PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2006 Owners Manual

If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase
in skipping, difficulty in nding tracks, and/or difficulty in
loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is
damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the
CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD
is soiled, see “Care of Your CDs” later in this section.
If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the
CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer
and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of
the recorded CD with a soft marker instead.
Notice:If you add any label to a CD, insert more
than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt
to play scratched or damaged CDs, you could
damage the CD player. When using the CD player,
use only CDs in good condition without any
label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player
and the loading slot free of foreign materials,
liquids, and debris.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.ZEJECT:Press the CD eject button to eject
CD-R(s). To eject the CD-R that is currently playing,
press and release this button. You will hear a beep and
Ejecting Disc will be displayed. Once the disc is
ejected, Remove Disc will appear on display. The CD-R
can be removed. If the CD-R is not removed, after
several seconds, the CD-R will be automatically pulled
back into the player and begin playing. For the
Six-Disc CD player, press and hold the eject button for
two seconds to eject all discs.
f(Tune):Turn this knob to select MP3 les on the
CD-R currently playing.
©SEEK¨:Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the
start of the current MP3 le, if more than ten seconds
have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to
the next MP3 le. If either SEEK arrow is held or
pressed multiple times, the player will continue moving
backward or forward through MP3 les on the CD.
Sc(Previous Folder):Press the pushbutton
positioned under the Folder label to go to the rst track
in the previous folder.
cT(Next Folder):Press the pushbutton positioned
under the Folder label to go to the rst track in the
next folder.
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sREV (Reverse):Press and hold this button to
reverse playback quickly within an MP3 le. You will
hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button to
resume playing the le. The elapsed time of the le
will appear on the display.
\FWD (Fast Forward):Press and hold this button
to advance playback quickly within an MP3 le. You
will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button
to resume playing the le. The elapsed time of the le
will appear on the display.
RDM (Random):With random, you can listen to MP3
les on the CD-R in random, rather than sequential
order, on one CD-R or all discs in a six-disc CD player.
To use random, do one of the following:
1. To play MP3 les from the CD-R you are listening
to in random order, press the pushbutton positioned
under the RDM label until Random Current Disc
is displayed. Press the same pushbutton again to
turn off random play.
2. To play songs from all CDs loaded in a six-disc CD
player in random order, press the pushbutton
positioned under the RDM label until Randomize All
Discs is displayed. Press the same pushbutton
again to turn off random play.
h(Music Navigator):Use the music navigator
feature to play MP3 les on the CD-R in order by artist
or album. Press the pushbutton located below the
music navigator label. The player will scan the disc to
sort the les by artist and album ID3 tag information.
It may take several minutes to scan the disc depending
on the number of MP3 les recorded to the CD-R.
The radio may begin playing while it is scanning the disc
in the background. When the scan is nished, the
CD-R will begin playing again.
Once the disc has been scanned, the player will default
to playing MP3 les in order by artist. The current
artist playing is shown on the second line of the display
between the arrows. Once all songs by that artist are
played, the player will move to the next artist in
alphabetic order on the CD-R and begin playing MP3
les by that artist. If you want to listen to MP3 les
by another artist, press the pushbutton located below
either arrow button. You will go to the next or previous
artist in alphabetic order. Continue pressing either
button until the desired artist is displayed.
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To change from playback by artist to playback by
album, press the pushbutton located below the Sort By
label. From the sort screen, push one of the buttons
below the album button. Press the pushbutton below the
back label to return to the main music navigator
screen. Now the album name is displayed on the second
line between the arrows and songs from the current
album will begin to play. Once all songs from that album
are played, the player will move to the next album in
alphabetic order on the CD-R and begin playing
MP3 les from that album.
To exit music navigator mode, press the pushbutton
below the Back label to return to normal MP3 playback.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when
a CD is playing. The CD will remain safely inside
the radio for future listening.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
when listening to the radio. The CD icon and a
message showing disc and/or track number will appear
on the display when a CD is in the player. Press this
button again and the system will automatically search for
an auxiliary input device such as a portable audio
player. If a portable audio player is not connected,
“no input device found” will be displayed.CD Messages
CHECK DISC:If this message appears on the display
and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.
You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the CD should play.
The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
The label may be caught in the CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays
an error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.
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Listening to a Portable Audio Player
To listen to a portable audio player such as an
MP3 player or cassette player over the radio and
speakers, use a cable to connect your portable audio
player to the auxiliary input jack located on the
radio faceplate.
When a device is connected, the radio automatically
begins playing audio from the device over the car
speakers.
O(Power/Volume):Turn this knob clockwise to
increase or counterclockwise to decrease the volume of
the portable player. You may need to do additional
volume adjustments from the portable device if
the volume does not go loud or soft enough.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
portable audio device is playing. The portable audio
device will continue playing, so you may want to stop it
or power it off.CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
when a portable audio device is playing. Press this
button again and the system will begin playing audio
from the connected portable audio player. If a portable
audio player is not connected, “no input device
found” will be displayed.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it
will not operate and LOCK or LOCKED will appear on
the display.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio will not operate
if stolen.
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Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the
following:
xw:Press the up or the down arrow to go to the
next or to the previous stored radio station and
stay there. Press and hold the up or down arrow longer
than three-quarters of a second to advance to the
next or previous station with a strong signal in the
selected band.When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow
to go to the next or previous track. Press and hold
the up or down arrow longer than three-quarters of a
second to continue advancing ahead or reversing back,
to other tracks within the disc.
+−(Volume):Press the plus or minus button to
increase or to decrease the volume.
g(Mute/Voice Activation):Press this button to
silence the system. Press this button again, to turn the
sound on. If your vehicle is equipped with OnStar
®,
press and hold this button for two seconds to activate
voice on the OnStar system. See the OnStar section in
this manual for more information.
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Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and static
during normal radio reception if items such as cellphone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and
external electronic devices are plugged into the
accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static,
unplug the item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations will boost the power
levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during
the night. Static can also occur when things like storms
and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will
reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada (if available). Just as with
FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite
radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In
addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage,
bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of
XM signal for a period of time. The radio may display
NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
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Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the bottom
surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged,
such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will
not play properly or not at all. If the surface of a CD is
soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft
cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with
water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process starts
from the center to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it;
this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by
grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and
the outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the
CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still
tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten
by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System (Trunk Mounted)
Your vehicle may have the XM™ Satellite Radio
antenna that is located on the trunk of your vehicle.
Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build up
for clear radio reception.
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✍NOTES
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.....................................4-9
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16City Driving..................................................4-19
Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-29
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-29
Towing..........................................................4-34
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-34
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-34
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-34
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-4.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “be ready for
anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or
expressways, it means “always expect the
unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are
going to be careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for
their mistakes.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance. It
is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both
city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or
turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything that
distracts from the driving task — such as
concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, reaching for something on the oor,
adjusting settings, or programming vehicle
systems — makes proper defensive driving
more difficult and can even cause a collision,
with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help
do these things, or pull off the road in a safe
place to do them. These simple defensive
driving techniques could save your life.
4-2