warning light PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2006 Owner's Manual

The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-23.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at the rst maintenance
service after each 25,000 miles (41 500 km) or
24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
5-20

Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Notice:If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and tightly
secured.
The coolant surge tank pressure cap must be fully
installed on the coolant surge tank. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more
information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will nd an engine coolant temperature warning
light on your vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light on page 3-29for
more information.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until it cools
down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch re. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
SeeOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode on page 5-25for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
5-23

Notice:If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. SeeOverheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on page 5-25for
information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An engine coolant temperature warning can indicate a
serious problem. SeeEngine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light on page 3-29.
If you get an engine coolant temperature warning, but
see or hear no steam, the problem may not be too
serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot
when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.If you get the engine coolant temperature warning with
no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it is on, turn it off.
2. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
3. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for three minutes while you are parked. If you still
have the warning, turn off the engine and get everyone
out of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-24

Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation. If an
overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates ring groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode, you
will notice a signicant loss in power and engine
performance. An engine coolant temperature warning
light will come on in the instrument panel to indicate that
an overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles (km)
in the overheat protection mode should be avoided.
Notice:After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any
repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and
reset the oil life system. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-13.
Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the hood, here is what
you will see:
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
5-25

So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake/clutch
uid. Adding uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your brake linings are worn, then you will have
too much uid when you get new brake linings.
You should add or remove uid, as necessary, only
when work is done on the brake/clutch hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
and/or clutch hydraulic system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-27.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-21.Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your
brake/clutch system, your brakes/clutch may
not work well, or they may not even work at
all. This could cause a crash. Always use the
proper brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage
brake/clutch system parts. For example, just a
few drops of mineral-based oil, such as
engine oil, in your brake/clutch hydraulic system
can damage brake/clutch system parts so
badly that they will have to be replaced. Do not
let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake uid on your vehicle. If
you do, wash it off immediately. SeeWashing
Your Vehicle on page 5-72.
5-32

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving, except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality
GM brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings wear
5-33

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-55

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Accessory Power Outlet(s)...............................3-15
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-42
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment............................5-77
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-18
Air Conditioning..............................................3-17
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-25
Readiness Light..........................................3-24
Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)...... 7-9
Airbag System................................................1-30
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-42
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-35
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-37
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-41
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-35
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-36
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-34
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-32
Antenna, Fixed Mast.......................................3-71
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System.....3-71
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................... 4-7
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light..............3-28Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-74
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-72
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-76
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-72
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle................5-69
Convertible Top...........................................5-74
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-70
Finish Care.................................................5-73
Finish Damage............................................5-75
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-71
Leather......................................................5-71
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-75
Tires..........................................................5-75
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-75
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-76
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-72
Weatherstrips..............................................5-72
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-73
Ashtray(s)......................................................3-16
Audio System(s).............................................3-45
Audio Steering Wheel Controls......................3-69
Care of Your CD Player...............................3-71
Care of Your CDs........................................3-71
Fixed Mast Antenna.....................................3-71
Radio with CD....................................3-48, 3-53
Setting the Time..........................................3-47
1

Audio System(s) (cont.)
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-68
Understanding Radio Reception.....................3-70
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System............3-71
Automatic Door Lock......................................... 2-8
Automatic Door Unlock...................................... 2-9
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-19
Operation...................................................2-20
B
Battery..........................................................5-34
Run-Down Protection...................................3-15
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.........................4-21
Brake
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................ 4-7
Emergencies................................................ 4-9
Parking......................................................2-24
System Inspection.......................................6-20
System Warning Light..................................3-27
Brakes..........................................................5-31
Braking........................................................... 4-6
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-9
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-16
Bulb Replacement...........................................5-40
Back-Up Lamps...........................................5-42
Front Turn Signal, Parking and Fog Lamps.....5-41
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-40Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps.................................................5-41
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-43
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-42
Buying New Tires...........................................5-53
C
California Fuel.................................................. 5-6
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 5-3
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications............................5-82
Carbon Monoxide.....................2-9, 2-28, 4-24, 4-34
Care of
Safety Belts................................................5-72
Your CD Player...........................................3-71
Your CDs ...................................................3-71
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-33
Chains, Tire...................................................5-59
Charging System Light....................................3-27
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-30
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-76
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-23
Infants and Young Children...........................1-20
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children..........1-26
2

Child Restraints (cont.)
Older Children.............................................1-18
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position...........................................1-27
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-16
Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-74
Convertible Top...........................................5-74
Exterior Lamps/Lenses.................................5-72
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-70
Finish Care.................................................5-73
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-69
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-71
Leather......................................................5-71
Tires..........................................................5-75
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-75
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-72
Weatherstrips..............................................5-72
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-73
Climate Control System...................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-20
Clutch, Hydraulic.............................................5-19
Collision Damage Repair..................................7-11
Content Theft-Deterrent....................................2-13
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-5
Convertible Top..............................................2-33Coolant
Engine Temperature Warning Light.................3-29
Low Warning Light.......................................3-29
Surge Tank Pressure Cap.............................5-23
Cooling System..............................................5-25
Cruise Control................................................3-10
Cupholder(s)..................................................2-33
Customer Assistance Information
Courtesy Transportation.................................. 7-7
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone (TTY)
Users....................................................... 7-4
Customer Assistance Offices........................... 7-4
Customer Satisfaction Procedure..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program............... 7-5
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors....7-15
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian
Government............................................7-14
Reporting Safety Defects to the United
States Government...................................7-14
Roadside Assistance Program......................... 7-6
Service Publications Ordering Information........7-15
D
Daytime Running Lamps..................................3-14
Defensive Driving............................................. 4-2
Delayed Locking............................................... 2-8
Doing Your Own Service Work........................... 5-4
3