ignition PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2006 Owner's Guide

Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
The engine coolant
temperature warning light
will come on when the
engine has overheated.
If this happens you should pull over and turn off the
engine as soon as possible. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-23for more information.
Notice:Driving with the engine coolant temperature
warning light on could cause your vehicle to
overheat. SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-23.
Your vehicle could be damaged, and it might not be
covered by your warranty. Never drive with the
engine coolant temperature warning light on.
This light will also come on when starting your vehicle.
If it doesn’t, have your vehicle serviced.
Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on
briey when you turn
your ignition on.
If this light comes on and stays on, the coolant level in
your vehicle is low. If the light is on along with an
overheat warning, you may have a serious overheating
problem.
Notice:Driving with the low coolant warning light
on could cause your vehicle to overheat. See
“Engine Overheating” underEngine Coolant on
page 5-19. Your vehicle could be damaged and the
damages might not be covered by your warranty.
SeeEngine Coolant on page 5-19for information
on what to do. Your vehicle should be serviced as soon
as possible.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment.
The check engine light comes on to indicate that there is
a problem and service is required. Malfunctions often will
be indicated by the system before any problem is
apparent. This may prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle. This system is also designed to assist your
service technician in correctly diagnosing any
malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
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The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a test to show you
it is working, but the light will go out when you
turn the ignition to START. If it does not come on
with the ignition on, you may have a problem
with the fuse or bulb. Have it xed right away.
If you are idling at a stop sign, the light may blink
on and then off.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for
a moment. This is normal.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
Security Light
This light ashes when the
vehicle security system is
activated.
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Reduced Engine Power Light
This light will come on
briey when the ignition is
turned on.
If the reduced engine power light is on, a chime will
sound and a noticeable reduction in the vehicle’s
performance may occur.
If the reduced engine power light is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed to your destination.
The performance may be reduced the next time
the vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while the reduced engine power light is
on, but acceleration and speed may be reduced.
Anytime the reduced engine power light stays on, the
vehicle should be taken to an authorized GM dealer as
soon as possible for service.
Highbeam On Light
This light will come on
when the high-beam
headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on
briey when the ignition is
turned on.
This light will come on if you have problems that may
require the vehicle to be taken in for service.
If the light comes on, take your vehicle to a GM dealer
for service as soon as possible.
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Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, seeCapacities and
Specications on page 5-82.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light will come on
briey when you are
starting the engine.
This light also comes on when the fuel tank is low on
fuel. When you add fuel the light should go off. If it does
not, have your vehicle serviced.
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Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle may have a Driver Information Center
(DIC). The DIC display gives you the status of many of
your vehicle’s systems. The DIC is also used to
display driver personalization menu modes and
warning/status messages. All messages will appear in
the DIC display, located at the bottom of the tachometer
on the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC buttons are
located on the left side of
the steering wheel.
q(Information):Press this button to scroll through
the vehicle information mode displays.
r(Reset):Press this button to reset some vehicle
information mode displays, select a personalization
menu mode setting, or acknowledge a warning
message.Press and hold the information and reset buttons at the
same time for several seconds, then release the
buttons to enter the personalization menu. SeeDIC
Vehicle Personalization on page 3-40for more
information.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. The DIC has
different modes which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons. The button functions are detailed in the
following.
Information Modes
q
(Information):Press this button to scroll through
the following vehicle information modes:
Odometer
Press the information button until the odometer is
displayed. This mode shows the total distance the
vehicle has been driven in either miles (mi) or
kilometers (km).
To change the DIC display to English or metric units,
see “UNITS” underDIC Vehicle Personalization on
page 3-40.
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BRAKE FLUID
This message will display if the ignition is on to inform
the driver that the brake uid level is low. Have the
brake system serviced by your GM dealer as soon as
possible.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message will display when the life of the engine oil
has expired and it should be changed.
When you acknowledge the CHANGE OIL SOON
message by clearing it from the display, you still must
reset the engine oil life system separately. See
“OIL-LIFE RESET” underDIC Vehicle Personalization
on page 3-40,Engine Oil Life System on page 5-16, and
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4
for more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message will display if the gas cap has not been
fully tightened. You should recheck your gas cap to
ensure that it is on properly. A few driving trips with the
cap properly installed should turn the message off.
CRUISE ENGAGED
This message will display when the cruise control
system is active. SeeCruise Control on page 3-10for
more information.
