system PONTIAC G6 2009 Owners Manual

Radio Data System (RDS)
The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS).
RDS features are available for use only on FM stations
that broadcast RDS information.
With RDS, the radio can do the following:
Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of
programming
Receive announcements concerning local and
national emergencies
Display messages from radio stations
Seek to stations with traffic announcements
This system relies upon receiving specic information
from these stations and only works when the information
is available. In rare cases, a radio station can broadcast
incorrect information that causes the radio features to
work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station.
While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station
name or call letters appear on the display instead of the
frequency. RDS stations can also provide the time of
day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and
the name of the program being broadcast.
Playing the Radio
O
(Power):Press to turn the system on and off.
u(Volume):Turn to increase or to decrease the
volume.
DISP (Display):Press to switch the display between
the time and the temperature or the radio station
frequency and the temperature. While the ignition is off,
press to display the time.
For RDS, press to change what appears on the display
while using RDS. The display options are station
name, RDS station frequency, PTY, and the name of
the program (if available).
For XM™ (if equipped), press while in XM mode to
retrieve four different categories of information related
to the current song or channel: Artist, Song Title,
Category or PTY, Channel Number/Channel Name.
To change the default on the display, press the DISP
knob until you see the desired display, then hold
the knob for two seconds. The radio produces a beep
and the selected display is now the default.
3-55

AUTOu(Automatic Volume):With automatic
volume, the audio system adjusts automatically to make
up for road and wind noise as you drive.
Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to
select LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH. AUTO VOL LOW,
AUTO VOL MEDIUM, or AUTO VOL HIGH displays.
Each higher setting allows for more volume
compensation at faster vehicle speeds. While driving,
automatic volume increases the volume as necessary,
to overcome noise at any speed. The volume level
should always sound the same while driving. AUTO VOL
NONE displays if the radio cannot determine the
vehicle speed or if the engine is not running. To turn
automatic volume off, press this button until AUTO VOL
OFF displays.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or
XM1 or XM2. The display shows the selection.
ADJ (Adjust):Turn to select radio stations.
xSEEKw:Press to go to the next or to the previous
station and stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold either arrow for
two seconds until a beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the
next station. Press either arrow again to stop scanning.To scan preset stations, press and hold either arrow
for more than four seconds until two beeps sound.
The radio goes to the rst preset station stored on the
pushbuttons, plays for a few seconds, then goes to
the next preset station. Press either arrow again to stop
scanning presets.
The radio only seeks and scans stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
Setting Preset Stations
Up to 30 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM, six XM1
and six XM2), can be programmed on the six numbered
pushbuttons. To program presets:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, AM,
or XM1 or XM2.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press AUTO TONE to select the equalization.
5. Press and hold one of the six numbered
pushbuttons until a beep sounds. When that
numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that
was set, returns and the equalization that was
selected is stored for that pushbutton.
6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.
3-56

Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station
(RDS and XM™)
To select and nd a desired PTY perform the following:
1. Press the P-TYPE button to activate program
type select mode. PTY for FM or PTYPE for XM and
a program type displays.
2. Turn the ADJ knob to select a PTY.
3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press the up
SEEK arrow to select the PTY and to take you to
the PTY’s rst station.
4. To go to another station within that PTY press the
up SEEK arrow again. If the radio cannot nd the
desired PTY, NONE FOUND displays and the radio
returns to the last station you were listening to.
After 15 seconds of inactivity or if the P-TYPE
button is pressed again, the radio exits program
type select mode.
BAND (AF – Alternate Frequency):Alternate
frequency lets the radio switch to a stronger station with
the same program type. To turn alternate frequency
on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. FM ALT
FREQ ON and AF displays. The radio can switch
to stations with a stronger frequency.To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND
again for two seconds. FM ALT FREQ OFF displays and
AF disappears from the display. The radio does not
switch to other stations.
This function does not apply for XM Satellite Radio
Service.
RDS Messages
ALERT!:Alert warns of local or national emergencies.
When an alert announcement comes on the current
radio station, ALERT! displays. The announcement is
heard even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a
CD is playing, play stops during the announcement.
Alert announcements cannot be turned off.
ALERT! is not affected by tests of the emergency
broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all
RDS stations.
MSG (Message):If the current station has a message,
MSG displays. Press this button to see the message.
The message can display the artist, song title, call
in phone numbers, etc.
If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the
message appears every three seconds. To scroll
through the message, press and release the MSG
button. A new group of words display after every press
of this button. Once the complete message has
3-58

displayed, MSG disappears from the display until
another new message is received. The last message
can be displayed by pressing the MSG button. The last
message can be viewed until a new message or the
radio is turned to a different station.
When a message is not available from a station, NO
MESSAGE displays.
MSG or TRAF (Traffic):If TRAFFIC displays, the
tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements.
If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic
announcements, press and hold this button for
two seconds and the radio seeks to a station that does.
When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements
is found, the radio stops seeking and TRAF in brackets
displays. When a traffic announcement broadcasts
on the tuned radio station, you will hear it. If no station
is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO
TRAFFIC INFO displays.
If TRAF is on the display, press and hold the MSG or
TRAF button for two seconds to turn off the traffic
announcements.
The radio plays the traffic announcement even if the
volume is low. The radio interrupts the play of a CD if
the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements.
This function does not apply to XM Satellite Radio
Service.Radio Messages
CALIBRATE:The audio system has been calibrated for
your vehicle from the factory. If CALIBRATE displays,
it means that the radio has not been congured properly
for the vehicle and it must be returned to your
dealer/retailer for service.
LOCKED:This message displays when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked up. Take the vehicle
to your dealer/retailer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer/retailer.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ is a satellite radio service that is based in the
48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian
provinces. XM Satellite Radio has a wide variety
of programming and commercial-free music,
coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your
trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited
access to XM Radio Online for when you are not in the
vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the
XM service. For more information, contact XM at
xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and
xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
Radio Messages for XM™ Only
SeeXM Radio Messages on page 3-66later in this
section for further detail.
3-59

