2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE ESP

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are supplemental
systems only; so they workwithsafety belts — not
instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for
sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if
you’re in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to
buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not
only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and
other collisions.
Q:If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident — even one that isn’t your fault — you
and your passenger can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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Doors and Locks
Manual Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked,
the handle will not open it. You increase
the chance of being thrown out of the
vehicle in a crash if the doors are not
locked. So, wear safety belts properly
and lock the doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors
can help prevent this from happening.There are a couple of ways to lock and unlock your
vehicle manually.
From inside the vehicle,
use the manual door lock
knob. Pull up on the knob
to unlock the door. Push
down on the knob to lock
the door.
To lock either door from the outside, turn the key toward
the rear of the vehicle. To unlock the door, turn the key
toward the front of the vehicle.
Power Door Locks
If your vehicle has a remote keyless entry (RKE)
transmitter, you can use it to lock and unlock the doors
from inside or outside the vehicle. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry System Operation on page 2-4for more
information.
2-7

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat and
suffer permanent injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Never leave a child, a helpless
adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or hot weather.
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Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may have a
content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
Arming the System
With the ignition off, press the remote keyless entry
transmitter lock button, to arm the system.
The system will arm after either of these things occur:
Thirty seconds after all the doors are closed.
Sixty seconds with any door open.
If you press the lock button on the transmitter a second
time while all the doors are closed, the system will arm
immediately. The system will still arm in 60 seconds if a
door is open. When the open door is closed, it will also
become armed.
The security light, located on the instrument panel cluster,
will turn on to indicate that arming has been initiated.
Once the system is armed, the security light will ash
once every three seconds.
If the security light is ashing twice per second, this
means that a door is open.
If you do not want to arm the system, you may lock the
car with the manual lock knobs on the doors.
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OnStar®Personal Calling
As an OnStar®subscriber, the Personal Calling capability
allows you to make hands-free calls using a wireless
system that is integrated into the vehicle. Calls can be
placed nationwide using simple voice commands with no
additional contracts and no additional roaming charges.
To nd out more about OnStar
®Personal Calling, refer to
the OnStar®User’s Guide in the vehicle’s glove box, visit
www.onstar.com or www.onstar.ca, or speak to an
OnStar
®advisor by pressing the OnStar®button or
calling 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
OnStar®Virtual Advisor
Your vehicle may have Virtual Advisor. It is a feature of
OnStar®Personal Calling that uses minutes to access
weather, local traffic reports, and stock quotes. By
pressing the phone button and giving a few simple
voice commands, you can browse through the
various topics. Customize your information prole at
www.myonstar.com. See the OnStar
®User’s Guide
for more information.
OnStar®Steering Wheel Controls
Your vehicle may be
equipped with a Talk/Mute
button that can be used
to interact with OnStar
®.
See the Audio Steering
Wheel Control section for
your specic vehicle
operation.
When calling into voice mail systems, or to dial directory
numbers, press this button once, wait for the response,
say the number(s) to be dialed, wait for the number(s)
to be repeated and then say “dial”. See the OnStar
®
User’s Guide for more information.
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Headlamps on Reminder
If you open the driver’s door with the ignition off and the
lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.
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. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
Your vehicle has a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel. Make sure it is not covered or the headlamps
will come on when you do not need them.
The DRL system will make both front turn signal lamps
turn on when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp control is turned to AUTO.
The light sensor detects daytime light.
The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
While the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, and instrument panel lights will not be
illuminated.The DRL system will be off any time your vehicle is in
PARK (P). The DRL system on U.S. vehicles can
also be turned off by using the off/on switch for one
ignition cycle.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
The DRL system will turn off whenever the park brake is
engaged or if vehicle speed is less than 5 mph after
the vehicle is started.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle is equipped
with a fog lamp button, it is
located on the instrument
panel, to the right of
the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on to turn your fog lamps on.
Push the button to turn the fog lamps on. An indicator
light on the switch will come on when the fog lamps are
on. Push the button again to turn the fog lamps off.
The parking lamps will automatically turn on and
off when the fog lamps are turned on and off.
3-14

Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and static
during normal radio reception if items such as cellphone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and
external electronic devices are plugged into the
accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static,
unplug the item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations will boost the power
levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during
the night. Static can also occur when things like storms
and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will
reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada (if available). Just as with
FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite
radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In
addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage,
bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of
XM signal for a period of time. The radio may display
NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
3-70

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts into
the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-5