PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2007 Owners Manual

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 237. Poor fuel
quality will cause your engine not to run as
efficiently as designed. You may notice this as
stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is
warmed up.) This will be detected by the system
and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the
light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light
turn off, your dealer can check the vehicle.
Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
check engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if
the OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control systems have not
been completely diagnosed by the system.
The vehicle would be considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if you have recently
replaced your battery or if your battery has
run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and
your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for
lack of OBD system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine
oil pressure problem,
this light will stay on after
you start your engine, or
come on when you are
driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving
enough oil.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have
some other oil problem. Have it xed immediately.
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.
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Security Light
This light ashes when
the vehicle security
system is activated.
Reduced Engine Power Light
(2.4L Engine Only)
This light will come on
briey when the ignition
is turned on.
If this light is on, a chime will sound and a
noticeable reduction in the vehicle’s
performance may occur.Let the vehicle idle for a few minutes, if the
reduced engine power light is still 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
dealer as soon as possible for service.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
when the high-beam
headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on
page 112.
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Trunk Ajar Light
This light will come on
and a chime will sound
if the trunk is ajar.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
(2.4L Engine Only)
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 an
authorized dealer for service as soon as possible.
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 332.
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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.
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 one second, then release
the buttons to enter the personalization menu.
SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 152for
more information.
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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 152.
TRIP A or TRIP B
Press the information button until TRIP A or
TRIP B is displayed. These modes show the
current distance traveled since the last reset for
each trip odometer in either miles (mi) or
kilometers (km). Both odometers can be used at
the same time.
Each trip odometer can be reset to zero separately
by pressing and holding the reset button for a
few seconds while the desired trip odometer
is displayed.
FUEL RANGE
Press the information button until FUEL RANGE is
displayed. This mode shows the remaining
distance you can drive without refueling in either
miles (mi) or kilometers (km). It is based on
fuel economy and the fuel remaining in the tank.
When the fuel level is low, FUEL RANGE LOW
will display.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel
range is an average of recent driving conditions.
As your driving conditions change, this data is
gradually updated. The FUEL RANGE mode
cannot be reset.
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ECON (Economy)
Press the information button until ECON is
displayed. This mode shows how many miles per
gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km)
your vehicle is getting based on current and
past driving conditions.
Press and hold the reset button while ECON is
displayed to reset the average fuel economy.
Average fuel economy will then be calculated
starting from that point. If the average fuel economy
is not reset, it will be continually updated each time
you drive.
AV (Average) SPEED
Press the information button until AV SPEED is
displayed. This mode shows the vehicle’s average
speed in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per
hour (km/h).
Press and hold the reset button while AV SPEED
is displayed to reset the average vehicle speed.
OIL LIFE
Press the information button until OIL LIFE is
displayed. The engine oil life system shows
an estimate of the oil’s remaining useful life. It will
show 100% when the system is reset after an
oil change. It will alert you to change your oil on a
schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring
the oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in
this manual. SeeEngine Oil on page 247and
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 336.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System” underEngine Oil Life System on
page 252.
COOLANT
Press the information button until COOLANT is
displayed. This mode shows the temperature
of the engine coolant in either degrees
Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).
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BOOST (Turbo Only)
If your vehicle has this feature, press the
information button until BOOST is displayed. This
mode shows a graphic that indicates the amount
of boost the engine is receiving in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages appear if there is a problem
detected in one of your vehicle’s systems.
A message will clear when the vehicle’s condition
is no longer present. To acknowledge a message
and clear it from the display, press and hold
any of the DIC buttons. If the condition is still
present, the warning message will come back on
the next time the vehicle is turned off and back
on. With most messages, a warning chime sounds
when the message displays. Your vehicle may
have other warning messages.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS OFF
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is disabled with the headlamp switch.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is enabled with the headlamp switch.
BRAKE FLUID
This message displays to inform the driver that the
brake uid level is low while the ignition is on.
The brake system warning light on the instrument
panel cluster also comes on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 134for more information.
Have the brake system serviced by your dealer
as soon as possible.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays 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. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 252andPart A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page 336for more information.
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CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel cap has not been
fully tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to make sure
that it is on properly. A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the message off.
COMPETITIVE MODE
If your vehicle has this feature, this message
displays when the Competitive Driving mode is
selected. The Traction Control System (TCS) will
not be operating while in the Competitive Driving
mode and the ESC/TCS light on the instrument
panel cluster will be on solid. Adjust your driving
accordingly. SeeElectronic Stability Control on
page 200andElectronic Stability Control (ESC)/
Traction Control System (TCS) Indicator/Warning
Light (2.0L Engine Only) on page 136for more
information.
CRUISE ENGAGED
This message displays when the cruise control
system is active. SeeCruise Control on page 115
for more information.
DOOR AJAR
This message displays if one or more of the
vehicle’s doors are not closed properly. When this
message displays, make sure that the door(s)
are closed completely.
ENGINE DISABLED
This message displays if the starting of the engine
is disabled. Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer immediately.
ESC (Electronic Stability Control) ACTIVE
If your vehicle has Electronic Stability
Control (ESC), this message displays and the
ESC/TCS light on the instrument panel cluster
ashes when ESC is assisting you with directional
control of the vehicle. You may feel or hear the
system working and see this message displayed
in the DIC.
149

Slippery road conditions may exist when this
message is displayed, so adjust your driving
accordingly. This message may stay on for a few
seconds after ESC stops assisting you with
directional control of the vehicle. This is normal
when the system is operating. SeeElectronic
Stability Control on page 200andElectronic
Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/Warning Light (2.0L Engine
Only) on page 136for more information.
ESC (Electronic Stability Control) OFF
If your vehicle has Electronic Stability
Control (ESC), this message displays and the
ESC/TCS light on the instrument panel cluster
comes on solid when ESC is turned off. Adjust
your driving accordingly. SeeElectronic Stability
Control on page 200andElectronic Stability
Control (ESC)/Traction Control System (TCS)
Indicator/Warning Light (2.0L Engine Only) on
page 136for more information.
KEY FOB BATT (Battery) LOW
This message displays if the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter battery is low. Replace the
battery in the transmitter. See “Battery
Replacement” underRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 62.
LOW TRACTION
If your vehicle has the Traction Control System
(TCS), this message displays and the ESC/TCS
light on the instrument panel cluster ashes
when the system is actively limiting wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this message
is displayed, so adjust your driving accordingly.
This message stays on for a few seconds after the
system stops limiting wheel spin. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 198and
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/Warning Light (2.0L
Engine Only) on page 136for more information.
PARKING BRAKE
This message displays if the parking brake is left
engaged. SeeParking Brake on page 86for
more information.
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