xSEEKw:Press the down arrow to go to the start of
the current track, if more than eight seconds have
played. Press the up arrow to go to the beginning of the
next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more
than once, the player continues moving through the CD.
To scan the current CD, press and hold either arrow
for more than two seconds. The CD goes to the
next track, plays the rst 10 seconds, then goes to the
next track. Press either arrow again to stop scanning.
To scan all of the CDs loaded in the Radio with a
Six-Disc CD player, press and hold either arrow for more
than four seconds. The CD goes to the next CD,
plays the rst 10 seconds of the rst track, then goes to
the next CD. Press either arrow again to stop scanning.
DISP (Display) (Radio with Single CD):Press to
see how long the current track has been playing.
T, the track number, and the elapsed time of the track
displays. To change the default on the display, time
or elapsed time, press until you see the desired display,
then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio produces
one beep and the selected display is now the default.
Pressing this button also displays text on commercially
recorded CDs (if available).DISP (Display) (Radio with Six-Disc CD Player):
Press to switch between time, temperature, and
the elapsed time of the track. To change the default
on the display (CD#/Track#/Time, CD#/Track#/
Temperature, or Track#/Elapsed Time/Temperature),
press until the desired display appears, then hold
the knob for two seconds. The radio produces one beep
and the selected display is now the default.
AUTO TONE (Automatic Equalization):Press to
select the desired equalization setting while playing a
CD. The equalization is automatically recalled when
a CD is played. For more information, see “AUTO
TONE” listed previously in this section.
BAND:Press to listen to the radio while a CD is
playing. The inactive CD(s) remains inside the radio for
future listening.
SRCE (Source):Press to play a CD while listening to
the radio. Press again and the system searches for
an auxiliary input device such as a portable audio player.
3-63

Using the Auxiliary Input Jack
The radio system has an auxiliary input jack located
near the TONE button on the radio faceplate. This is not
an audio output; do not plug the headphone set into
the front auxiliary input jack. An external audio device
such as an iPod™, laptop computer, MP3 player,
CD changer, etc. can be connected to the auxiliary input
jack for use as another source for audio listening.
Drivers are encouraged to set up any auxiliary device
while the vehicle is in P (Park). SeeDefensive
Driving on page 4-2for more information on driver
distraction.
To use a portable audio player, connect a 3.5 mm
(1/8 inch) cable to the radio’s front auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, press the radio SRCE
button to begin playing audio from the device over the
vehicle speakers.
O(Power/Volume):Turn to increase or decrease the
volume of the portable player. Additional volume
adjustments might need to be made from the portable
device.BAND:Press to listen to the radio while a portable
audio device is playing. The portable audio device
continues playing, so you might want to stop it or
turn it off.
SRCE (Source):Press to play a CD while a portable
audio device is playing. Press again and the system
begins playing audio from the connected portable audio
player. If a portable audio player is not connected,
No Aux Input Device Found may display.
XM Radio Messages
XL (Explicit Language Channels):These
channels, or any others, can be blocked by calling
1-800-852-XMXM (9696).
Updating:The encryption code in the receiver is being
updated, and no action is required. This process
should take no longer than 30 seconds.
No Signal:The system is functioning correctly, but the
vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM signal.
When the vehicle is moved into an open area, the signal
should return.
3-66

Loading XM:The audio system is acquiring and
processing audio and text data. No action is needed.
This message should disappear shortly.
CH Off Air:This channel is not currently in service.
Tune in to another channel.
CH Unauth:This channel is blocked or cannot be
received with your XM Subscription package.
CH Unavail:This previously assigned channel is no
longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station
was one of the presets, choose another station for
that preset button.
No Info:No artist, song title, category, or text
information is available at this time on this channel.
The system is working properly.
Not Found:There are no channels available for the
selected category. The system is working properly.XM Locked:The XM receiver in the vehicle may have
previously been in another vehicle. For security
purposes, XM receivers cannot be swapped between
vehicles. If this message is received after having
the vehicle serviced, check with your dealer/retailer.
Radio ID:If tuned to channel 0, this message will
alternate with the XM Radio 8 digit radio ID label.
This label is needed to activate the service.
Unknown:If this message is received when tuned to
channel 0, there may be a receiver fault. Consult
with your dealer/retailer.
Chk XMRcvr:If this message does not clear within a
short period of time, the receiver may have a fault.
Consult with your dealer/retailer.
3-67

Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that
the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched
and that the lines on the glass are not damaged.
If the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere with
radio reception. For proper radio reception, the antenna
connector needs to be properly attached to the post
on the glass.
If a cellular telephone antenna needs to be attached to
the glass, make sure that the grid lines for the AM-FM
antenna are not damaged. There is enough space
between the grid lines to attach a cellular telephone
antenna without interfering with radio reception.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear
window antenna and/or the rear window defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not clear the inside rear window with sharp
objects.Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
or the rear of the vehicle. Keep the antenna clear
of obstructions for clear radio reception.
3-70

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)...........................4-5
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-6
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-7
Steering........................................................4-9
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-11
Passing.......................................................4-11
Loss of Control.............................................4-11Driving 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..........................................................4-26
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-26
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-26
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-30
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Drunk Driving
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your
reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You can have a serious — or even fatal — collision
if you drive after drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home
in a cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a global tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, more than 17,000 annual
motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about 250,000 people injured.For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking — driver
or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control the vehicle
while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator.
At times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of
the vehicle. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-7andStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-6.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-4.
4-3