page 5 16 PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2006 Workshop Manual

UNLK (Unlock) (Automatic
Transmission Only)
This screen displays only if your vehicle has an
automatic transmission and DRIVER or ALL is selected
for the AUTO UNLK feature. This feature determines
when the automatic door unlocking will occur. When
UNLK appears on the display, press the reset button to
scroll through the available settings:
KEY OFF:The door(s) will unlock when the key is
turned off.
SHIFT TO P (Park) (default):The door(s) will unlock
when the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P).
SeeAutomatic Door Unlock on page 2-9for more
information.
Choose one of the available settings and press the
information button to select it and move on to the next
feature.
EXT (Exterior) LIGHTS
If your vehicle has remote keyless entry, this feature,
which allows the vehicle’s exterior perimeter lighting to
turn on each time the unlock button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed, can be enabled or
disabled. When EXT LIGHTS appears on the display,
press the reset button to scroll through the available
settings:
OFF:The exterior perimeter lighting will not turn on
when the unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter is pressed.
ON (default):The exterior perimeter lighting will turn on
when the unlock button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter is pressed.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry System Operation on
page 2-4for more information.
Choose one of the available settings and press the
information button to select it and move on to the next
feature.
3-44

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).
3-45

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.
3-46

Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to your
favorite stations using the presets, favorites button, and
steering wheel controls (if equipped). SeeDefensive
Driving on page 4-2.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the six pushbuttons
positioned below the radio station frequency labels and
by using the radio favorites page button (FAV button).
Press the FAV button to go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite stations available per
page. Each page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped) stations.
To store a station as a favorite, perform the following
steps:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where
you want the station stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six pushbuttons until you
hear a beep. Whenever that pushbutton is pressed
and released, the station that was set will return.
4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton radio station
you want stored as a favorite.The number of favorites pages can be setup using the
MENU button. To setup the number of favorites
pages, perform the following steps:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the pushbutton located below the
FAV 1-6 label.
3. Select the desired number of favorites pages by
pressing the pushbutton located below the
displayed page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to
return to the original main radio screen showing the
radio station frequency labels and to begin the
process of programming your favorites for the
chosen amount of numbered pages.
3-55

Order of Play
Tracks recorded to the CD-R will be played in the
following order:
Play will begin from the rst track in the rst playlist
and will continue sequentially through all tracks in
each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist
has been played, play will continue from the rst
track of the rst playlist.
Play will begin from the rst track in the rst folder
and will continue sequentially through all tracks in
each folder. When the last track of the last
folder has been played, play will continue from the
rst track of the rst folder.
When play enters a new folder, the display will not
automatically show the new folder name unless
you have chosen the folder mode as the default display.
The new track name will appear on the display.
File System and Naming
The song name that will be displayed will be the song
name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is
not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio will display the
le name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the
track name.Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages
will be shortened. The display will not show parts
of words on the last page of text and the extension of
the lename will not be displayed.
Preprogrammed Playlists
You can access preprogrammed playlists that were
created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real
Jukebox™ software, however, you will not have playlist
editing capability using the radio. These playlists will
be treated as special folders containing compressed
audio song les.
Playing an MP3
Insert a CD-R partway into the slot (Single CD Player),
or press the load button and wait for the message to
insert disc (Six-Disc CD Player), label side up. The
player will pull it in, and the CD-R should begin playing.
If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD-R in the
player it will stay in the player. When you turn on
the ignition or radio, the CD-R will start to play where it
stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
As each new track starts to play, the track number and
song title will appear on the display.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single
CD-Rs with an adapter ring. Full-size CD-Rs and the
smaller CD-Rs are loaded in the same manner.
3-64

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

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts into
the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-5

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-27.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-6

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will
carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the
wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into
the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze”
braking technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this by
pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you do have
anti-lock brakes, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 4-7.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your vehicle may have this feature. A limited-slip rear
axle can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice,
sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of
the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no
traction and the other does, this feature will allow the
wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
4-9

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — have to do their work
where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems — steering and acceleration — can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust
your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable
conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications on
page 5-3.
4-10