gas type PONTIAC TORRENT 2006 Owners Manual

Your vehicle may or may not have side impact airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-53. Side impact airbags
are intended to inate in moderate to severe side
crashes. A side impact airbag will inate if the crash
severity is above the system’s designed “threshold level.”
The threshold level can vary with specic vehicle design.
Side impact airbags are not intended to inate in frontal
or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag
should have inated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, ination is determined by what the
vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the
vehicle slows down. For side impact airbags, ination is
determined by the location and severity of the impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
inator, which inates the airbag. The inator, airbag,
and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules
inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel
in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles
with side impact airbags, there are also airbag modules
in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for side impact airbags.
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California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards,
your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-32. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from
forming, allowing your emission control system to
work properly. In most cases, you should not have to
add anything to your fuel. However, some gasolines
contain only the minimum amount of additive required
to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel injectors and intake
valves clean, or if your vehicle experiences problems
due to dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline that
is advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Also, your GM dealer has additives that will help
correct and prevent most deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area. General Motors recommends that you use
these gasolines if they comply with the specications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol)
and other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol
must not be used in vehicles that were not designed
for those fuels.
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Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement bulbs, see
Replacement Bulbs on page 5-44.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside
and can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or others could be injured. Be sure to
read and follow the instructions on the bulb
package.
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps
To replace one of these bulbs, do the following:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on page 5-11
for more information.
2. Remove the three headlamp assembly attachment
screws.
3. Pull the headlamp assembly toward you to release
it from the hidden, lower headlamp mount. The
headlamp assembly will need to be carefully
disengaged from the vehicle.
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