2005 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE warning light

On vehicles with a DIC, the door that is ajar will be
shown as an icon next to the vehicle outline and
a message will appear on the display. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-62for more
information.
Trunk Ajar Light
If your vehicle has the
systems monitor, this light
will come on and a
warning chime will sound
when the trunk is not
completely closed.
On vehicles with a DIC, the TRUNK AJAR message will
come on. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-62for more information.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
If your vehicle has this feature, this light will come on
briey as a bulb check when your ignition is turned
to ON.
This light will come on and a warning chime will sound if
you have certain non-emissions related vehicle
problems. These problems may not be so obvious and
may not affect vehicle performance or durability.
Consult a qualied dealership for necessary repairs to
maintain top vehicle performance.
United States and V6 in
CanadaCanada (V8 Only)
3-55

Fuel Gage (V6 Engine)
When the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have in your tank.
When the gage reads in the colored band, a warning
chime will sound and the CHECK GAGES warning light
will come on. You still have a little fuel left, but you
need to get more fuel right away.On vehicles with a DIC, the CHECK GAGES LOW
FUEL message will be displayed when the fuel gage
reads in the yellow band. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-62for more information.
Here are some things that 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.
United States
Canada
3-56

Fuel Gage (V8 Engine)
When the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have in your tank.
When the gage reads in the colored band, a warning
chime will sound and the CHECK GAGES warning light
will come on. You still have a little fuel left, but you
need to get more fuel right away.On vehicles with a DIC, the CHECK GAGES LOW
FUEL message will be displayed when the fuel gage
reads in the yellow band. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-62for more information.
Here are some things that 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.
United States
Canada
3-57

Systems Monitor
If you have the systems
monitor, it gives you
important safety and
maintenance facts about
your vehicle.
When you turn the ignition on, the systems monitor and
warning lights will briey light up. If a problem is
detected, the warning lights will turn on and a chime
will sound.The following warning lights are displayed in the
systems monitor:CHECK OIL LEVEL:This message could mean
your oil level is low. If it comes on for more than
ve seconds, seeCheck Oil Level Light on
page 3-53.
WASHER FLUID:This message means your
washer uid tank is less than about 30 percent full.
If this light comes on, seeLow Washer Fluid
Warning Light on page 3-54.
DOOR AJAR:This message means that either the
driver’s door or one of the passenger’s doors is not
completely closed. If this light comes on, see
Door Ajar Light on page 3-54.
TIRE PRESS:This message means one or more of
your tires may be low. SeeCheck Tire Pressure
System on page 5-83.
CHECK GAGES:This means one or more of your
gages may be in their respective warning bands. If
this light comes on, seeCheck Gages Warning
Light on page 3-54.
TRUNK AJAR:This message means your trunk is
not completely closed.
3-58

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.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light on page 3-42. United States
Canada
4-6

This light should come on briey when you start the
engine. If it stays on or comes on while you are driving,
there is a problem with your traction control system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light
on page 3-43. When this warning light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 4-29.To turn the system off,
press the TRACTION
CONTROL button located
on the instrument panel
under the comfort controls.
The traction control system warning light in the
instrument cluster will come on and stay on. If the
system is limiting wheel spin when you press the button,
the warning light will come on — but the system will
not turn off right away. It will wait until there is no longer
a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The traction control system
warning light should go off.
The switch indicator light should go back on. United States and V6 in
Canada
Canada (V8 Only)
4-9

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-74.
4-18

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and energy.
SeeFreeway Driving on page 4-20.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
4-19