2005 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE engine

Check Oil Level Light
If your vehicle has the
systems monitor, the
CHECK OIL LEVEL light
comes on for ve seconds
as a bulb check each
time the ignition key
is turned to ON.
If the engine oil is more than 1.0 quart (0.9 L) low and
the engine has been shut off for at least eight minutes,
the CHECK OIL LEVEL light will come on and a
chime will sound the next time you start your vehicle.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light comes on, the engine oil
level should be checked at the dipstick then brought
up to the proper level, if necessary. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-16.
On vehicles with a DIC, the OIL LEVEL LOW message
will come on. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-62for more information.
Security Light
This light on the instrument panel cluster reminds you to
activate the theft-deterrent system when leaving your
vehicle.
SeeUniversal Theft-Deterrent on page 2-19for more
information.
United States and V6 in
CanadaCanada (V8 Only)
3-53

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

MODE:This button allows you to toggle through the
DIC modes (Vehicle Data, Personalization Programming,
Compass Calibration).
SELECT:This button allows you to select a DIC mode.
RESET:This button, when used along with other
buttons, will allow you to reset system functions.
Vehicle Data
Average Fuel Economy:Press the SELECT button
until the display shows AVG FUEL ECONOMY. Average
fuel economy is viewed as a long term approximation
of your overall driving conditions. To learn the average
fuel economy from a new starting point, press the
RESET button for ve seconds while the average fuel
economy is displayed on the DIC.
Instantaneous Fuel Economy:Press the SELECT
button until the display shows INST FUEL ECONOMY.
Instantaneous fuel economy varies with your driving
conditions, such as acceleration, braking and the grade
of the road being traveled. The RESET button does
not function in this mode.
Fuel Range:Press the SELECT button until the display
shows FUEL RANGE. The fuel range will calculate
the remaining distance you can drive without refueling.
This calculation is based on the average fuel economy
for the last 25 miles (40.25 km) driven and the fuelremaining in the fuel tank. If the fuel range drops below
40 miles (64.4 km), the display will show FUEL
RANGE LOW. The RESET button does not function in
this mode.
Fuel Used:Press the SELECT button until the display
shows FUEL USED. The value indicates how much
fuel has been used since the last reset. Do not confuse
fuel used with the amount of fuel in your tank. To
learn how much fuel will be used from a specic starting
point, press the RESET button for ve seconds while
the fuel used is displayed on the DIC.
Engine Oil Life System:Press the SELECT button
until OIL LIFE appears in the display. The OIL LIFE
NORMAL display will show an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. When the oil life index is less than
10%, an ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON message will
be displayed and the oil life display will show OIL LIFE
CHANGE. When the ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON
message is displayed, it means that service is required
for your vehicle. See your GM dealer.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeePart A:
Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4and
Engine Oil on page 5-16for more information.
3-61

When you have the oil changed according to the
maintenance schedule, you will have to reset the engine
oil life system. To reset the engine oil life system, see
“How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System” underEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-20.
Tire Pressure Status:Press the SELECT button until
TIRE PRESSURE appears in the display. TIRE
PRESSURE NORMAL is displayed when the Check
Tire Pressure System believes your vehicle’s tire
pressures are normal. If a potential problem is detected,
the display will show CHECK TIRE PRESSURE and
the tire pressure status will show TIRE PRESSURE
LOW. If you see the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
message, you should stop as soon as you can and
check all your tires for damage. If a tire is at, seeIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 5-92. Also check the tire
pressure in all four tires as soon as you can. See
Ination - Tire Pressure on page 5-80andCheck Tire
Pressure System on page 5-83.DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display. For Canadian drivers, in addition to the
DIC message your DIC will display EXP with a number
after it which reects the following messages:
EXP
(Export ID) Warning Message
6 TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE ENGINE**
9 CHECK GAGES VOLT
11 CHECK GAGES LOW FUEL
15 LOW ENGINE COOLANT**
16 ENGINE HOT A/C DISABLED
20 TURN SIGNAL ON?
24 TRUNK AJAR
25 WASHER FLUID LOW
27 BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
32 ENGINE HOT IDLE ENGINE**
33 STARTING DISABLED — THEFT*
34 SERVICE THEFT SYSTEM
35 CHECK GAGES OIL PRESSURE*
36 OIL LEVEL LOW
37 BRAKE FLUID LOW*
40 ALARM OCCURRED
44 CHECK GAGES TEMPERATURE*
3-62

EXP
(Export ID) Warning Message
54 SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM
55 STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE
61 CHECK GAS CAP
81 ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON
83 SERVICE AIR BAG
102 CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM
111 ENGINE HOT STOP ENGINE**
140 DRIVER DOOR AJAR
141 FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
142 LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
143 RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
144 CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
147 PARK BRAKE SET*
The EXP codes are used to make translation from
English to other languages easier.
Pressing any of the DIC control buttons will remove
the above messages or warnings from the DIC
display, unless noted by an asterisk (*).
Messages followed by a double asterisk (**) only
apply to vehicles with the 4.6L V8 engine.SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM – 54:If you ever see
the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM message, it
means there may be a problem with your stability
enhancement system. If you see this message, try to
reset the system: stop, turn off the engine, then start the
engine again. If the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM
message still comes on, it means there is a problem.
You should see your GM dealer for service. Reduce
your speed and drive accordingly.
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE – 55:You may see the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you
are steering. This stability enhancement system
activates when the computer senses that your vehicle is
just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of
ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the system
is on, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want
to go. The system is designed to help you in bad
weather or other difficult driving situations by making the
most of whatever road conditions will permit. If the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message comes on, you
will know that something has caused your vehicle to
start to spin, so you should consider slowing down.
3-63

The rear defog system can affect accuracy, and the
compass corrects for the rear defog. However, if the rear
defog is turned on while making sharp turns, the
accuracy may be off. When you turn the rear defog off
again, the accuracy returns to normal.
Be aware that metal objects are sometimes buried in
the ground. They can affect accuracy and you may not
know they are there. As an example, many concrete
roads have metal reinforcements inside.
Also, if you drive with the trunk open, this could affect
accuracy and could decalibrate the compass.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, like a tape 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 improperly.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 2-24for more
information.
Setting the Time
Press and hold HR or MIN for two seconds. Then press
and hold HR until the correct hour appears on the
display. AM will appear for morning hours. Press and
hold MIN until the correct minute appears on the display.
The time can be set with the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and
hold HR and MIN at the same time until UPDATED and
the clock symbol appear on the display. If the time is
not available from the station, NO UPDATE will appear
on the display.
RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to an
RDS broadcast station, it may take a few minutes for
the time to update.
3-72

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-13
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
City Driving..................................................4-19Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-29
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-29
Towing..........................................................4-34
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-34
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-35
Towing a Trailer (V8 Engine)..........................4-36
Towing a Trailer (V6 Engine)..........................4-36
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1