED displays. If the time is not available from
the station, NO UPDATE displays.
RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to an
RDS broadcast station, it can take a few minutes for
the time to update.
3-53

faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
engine stops, you will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you brake. 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
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-4.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-35.
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 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 faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply the brakes
4-4

This symbol will appear
when the StabiliTrak®
system is activated.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
ensure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle.
This light is located on the
instrument panel cluster.
When the system is on, this light will come on to let you
know if there’s a problem, or if the system has been
turned off.
StabiliTrak
®comes on automatically whenever you start
your vehicle. To help assist you with directional
control of the vehicle, you should always leave thesystem on. You can turn the traction control system and
StabiliTrak
®off if you ever need to by pressing and
holding the TC (traction control) on/off button. Press the
TC button again to turn StabiliTrak
®and the traction
control system back on. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-5for more information.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the StabiliTrak
®
activates, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 3-10for more information.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If your vehicle has the electric power steering system
and the engine stalls while you are driving, the power
steering assist system will continue to operate until you
are able to stop your vehicle. If you lose power steering
assist because the electric power steering system is not
functioning, you can steer, but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in either direction several
times until it stops, or hold the steering wheel in the
stopped position for an extended amount of time, you
may notice a reduced amount of power steering
assist. The normal amount of power steering assist
should return shortly after a few normal steering
movements.
4-7

CAUTION: (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through owing water could
cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police warnings
and be very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
Keep the windshield washer uid reservoir lled.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-60.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having
it serviced by your dealer/retailer before departing.
Things to check on your own include:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Reservoir full? Windows
clean — inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:In good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:All levels checked?
Lamps:Do they all work and are lenses clean?
Tires:Are treads good? Are tires inated to
recommended pressure?
Weather and Maps:Safe to travel?
Have up-to-date maps?
4-13