PONTIAC SOLSTICE 2008 Owners Manual

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Side Window Outlets. SeeClimate Control
System on page 3-17.
B. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-20.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. Cruise Control Buttons (If Equipped).
SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument
Panel Cluster on page 3-21.
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-69.
G. Instrument Panel Brightness Control.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-15.
H. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-25.
I. Hazard Warning Flashers Button.
SeeHazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
J. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped).
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-14.
K. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Button (If Equipped).
SeeElectronic Stability Control (ESC) on page 4-9
orTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6.L. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls.
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-37.
M. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
N. Windshield Wiper/Washer Controls. SeeWindshield
Wipers on page 3-9andWindshield Washer
on page 3-10.
O. Climate Controls. SeeClimate Control System
on page 3-17.
P. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). Accessory Power
Outlet (If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-16andAccessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 3-16.
Q. Shift Lever. SeeManual Transmission Operation
on page 2-24. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-22(If equipped with
automatic transmission).
R. Parking Brake Lever. SeeParking Brake
on page 2-25.
S. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-49.
T. Cupholder. SeeCupholder(s) on page 2-35.
U. Trunk Release. SeeTrunk on page 2-9.
V. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-35.
3-5

Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning ashers let you warn the police
and others that you have a problem. The front and rear
turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located
towards the center of
the instrument panel.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
While the hazard warning ashers are on, the turn
signals do not work.
The hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position the key is in, and even if the key is not in
the ignition switch.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set them up
at the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center pad on the
steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise the steering wheel to
the highest level to give your legs more room when
you enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
3-6

To tilt the wheel, pull down the lever. Then move the
wheel to a comfortable position, pull up the lever to
lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
GTurn and Lane-Change Signals. SeeTurn
and Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.
53Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
on page 3-8.
Flash-to-Pass. SeeFlash-to-Pass on page 3-8.
OExterior Lamp Control.
SeeHeadlamps on page 3-13.
3-7

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and
two downward (for left) positions. These positions
allow you to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is nished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow on the
instrument panel
cluster will ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, raise or lower the lever until
the arrow starts to ash. Hold it there until you complete
your lane change. The lever will return by itself when
you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
ash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers will not see your turn signal. If a bulb is burned
out, replace it to help avoid an accident.
If the arrows do not go on at all when you signal a turn,
check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 5-95.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high
beam, push the turn signal lever away from you.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
3-8

Windshield Wipers
Use this lever, located on the right side of the steering
wheel, to operate the windshield wipers.
9(Off):Move the lever to this position to turn off the
windshield wipers.
&(Intermittent; Speed Sensitive Wipers):Move
the lever to this position for intermittent or speed
sensitive operation. The amount of delay time varies
between wiping cycles due to the delay setting selected
or the speed of the vehicle.
x(Delay):While the lever is in the intermittent
position, turn the intermittent adjust band with this
symbol on it up or down to select a shorter or longer
delay between wiping cycles. To the left of the
adjust band are bars, increasing in size from bottom totop, that indicate the frequency of the wipes. Smaller
bars mean the wipers movement is less frequent.
Larger bars mean the movement is more frequent.
6(Low Speed):Move the lever up to the rst
setting past intermittent, for steady wiping at low speed.
1(High Speed):Move the lever up to the second
setting past intermittent, for wiping at a high speed.
8(Mist):Move the lever all the way down to this
position for a single wiping cycle. Hold it there until the
windshield wipers start; then let go. The windshield
wipers stop after one wiping cycle. If additional wiping
cycles are needed, hold the lever down longer.
Damaged wiper blades can prevent you from seeing
well enough to drive safely. Clear ice and snow from
the wiper blades before using them to prevent damage.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become damaged,
get new blades.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A circuit
breaker stops the motor until it cools. Clear away snow
or ice to prevent an overload. If the motor gets stuck,
turn the wipers off, clear away the snow or ice, and then
turn the wipers back on.
As an added safety feature, if the wipers are on for
more than 15 seconds, the vehicle’s headlamps turn
on automatically. They turn off 15 seconds after
the wipers are turned off.
3-9

