tire pressure PONTIAC G8 2008 Owners Manual

Instruments and
Controls
Instrument Panel
Overview
Instrument Panel
Overview...........................4-2
Hazard Warning
Flashers............................4-4
Horn...................................4-4
Tilt Wheel...........................4-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever................................4-4
Cruise Control....................4-5
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals.............................4-7
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer..........4-7
Windshield Wipers..............4-8
Windshield Washer.............4-8
Accessory Power
Outlet(s)............................4-9
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators.................4-10
Instrument Panel Cluster. . .4-11
Speedometer....................4-12
Tachometer.......................4-12
Safety Belt Reminders......4-12
Airbag Readiness Light.....4-13
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator..........................4-14
Voltmeter Gage.................4-15
Charging System Light......4-15
Brake System Warning
Light................................4-16
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light.......4-17
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage..........4-17
Tire Pressure Light...........4-18
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp................4-18
Security Light....................4-21
Fog Lamp Light................4-21
Highbeam On Light...........4-21
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) Indicator Light. . . . . . .4-21
Door Ajar Light.................4-21
Oil Pressure Gage............4-22
Fuel Gage........................4-22
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Driver Information
Center (DIC)...................4-23
DIC Operation and
Displays..........................4-23
DIC Warnings and
Messages........................4-27
DIC Vehicle
Customization..................4-32
OnStar®System
OnStar®System................4-36
Instruments and Controls 4-1
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Tire Pressure Light
TPMS Light
This light comes on briey when the
engine is started and provides
information about tire pressures and
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
When the Light is Solid
This light will also come on when
one or more of your tires are
signicantly underinated. A CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE DIC message
will accompany the light.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4-27for more information.Stop and check your tires as soon as
it is safe to do so. If underinated,
inate to the proper pressure. See
Tires on page 9-39for more
information.
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 ashes for about a minute
and stays on solid for the
remainder of the ignition cycle. This
sequence will repeat with every
ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor System on page 9-49
andTire Pressure Monitor Operation
on page 9-51for 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 comes on briey, as a
check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN. If the light does not come
on, see your dealer/retailer.
If the light stays on it indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
4-18 Instruments and Controls
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about
your vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC also allows some
features to be customized. SeeDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-32
for more information. All messages
will appear in the DIC display located
in the center of the instrument panel
cluster.
When the ignition is turned on, a
vehicle system check is performed
and the status is shown on the
DIC display. If there are no warnings
or service reminders, the display
shows a series of welcome screens.
When the ignition is turned off,
the odometer appears on the display
for a short period of time unless a
service reminder is active. Active
service reminders are displayed for
10 seconds before the odometer
appears. The odometer will
reappear on the display when the
driver door is opened. For moreinformation on the warnings and
messages seeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 4-27.DIC Operation and
Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
left side of the steering wheel. The
DIC displays trip, fuel, vehicle
system information, and warning
messages if a system problem
is detected.
DIC Buttons
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button
to go through the displays and
the select the information.
QR(Thumbwheel):Use the
thumbwheel to scroll through
the available options.
8(ENTER to Reset/Select):Press
the thumbwheel to set or reset
certain functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
Press3to scroll through the
following menu items:
Speedometer
UNITS
Tire Pressure
Customize Options
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Distance/Time To Go
Range
Avg (Average)Speed/Avg
(Average) Fuel
OverSpeed
Instruments and Controls 4-23
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Speedometer
Press
3until the speedometer is
displayed.
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either miles
per hour (MPH) or kilometers per
hour (km/h). To switch between
English and metric measurements,
see “UNITS” later in this section.
The digital speedometer display can
be enabled or disabled. See
“Digital Speedometer” underDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-32
for more information.
UNITS
Move the thumbwheel up
Qor down
Rto highlight English or Metric
when the UNITS display is active.
Press
8to conrm the setting. This
will change the displays on the
cluster, DIC, and the temperature
display in the mirror to either English
or metric measurements.Tire Pressure
Press
3until Tire Pressure is
displayed.
The display will show a vehicle and
the approximate pressures of all
four tires. Tire pressure is displayed
in either pounds per square
inch (PSI) or in kilopascal (kPa).
This display can be customized. See
DIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
Customize Options
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Press
3until the Odometer/Trip
Odometer is displayed.
The odometer display shows the
distance the vehicle has been driven
in either miles (MI) or kilometers
(km). To switch between English
and metric measurements, see
“UNITS” earlier in this section.The Trip Odometer display shows
the current distance traveled
since the last reset for the trip
odometer. The trip odometer can be
reset to zero by pressing and
holding
8while the trip odometer
value is highlighted. If
8is only
pressed briey, the Avg Speed/Avg
Fuel will be reset as well.
Distance/Time To Go
Press
3until To Go is displayed.
If this item doesn’t display, check
that the display is turned on through
the Customize Options menu.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-32for more information.
At the start of a trip, estimate
the distance to arrival (for example,
from maps, road signs). Move
the thumbwheel up or down until the
display shows the estimated trip
4-24 Instruments and Controls
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

