2005 PONTIAC GTO lights

Exterior Lamps
The switch to the left of
the steering wheel on the
instrument panel controls
the following:
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the switch to this position
to turn on the parking lamps, together with the
taillamps, sidemarker lamps, license plate lamps, and
instrument panel lights.
2(Headlamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the headlamps, together with the parking lamps,
taillamps, sidemarker lamps, and license plate lamps.AUTO (Automatic Headlamps):Turn the switch to
AUTO to provide for automatic operation of the
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker lamps, and parking
lamps. For more information seeAutomatic Headlamp
System on page 3-14.
9(Off):Turn the switch to this position to turn all
lamps off.
Headlamps
When the headlamps are switched on, the instrument
panel is automatically illuminated. Once illuminated, you
can adjust their brightness. Some illuminated areas
of the vehicle have been linked to the brightness control,
such as the trip computer, headlamp switch, radio,
etc. This means that the interior lights can be adjusted
to your preference. When the headlamps are turned
off and back on again, the brightness level reverts to the
last adjusted setting.
Your vehicle is designed to provide additional security,
when returning to the vehicle at night. When the
UNLOCK or LOCK button on the key is used, the car’s
exterior lights will come on for a preset time or until
the car is relocked. This feature only works if the
headlamp control is in the AUTO or headlamp positions.
To set or adjust the time the headlamps stay on after
the UNLOCK button has been pressed, seeVehicle
Personalization on page 2-30.
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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.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:
•The ignition is on.
•The exterior lamp control is turned to AUTO and
the light sensor detects daytime light.
•The exterior lamp control is turned to the off
position.
•The parking brake is released.
•For vehicles with automatic transmissions, the shift
lever is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, parking lamps, and instrument panel lights will not
be illuminated unless you have turned the exterior lamps
control to the parking lamp or headlamp position.
The DRL system will remain off any time your vehicle is
in PARK (P) or the parking brake is engaged the first
time the ignition is turned on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, your Automatic
Headlamp System will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as
the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor on the
top of the instrument panel under the defroster
grill. Make sure it is not covered, which will cause the
system to be on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also be on when driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast weather, or a tunnel.
This is normal.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamps when you need them.
The headlamps can be set to come on at different
levels. The sensitivity can be adjusted to Early, Normal,
or Late. SeeVehicle Personalization on page 2-30.
Leaving the headlamps and parking lamps on when the
engine is not running will eventually drain the battery.
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To prevent the battery from draining, the headlamp and
parking lamps will turn off when the ignition has been
turned off and the driver’s door is opened, because the
vehicle senses that the driver has forgotten to turn
off the lights. The lights stay off until the ignition is again
turned on, or the lights are turned back on manually
by the headlamp switch. The headlamps can be set to
automatically turn off after you have locked the
vehicle and walked away. To set or adjust the time
delay from when the driver’s door is opened to when the
lights automatically turn off, seeVehicle Personalization
on page 2-30. If you wish to have the lights on when
leaving the vehicle, wait until they have been
automatically turned off, then turn the light control first
to off, then to parking lamps or headlamps.
Fog Lamps
The control to the left of the steering wheel on the
instrument panel also controls the fog lamps.
-(Fog Lamp):When using the fog lamps, the
ignition must be on and the parking lamps or the
low-beam headlamps. If the high-beam headlamps are
activated or flashed, the fog lamps will turn off.
Pull the exterior lamp adjuster control out to turn the fog
lamps on, and push the control in to turn the fog
lamps off. The indicator light in the knob will come on
when the fog lamps are working.
Instrument Panel Brightness
Slide the control to
increase or decrease
the instrument
panel brightness.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is open, the courtesy lamps will
automatically come on.
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Dome Lamp
The dome lamp has three positions.
ON:In this position, the dome lamp is always on.
DOOR:In this position, the light automatically comes
on when a door is opened. It will turn off 30 seconds
after the last door is closed. If the ignition is turned on,
the light turns off immediately unless a door is open.
OFF:In this position, the dome lamp is always off, even
when a door is opened.
The dome lamp can be set to remain on for a preset
amount of time after the ignition has been turned
off. SeeVehicle Personalization on page 2-30.
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting feature illuminates the interior of the
vehicle before you enter. The interior lamps will come on
for 40 seconds when you unlock the doors using the
remote key buttons. After 40 seconds have elapsed, the
interior lamps will turn off. The lamps will turn off
before 40 seconds have elapsed if you do either of
the following:
•Lock all doors using the remote key buttons.
•Lock the doors manually using the lock knob.Entry lighting is canceled when any door is opened, but
the interior lights will stay on until all doors are closed.
The interior lamps may stay on for up to 25 seconds after
all doors have been closed if they have not been locked.
Front Reading Lamps
Your vehicle has reading lamps located in the dome
lamp. The lamps can be turned on and off manually by
pressing the side of each reading lamp.
Trunk Lamp
The trunk lamp comes on when you open your trunk.
Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a battery run-down protection feature
designed to protect your vehicle’s battery.
It will activate when there has been no electrical change
for one hour, nothing has been turned on or off, after
the ignition has been turned to ON or LOCK.
Once activated, all the interior lamps will turn off
including dome, reading, glovebox, trunk.
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The system is turned on if a door is opened, the vehicle
is unlocked, or the trunk is opened. Once the system
is turned on, the one hour battery protection time resets
to zero and the interior lamps will continue to operate
for another hour, or until the vehicle is locked.
The interior lamp system will shut down 10 seconds
after your vehicle is locked using either the key or the
remote key locking system. However, if an interior lamp,
such as the dome lamp, has been turned on manually
and is on at the time the vehicle is locked, the system will
not shut down after the normal 10 seconds. The one hour
battery protection will be activated instead.
The vehicle’s hazard lights will continue to operate at
all times.
Accessory Control
If you want the accessories to operate once the key has
been removed from the ignition, you must turn the
system on by either manually starting an accessory,
such as turning the radio on again. This will activate a
one hour timer that will operate accessories such as
the radio, accessory power outlet, and windshield wipers
before turning off. These actions will reset the timer to
zero. Likewise, if an accessory such as the radio is
turned on at any time during the one hour period, the
timer is reset to zero and all accessories will continue to
operate for another hour. To enable accessory control
after the system has been reset, you must turn the
ignition on and then off again.
Accessory Power Outlets
The vehicle has an
accessory power outlet
which can be used to plug
in electrical equipment.
The accessory power outlet is located inside the center
console. The power outlet is operational when the
ignition is turned to ON, LOCK, or when Retained
Accessories Power is in operation. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-17.
Remove the tethered cap to use the outlet. When
not using the outlet, be sure to cover it with the
protective cap.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain the battery. Always turn
off electrical equipment when not in use and do
not plug in equipment that exceeds the maximum
amperage rating.
3-17

Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages
that may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly – and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle also has a trip computer that works along
with the warning lights and gages. The trip computer
display provides visual information. SeeTrip Computer
on page 3-33. The warning message are displayed
through the trip computer or as an illuminated symbol or
sometimes both ways.
If a Service Error Contact Dealer message appears on
the trip computer display while driving, a fault in the
instrument panel is indicated. Contact your dealer
as soon as possible. This message will remain until the
MODE button on the trip computer is pressed.
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Trip A/B
When the Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel
Remaining set of displays are turned on, using vehicle
personalization, and are showing on the display,
hold the MODE button down for two seconds. Now,
instead of the Time to Arrival set of displays, the
trip computer shows Trip B details.
Press the MODE button to view your displays. You now
have two different sets of trip displays counting, your
original set of trip displays — labelled A while B is
turned on — and a new set of trip displays, labelled B.
This is useful on a long trip, as Trip B can be reset
at the beginning of the journey and then locked away
by pressing the MODE button for two seconds when
Trip B is shown. Time to Arrival/Distance to Arrival/Fuel
Remaining will again be shown on the display, but
Trip B is still counting away in the background and the
original trip display can be used for short distances
during the journey. Trip B can be viewed at any time by
pressing the MODE button for two seconds when
Distance to Arrival is shown.
Trip A/B can also be enabled/disabled in vehicle
personalization. SeeVehicle Personalization on
page 2-30. If the Trip A and B function is selected,
the Average Speed and Average Fuel displays
indicate Trip A.
Trip Computer Notes:
•If the wrong buttons are accidentally pressed,
causing the display to show a display other
than normal, turn the ignition off and then on again
when the vehicle is stopped.
•Several warning lights are linked to the trip
computer displays. SeeWarning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators on page 3-22.
•When the overspeed warning symbol is first shown,
the overspeed trip computer display is automatically
shown for 10 seconds. This is to show what your
pre-selected speed is and allow you to adjust
it if desired. After 10 seconds, the trip computer
returns to its previous display.
•Some displays change the units of measurement
over time. For example, the Time to Arrival shows
hours only above 99 hours and 59 minutes, and
hours and minutes below. Time to Arrival also
shows 10 minute units above 2 hours, 5 minute
units below 2 hours and 1 minute units below
10 minutes.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
•Drive defensively.
•Do not drink and drive.
•Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
•Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
•Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
•In remote areas, watch for animals.
•If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your
eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
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