2007 PONTIAC G6 brake light

ICE POSSIBLE:This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold enough to create
icy road conditions. Adjust your driving accordingly.
KEY FOB BATT (Battery) LOW:This message
displays if the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter battery is low. Replace the battery in
the transmitter. See “Battery Replacement”
underRemote Keyless Entry System Operation on
page 101.
LOW FUEL:This message displays along with a
low fuel warning light on the instrument panel
cluster when your vehicle is low on fuel. Rell the
fuel tank as soon as possible. SeeLow Fuel
Warning Light on page 208,Fuel on page 310,
andFilling the Tank on page 313.
LOW OIL LEVEL:This message may display on
some vehicles. For correct operation of the low oil
sensing system, your vehicle should be on a level
surface. A false LOW OIL LEVEL message may
appear if the vehicle is parked on a grade. The oil
level sensing system does not check for actual oil
level if the engine has been off for a short period of
time. The oil level is never checked while the
engine is running. If the LOW OIL LEVEL message
appears, and your vehicle has been parked on levelground with the engine off for at least 30 minutes,
the oil level should be checked by looking at the oil
dipstick. Prior to checking the oil level, be sure the
engine has been off for a few minutes and your
vehicle is on a level surface. Then check the
dipstick and add oil if necessary. SeeEngine Oil on
page 325.
LOW WASHER FLUID:This message displays
when your vehicle is low on windshield washer
uid. Rell the windshield washer uid reservoir as
soon as possible. See “Adding Washer Fluid”
underWindshield Washer Fluid on page 350.
PARKING BRAKE:This message displays if the
parking brake is left engaged and you try to
drive away. SeeParking Brake on page 135for
more information.
POWER STEERING:This message displays if a
problem has been detected with the electric
power steering, if your vehicle has this feature.
Have your vehicle serviced immediately by
your dealer.
SERVICE AIR BAG:This message displays if
there is a problem with the airbag system.
Have your vehicle serviced immediately by your
dealer.
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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. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 262,Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 263and
StabiliTrak
®System on page 265.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 308.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 199.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
258

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 308.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will
come on briey when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is
going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
259

Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal
or always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal. See
Braking in Emergencies on page 261.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a
situation that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS, your
rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down — may be the wrong thing to do.Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the
vehicle cannot respond to your steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That
could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you
hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake
pedal. This will help you retain steering control. If
you do have ABS, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) on page 259.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
261

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System
(TCS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The system
operates only if it senses that one or both of the
front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system reduces
engine power and may also upshift the transaxle
to limit wheel spin. Also, the traction control system
activates the appropriate corner brakes to gain
even quicker control to limit wheel spin.
This light, located on the
instrument panel, will
come on when your
Traction Control System
is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise control will automatically disengage.When road conditions allow you to safely use it
again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 171.
The Traction Control System operates in all
transaxle shift lever positions except park or
neutral. But the system can upshift the transaxle
only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 129.
This light is located on
the instrument panel
cluster.
When the system is on, this light will come on to let
you know if there’s a problem, or if the system has
been turned off.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
262

StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle
stability enhancement system called StabiliTrak®.
It is an advanced computer controlled system
that assists you with directional control of
the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®activates when the computer senses
a discrepancy between your intended path
and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak
®selectively applies braking pressure
at any one of the vehicle’s brakes to help steer the
vehicle in the direction which you are steering.
This symbol will appear
when the StabiliTrak
®
system is activated.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to
drive away, the system performs several diagnostic
checks to insure there are no problems. You
may hear or feel the system working. This
is normal and does not mean there is a problem
with your vehicle.This light is located on
the instrument panel
cluster.
When the system is on, this light will come on to let
you know if there’s a problem, or if the system has
been turned off.
StabiliTrak
®comes on automatically whenever
you start your vehicle. To help assist you
with directional control of the vehicle, you should
always leave the system on. You can turn the
traction control system and StabiliTrak
®off if you
ever need to by pressing and holding the TC
(traction control) on/off button. press the TC button
again to turn StabiliTrak
®and the traction control
system back on. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 262for more information.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
StabiliTrak
®activates, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage
the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 171for more information.
265

{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal
lightly until your brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow
down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can
build up under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if
your tires do not have much tread or if the
pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a
lot of water is standing on the road. If you can
see reections from trees, telephone poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
275

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and go or be heard all the time
your vehicle is moving, except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied
or lightly applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to GM torque
specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake
trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without
the vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
354