2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE parking brake

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Manual Door Locks.........................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-7
Delayed Locking.............................................2-8
Automatic Door Lock.......................................2-8
Automatic Door Unlock....................................2-9
Trunk............................................................2-9
Windows........................................................2-11
Manual Windows..........................................2-12
Power Windows............................................2-12
Sun Visors...................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-13
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-13
PASS-Key
®III+............................................2-14
PASS-Key®III+ Operation..............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-16
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-16
Ignition Positions..........................................2-17
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-19
Starting the Engine.......................................2-19Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-20
Manual Transmission Operation......................2-23
Parking Brake..............................................2-24
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)............................2-25
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)............................2-26
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)................................2-27
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-27
Engine Exhaust............................................2-28
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-28
Mirrors...........................................................2-29
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-29
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®................2-29
Outside Manual Mirror...................................2-30
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-30
OnStar
®System.............................................2-30
Storage Areas................................................2-33
Glove Box...................................................2-33
Cupholder(s)................................................2-33
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-33
Convertible Top..............................................2-33
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Remote Trunk Release
To open the trunk from inside the vehicle, press the
remote trunk release button located in the glovebox.
The remote trunk release will only work when either the
ignition is off or in ACC, the parking brake is engaged
or the vehicle speed is less than 2 mph (3 km/h).
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle. The
emergency trunk release handle is only intended to
aid a person trapped in a latched trunk, enabling
them to open the trunk from the inside.
There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located inside the trunk on the driver’s side.
This handle will glow following exposure to light. Pull
the release handle and push the trunk lid open from the
inside to open the trunk.
2-10

Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) feature which will allow the radio and
power windows to continue to work up to 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off.
Your vehicle’s radio will work when the ignition key is in
RUN or ACC. Once the key is turned off, the radio, power
windows will continue to work for up to 10 minutes or until
any door is opened.
Starting the Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). Your
engine will not start in any other position — that is a
safety feature. To restart when you are already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in NEUTRAL and the parking
brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the oor and
start the engine. Your vehicle will not start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down — that is a safety feature.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition to START. When the engine starts, let go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
Notice:Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor. Wait about 15 seconds
between each try to help avoid draining your battery
or damaging your starter.
2. If it does not start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again to start the engine by turning the ignition to
START. Wait about 15 seconds between each try.
When your engine has run about 10 seconds to
warm up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Do not
run your engine at high speed when it is cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32°F or 0°C),
let the engine run for a few minutes to warm up.
2-19

3. If your engine still will not start, or starts but then
stops, it could be ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
oor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briey but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for ve or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.
Automatic Transmission Operation
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission,
the shift lever is located on the center console between
the front seats.There are several different
positions for the shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine because
your vehicle cannot move easily.{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow.
2-20

Manual Transmission Operation
This is your shift pattern.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 20 mph (32 km/h). If you have come to a complete
stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let up
on the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5):Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press the clutch pedal.
After the vehicle stops, shift into REVERSE (R). Slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator
pedal. If it is hard to shift, let the shift lever return to
NEUTRAL and release the clutch pedal. Then press the
clutch again and shift into REVERSE (R). Do not attempt
to shift into the fth gear position prior to shifting into
REVERSE (R). Your transmission has a lock out feature
which prevent a fth gear to reverse gear shift.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
2-23

Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the
front seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
and pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-27.To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
If you forget to release your parking brake, a chime will
sound and a warning light will ash when the parking
brake is applied and the vehicle is moving faster than
5 mph (8 kph). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-38.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
2-24

Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking
brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding the
button on the shift lever and pushing the lever all
the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running,
be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your parking
brake is rmly set before you leave it. After you have
moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without rst pushing the
button. If you can, it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into PARK (P).
2-25

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may nd it difficult to pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s seat.
To nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P) (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-25.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock
release system. The shift lock release is designed to:
Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift
lever is in PARK (P) with the shift lever button fully
released, and
prevent movement of the shift lever out of PARK (P)
unless the ignition is in a position other than LOCK.
The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of a discharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt)
battery.
If your vehicle has a discharged battery or a battery with
low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-35for more information.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from PARK (P),
consult your dealer or a professional towing service.
2-26