Windshield Washer
To wash the windshield, press the button at the end of
the lever until the washers begin.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
When the button is released, the washers stop, but the
wipers continue to wipe about three times or resume
the previous speed.
Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, it can maintain a
speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you cannot drive safely at a steady speed.
So, do not use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause excessive wheel slip,
and you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
3-10

Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
The cruise control buttons
are located on the left side
of the steering wheel.
J(On/Off):Press this button to turn the cruise control
system on and off.RES+ (Resume):Press this button to resume a set
speed and to accelerate the speed.
SET−(Set):Press this button to set a speed and to
decrease the speed.
To set a speed do the following:
1. Press the on/off button to turn cruise control on.
The indicator light on the button will come on.
2. Get to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET−control button and release it.
The CRUISE ENGAGED message will appear
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) to show
the system is engaged.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
When you apply the brakes or depress the clutch,
the cruise control will shut off.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired
speed and then you apply the brake. This disengages
the cruise control. To return to your previously set
speed, you do not need to go through the set process
again. Once you are going about 25 mph (40 km/h)
or more, you can press the RES+ button briey.
This will take you back up to your previously chosen
speed and stay there.
3-11

Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to increase speed.
1. Disengage the cruise control by applying the brake
pedal but do not turn it off. Accelerate to a higher
speed and reset the cruise control.
2. If the cruise control system is already engaged,
press the RES+ button. Press it until you get up
to the speed you want, and then release the button.
To increase your speed in very small amounts,
press the RES+ button briey and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already engaged,
Push and hold the SET−part of the button until
you reach the lower speed desired, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push
the SET−part of the button briey. Each time
this is done, your vehicle will go about 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to
step on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle
speed. When going downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to keep the vehicle speed down.
Of course, applying the brake turns off the cruise control.
Many drivers nd this to be too much trouble and do
not use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
To end cruise control, step lightly on the brake pedal or the
clutch pedal if your vehicle has a manual transmission.
Stepping on the brake pedal or clutch pedal will only end
the current cruise control session. Press the cruise
control on/off button to turn the system completely off.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
the cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-12

Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has the following four positions:
2(Headlamps):This position turns on the
headlamps, parking lamps, and taillamps.
;(Parking Lamps):This position turns on the
parking lamps and taillamps only.
AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System):This position
automatically turns on the Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) during daytime, and the headlamps, parking
lamps, and taillamps at night.
P(Off/On):This position is an Off/On switch for the
Automatic Headlamp System. In Canada, this applies to
vehicles with an automatic transmission set to PARK (P)
and manual transmission vehicles with the parking brake
engaged.
When operating in AUTO, a brief turn of the switch to
off/on will turn off the Automatic Headlamp System.
An AUTO LIGHTS OFF message will display on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) and a chime will sound.
Turning the switch to off/on again will turn the Automatic
Headlamp System back on. An AUTO LIGHTS ON
message will display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
The Automatic Headlamp System is always turned on at
the beginning of an ignition cycle for vehicles with manual
transmission. When the parking brake is engaged, the
automatic headlamps will turn off.
For vehicles with an automatic transmission, when the
shift lever is shifted out of PARK (P), the Automatic
Headlamp System will turn on. Shifting the lever back to
PARK (P) will turn off the automatic headlamp system.
Headlamps on Reminder
If the driver’s door is opened with the ignition off and
the lamps on, a warning chime will sound. This lets
you know that the headlamps are still on.
3-13

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day. DRL
can be helpful in many different driving conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
Your vehicle has a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel that helps control the DRL. Make sure it is not
covered or the headlamps will come on when they are
not needed.
The DRL system makes both low beam headlamps turn
on at reduced intensity when the following conditions
are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp control is turned to AUTO.
The light sensor detects daytime light.
The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
While the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, and instrument panel lights will not be on.The DRL system turns off on U.S. vehicles by using
the on/off switch for one ignition cycle, if the vehicle
is in the PARK (P) position, or if the vehicle speed
is less than 5 mph (8 km/h) after the vehicle is started.
For vehicles rst sold in Canada the DRL system
will turn off when a automatic transmission vehicle is in
the PARK (P) position or the park brake is set on a
manual transmission vehicle and the vehicle speed
is less than 8 mph (13 km/h).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when it is needed.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has a fog
lamp button, it is located
on the instrument panel,
to the right of the
steering wheel.
The ignition must be on to turn your fog lamps on.
3-14