DOOR AJAR
This message will display if one or more of the vehicle’s
doors are not closed properly. When this message
appears, you should make sure that the door(s)
are closed completely.
ENGINE DISABLED
This message will display if the starting of the engine is
disabled. Have your vehicle serviced immediately by
your GM dealer.
KEY FOB BATT (Battery) LOW
This message will display if the remote keyless entry
transmitter battery is low. You should replace the battery
in the transmitter. See “Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation on page 2-4.
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LOW COOLANT
This message will display when there is a low level of
engine coolant. Have the cooling system serviced
by your GM dealer as soon as possible. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-19for more information.
PARKING BRAKE
This message will display if the parking brake is left
engaged. SeeParking Brake on page 2-24.
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message will display when there is a problem with
the airbag system. Have your vehicle serviced by
your GM dealer immediately.
TRUNK AJAR
This message will display when the trunk lid of your
vehicle is not closed completely. You should make sure
that the trunk lid is closed completely. SeeTrunk on
page 2-9.
DIC Vehicle Personalization
Your vehicle has personalization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to a preferred setting.
All of the features listed may not be available on
your vehicle. Only the features available will be
displayed on your DIC.
The default settings for the features were set when your
vehicle left the factory, but may have been changed
from their default state since that time.
To change feature settings, use the following procedure:
Entering Personalization Menu
1. Turn the ignition on while the vehicle is stopped.
2. Press and hold the information and reset buttons at
the same time for several seconds, then release to
enter the personalization menu.
If the vehicle speed is greater than 2 mph (3 km/h),
only the UNITS menu will be accessible.
3. Press the information button to scroll through the
available personalization menu modes.
Press the reset button to scroll through the available
settings for each mode.
If you do not make a selection within ten seconds,
the display will go back to the previous information
displayed.
3-40

LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the language in which
the DIC will display. Press the reset button to scroll
through the available settings:
ENGLISH (default):The DIC will display all information
in English.
FRENCH:The DIC will display all information in
French.
SPANISH:The DIC will display all information in
Spanish.
GERMAN:The DIC will display all information in
German.
Choose one of the available settings and press the
information button to select it and exit out of the
personalization menu mode.
Exiting Personalization Menu
The personalization menu will be exited when any of the
following conditions occur:
A ten second time period has elapsed.
The ignition is turned off.
The end of the personalization menu list is reached.
Audio System(s)
Driving without distraction is a necessity for a safer
driving experience. SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
By taking a few moments to read this manual and
get familiar with your vehicle’s audio system, you can
use it with less effort, as well as take advantage of
its features. While your vehicle is parked, set up your
audio system by presetting your favorite radio stations,
setting the tone and adjusting the speakers. Then,
when driving conditions permit, you can tune to your
favorite stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls (if equipped).
You also need to educate yourself about the importance
of avoiding distractions while you are driving.
While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite stations, setting the tone and adjusting the
speakers. Then, when driving conditions permit,
you can tune to your favorite stations using
the presets and steering wheel controls
(if equipped).
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This radio system is intended to:
Keep drivers’ eyes on the road and hands on the
wheel.
Minimize the number of steps required to perform
a task.
Create a common interface in how drivers interact
with the system.
Lock-out the use of systems that create
unnecessary and excessive attention demands on
the driver.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
dealer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone units. If sound equipment can
be added, it is very important to do it properly.
Added sound equipment may interfere with
the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation
of sound equipment that has been added.Notice:The chime signals related to seat belts,
parking brake, and other functions of your vehicle
operate through the GM radio/entertainment system.
If that equipment is replaced or additional
equipment is added to your vehicle, the chimes may
not work. Make sure that replacement or additional
equipment is compatible with your vehicle before
installing it. SeeAccessories and Modifications on
page 5-3.
Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, nd
out what your audio system can do, and how to operate
all of its controls.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-19for more
information.
Your vehicle may have a navigation radio system.
The navigation system has built-in features intended to
minimize driver distraction. However, GM recognizes
the need to help educate drivers themselves about the
importance of minimizing their own distraction while
they are driving. Technology alone, no matter how
advanced, can never replace the driver’s own judgment.
Some tips to help you reduce distractions while
driving are contained in the Navigation System Manual.
For information on how to use this system, see the
“Navigation System” manual.
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