You can press3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but ESP OFF will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the vehicle
has been serviced.
7Check XX Tire Pressure
This message is displayed when the
ination pressure is low or very
low in the indicated tire.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
7LF Tire,7RF
Tire,
7LR Tire, or7RR Tire will
continue to appear in the bottom
of the DIC display until the tire
pressure is at a normal level. See
Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 9-49for more information.
7Tire Pressure System
Fault
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the Tire
Pressure Monitor System.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
7Tire Fault will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the tire
pressure is at a normal level. See
Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 9-49for more information.
xVery Low Fuel
This message is displayed when the
fuel level is very low.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
.V.Low Fuel will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until enough fuel
tank has been lled above the
low fuel level.
DIC Vehicle
Customization
Your vehicle has features that you
can customize through the DIC.
Using the Customization Menu
Press3until you see Customize
Options and then press
8. The
customization options will only be
available when the vehicle speed is
less than 6 mph (10 km/h). If the
vehicle is moving faster than that the
display will show Not Available.
Move the thumbwheel up
Q
or downRto scroll through the
available options. Press
8to select
an item. To exit the current
menu, or go back, use the
thumbwheel to select
qat the top
of the screen and then press
8.
4-32 Instruments and Controls
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Digital speedo (speedometer)
Pressure Units
Rest reminder
Underspeed Chime
If you select Underspeed Chime you
will be able to enable or disable
the underspeed chime feature. See
DIC Operation and Displays on
page 4-23for more information.
Distance to go
If you select Distance to go you will
be able to choose if you want
the distance to go display to to be
shown on the DIC. SeeDIC
Operation and Displays on
page 4-23for more information.
Distance to go Default
If you select Distance to go Default
you will be able to change the
distance to go default setting. The
default setting is 500 km. Set
the value you want it to be.Digital speedometer
If you select Digital speedometer
you will be able to choose if
you want the digital speedometer to
be shown on the DIC display.
Pressure Units
If you select Pressure Units you can
choose how the tire pressures will
be displayed. If you select PSI
then all tire pressures will be
displayed in PSI. If you select kPa
then all tire pressures will be
displayed in kPa. If you select
Automatic and the Unit selection is
English then all tire pressures
will be displayed in PSI. If you select
Automatic and the Unit selection
is Metric then all tire pressures will
be displayed in kPa.
Rest reminder
If you select Rest reminder you will
be able to enable or disable the
rest reminder feature. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on
page 4-27for more information.
Language
This item will allow you to set the
language for the display to English
or French.
Remote Key programming
Choose Program if the vehicle’s
remote keys require programming.
Follow the instructions on the
DIC display to complete key
programming. All the vehicle’s keys
must be programmed at the
same time. If an existing key is not
reprogrammed during the
procedure it will no longer work.
Choose Instructions if information is
required to complete programming
procedure.
Choose Exit to return to the
customization menu.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-4
for more information.
Instruments and Controls 4-35
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

ease pressure on the shift lever and
push the shift lever all the way
into P (Park) while maintaining brake
application. Then press the shift
lever button and move the shift lever
into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 8-11.
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.
At low vehicle speeds, R (Reverse)
can also be used to rock the
vehicle back and forth to get out
of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission.
SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 8-27for additional information.N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart when the
vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while
the engine is running at high
speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly 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. It provides the best
fuel economy from the vehicle.
If more power is needed for passing,
and the vehicle is:
Going less than 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have
more power.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see Skidding under
Loss of Control on page 8-21.
Notice:Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Driving and Operating 8-7
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

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 if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and
let antilock work for you. You might
hear the antilock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very
best braking.
Electronic Stability
Program
The vehicle has the Electronic
Stability Program (ESP®) that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions
by reducing engine power and
applying the brakes to individual
wheels. This is especially useful
in slippery road conditions.
The system operates if it senses
that the rear wheels are spinning
too much, are beginning to lose
traction or if it senses that the
vehicle is not moving in its intended
direction. It turns on automatically
every time the vehicle is started.
When ESP is working, this light
and the STABILITY CONTROL
ASSISTANCE message will come
8-16 Driving and Operating
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

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?
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, nd a
safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
Keep interior temperature cool.
Keep your eyes moving — scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on at or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
Keep the vehicle serviced
and in good shape.
Check all uid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
Going down steep or long hills,
shift to a lower gear.
{CAUTION
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to
let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
8-24 Driving and Operating
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Tire and Loading Information
Label
A vehicle specic Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle’s center
pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s
door open, you will nd the
label attached near the door
lock post. The Tire and Loading
Information label shows thenumber of occupant seating
positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows
the tire size of the original
equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire ination
pressures (D). For more
information on tires and ination
seeTires on page 9-39and
Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 9-46.
There is also important loading
information on the Certication
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and
rear axle. See “Certication
Label” later in this section.Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement
“The combined weight
of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg
or XXX lbs” on your vehicle
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting gure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will
be ve 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400−750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
Label Example
Driving and Operating 8-29
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual