2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE mirror

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also,
you will not have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do
not get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
running start that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone is not
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and
check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can
ease a little to the right.
4-13

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do
not have ABS, then in a braking skid, where the
wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down
steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
4-14

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the 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
vehicle’s 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 the 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 lm caused by dust. Dirty glass
makes lights dazzle and ash more than clean
glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract
repeatedly.
Remember that the 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 the 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.
4-15

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
4-20

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.
4-22

Underhood Fuse Block
The underhood fuse block is located in the engine
compartment on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Lift the cover for access to the fuse block.
To remove fuses, use the fuse puller, or hold the end of
the fuse between your thumb and index nger and
pull straight out.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
more information on location.
Fuses Usage
1 Empty
2 Rear Window Defogger
Fuses Usage
3 Empty
4 Body Control Module 3
5 Crank
6 Body Control Module 2
7 Body Control Module
8 Cooling Fan 2
9 Empty
10 Trunk
11 Trunk
12 Empty
13 Fuel Pump
14 Rear Defogger Relay
15 Air Conditioning Clutch
16 Empty
17 Empty
18 Trunk Release
19 Fuel Pump
20 Empty
21 Mirrors
22 Air Conditioning
23 Empty
24 Cooling Fan 2 Relay
25 Fuse Puller
26 Powertrain Relay
5-80

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly...................1-10
Hydraulic Clutch.............................................5-19
I
Ignition Positions.............................................2-17
Infants and Young Children, Restraints...............1-20
Ination -- Tire Pressure..................................5-50
Inator Kit, Tire...............................................5-60
Inspection
Brake System.............................................6-20
Engine Cooling System................................6-20
Exhaust System..........................................6-19
Fuel System...............................................6-19
Part C - Periodic Maintenance.......................6-19
Steering and Suspension..............................6-19
Throttle System...........................................6-20
Instrument Panel
Overview..................................................... 3-4
Instrument Panel (I/P)
Brightness..................................................3-15
Cluster.......................................................3-21
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-35
K
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-3
Keys............................................................... 2-2
L
Labelling, Tire Sidewall....................................5-46
Lamps
Battery Run-Down Protection.........................3-15
Fog ...........................................................3-14
Mirror Reading............................................3-15
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-26
Latches, Seatback............................................ 1-4
Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-24
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-28
Brake System Warning.................................3-27
Charging System.........................................3-27
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-29
Highbeam On.............................................3-34
Low Coolant Warning...................................3-29
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-35
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-30
Oil Pressure...............................................3-32
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator..................3-25
6

Light (cont.)
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder....................3-23
Reduced Engine Power................................3-34
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-23
Security.....................................................3-33
Service Vehicle Soon...................................3-34
Lighting
Entry/Exit...................................................3-15
Limited-Slip Rear Axle....................................... 4-9
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-29
Locks
Automatic Door Lock..................................... 2-8
Automatic Door Unlock.................................. 2-9
Delayed Locking........................................... 2-8
Manual Door................................................ 2-7
Power Door.................................................. 2-7
Loss of Control...............................................4-14
Low Coolant Warning Light..............................3-29
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-35
M
Maintenance Schedule
At Each Fuel Fill.........................................6-13
At Least Once a Month................................6-14
At Least Once a Year..................................6-15
At Least Twice a Year..................................6-14
Brake System Inspection..............................6-20
Engine Cooling System Inspection.................6-20Maintenance Schedule (cont.)
Exhaust System Inspection...........................6-19
Fuel System Inspection................................6-19
How This Section is Organized....................... 6-2
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........6-23
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services......... 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services.............6-13
Part C - Periodic Maintenance Inspections......6-19
Part D - Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . 6-21
Part E - Maintenance Record........................6-24
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Steering and Suspension Inspection...............6-19
Throttle System Inspection............................6-20
Using.......................................................... 6-4
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-30
Manual Seats................................................... 1-2
Manual Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-19
Operation...................................................2-23
Manual Windows............................................2-12
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-38
Mirror Reading Lamps.....................................3-15
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror................................2-29
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®.............2-29
7