light PONTIAC G8 2009 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-5
Safety Belts
................... 1-5
Airbag System
..............1-20
Child Restraints
.............1-34
Keys, Doors and
Windows............................ 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-8
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-11
Windows
......................2-14
Mirrors
.........................2-16
Sunroof
........................2-18
Storage.............................. 3-1
Storage
......................... 3-1
Instruments and
Controls............................. 4-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 4-2
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
..................4-10Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............4-22
OnStar
®System
............4-35
Lighting............................. 5-1
Lighting
......................... 5-1
Infotainment...................... 6-1
Audio System(s)
............. 6-1
Climate Controls............... 7-1
Climate Controls
............. 7-1
Driving and Operating....... 8-1
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
............... 8-2
Driving Your Vehicle
......8-16
Fuel
............................8-34
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-28
Bulb Replacement
.........9-31
Electrical System
...........9-36
Tires
...........................9-42Tire Changing
...............9-66
Jump Starting
...............9-84
Towing
........................9-88
Appearance Care
..........9-95
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identication
......10-1
Capacities and
Specications
............10-2
Service and
Maintenance.....................11-1
Service and
Maintenance
..............11-1
Customer Information......12-1
Customer Information
.....12-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
...................12-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
.............12-16
Index....................................i-1
2009 Pontiac G8 Owner ManualM

Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the controls are located on the center
console. To operate the heated seats
the ignition must be on.
L(Heated Seat):Press to turn on
the heated seat.
A light indicates that the feature is
working. The number of indicator
lights shows the level of heat
selected: one for low, two for
medium, and three for high. Press
the button to cycle through the
temperature settings and to turn the
heat off.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The center seatback folds forward
to allow access to the trunk.
Press the button at the top of the
seatback to release it, then fold
it forward.
Lift the seatback to return it to the
sitting position. Move the safety belt
out of the way, and push the
seatback until it is locked in place.
Safety Belts
This section of the manual describes
how to use safety belts properly.
It also describes some things not to
do with safety belts.
{CAUTION
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, the injuries can be
much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be
ejected from the vehicle. You and
your passenger(s) can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash,
you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your
passenger(s) are restrained
properly too.
Seats and Restraints 1-5

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see
“Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you
very quickly. If this happens,
let the belt go back slightly
to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-18.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
1-14 Seats and Restraints

Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout
the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the safety belt will fasten around
you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer/retailer will order
you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be long
enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to t. The extender
has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats.
To wear it, attach it to the regular
safety belt. For more information,
see the instruction sheet that comes
with the extender.
Safety Belt Check
Now and then, check the safety belt
reminder light, safety belts, buckles,
latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts that might
keep a safety belt system from doing
its job. See your dealer/retailer to
have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. SeeSafety Belt
Reminders on page 4-12for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeCare of Safety Belts on
page 1-19.
1-18 Seats and Restraints

Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{CAUTION
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
If you do, it may severely weaken
them. In a crash, they might
not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean safety belts
only with mild soap and lukewarm
water.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After
a Crash
{CAUTION
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies
that were used during any crash
may have been stressed or
damaged. See your dealer/retailer
to have the safety belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at
the time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle or
while you are driving. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-13.
Seats and Restraints 1-19

{CAUTION
Airbags inate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inates
can be seriously injured or killed.
Do not sit unnecessarily close to
the airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash. Always
wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as far
back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
Children who are up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer protection for adults
and older children, but not for
young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can
provide. Always secure children
properly in your vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children on
page 1-34orInfants and Young
Children on page 1-36.There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-13for
more information.
Seats and Restraints 1-21

A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
right front passenger airbag
inates and the passenger seat
is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag is
off. If you secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
The system determines that an
infant is present in a rear-facing
infant seat.
The system determines that a
small child is present in a
child restraint.
The system determines that a
small child is present in a
booster seat.
A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat
for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is
occupied by a smaller person,
such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem
with the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-14.
1-28 Seats and Restraints

The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that
a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front passenger
seat. When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags
to be enabled, the on indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbag is active.
For some children who have
outgrown child restraints and for very
small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the
right front passenger frontal airbag,
depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in
the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 4-13for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from
the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat) on page 1-48or
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat) on page 1-50.
5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is
still lit, turn the vehicle off.
Then slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to
make sure that the vehicle
seatback is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion.
6. Restart the vehicle.
If the on indicator is still lit,
secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position
in the vehicle, and check
with your dealer/retailer.
Seats and Restraints 1-29

SeeAdding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-32for more information about
modications that can affect how the
system operates.
The passenger sensing system may
suppress the airbag deployment
when liquid soaks into the seat. If this
happens, the off indicator in the
passenger airbag status indicator
and the airbag readiness light will be
lit. Have your dealer/retailer check
the system.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing the vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 12-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualied to do so.
Seats and Restraints 1-31

In addition, your dealer/retailer
and the service manual have
information about the location of
the airbag sensors, sensing
and diagnostic module and
airbag wiring.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance
or replacement. Make sure the
airbag readiness light is working.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 4-13for more information.
Notice:If an airbag covering
is damaged, opened, or broken,
the airbag may not work properly.
Do not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any opened
or broken airbag covers, have
the airbag covering and/or
airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-25. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash
{CAUTION
A crash can damage the
airbag systems in your vehicle.
A damaged airbag system may not
work properly and may not protect
you and your passenger(s) in a
crash, resulting in serious injury or
even death. To help make sure
your airbag systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.If an airbag inates, you will need
to replace airbag system parts.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started
or comes on when you are driving,
the airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced
right away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 4-13for more
information.
Seats and Restraints 1-33