2008 PONTIAC G5 steering

Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has the following four positions:
2(Headlamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the headlamps, parking lamps, and taillamps.
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the parking lamps and taillamps only.AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System):Turn the
switch to this position to automatically turn on the
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) during daytime, and the
headlamps, parking lamps, and taillamps at night.
This position must be selected in order for the Wiper
Activated Headlamps to be activated. SeeWiper
Activated Headlamps on page 3-14.
P(Off/On):When operating in AUTO, a momentary
turn of the switch to Off/On will turn the Automatic
Headlamp System off or back on. For vehicles rst sold
in Canada, the transmission must be in the PARK (P)
position, before the Automatic Headlamp System can be
turned off.
Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers are turned on. For this
feature to work, automatic lighting must be enabled.
SeeHeadlamps on page 3-14for additional information.
When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They will also turn
off 15 seconds after the windshield wiper control is
turned off.
3-14

Fog Lamps
If equipped, the fog lamp
button is located on the
instrument panel, to the left
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 cluster 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.
The fog lamps will turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The control for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the
left of the steering wheel.
Turn the knob clockwise to brighten the lights or
counterclockwise to dim them.
Dome Lamp
Your vehicle may have a dome lamp.
9(Off):Move the lever to this position to turn the
lamp off, even when a door is opened.
1(Door):Move the lever to this position to turn the
lamp on whenever a door is opened.
+(On):Move the lever to this position to turn the
dome lamp on.
3-16

Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
The DIC display gives you the status of many of your
vehicle’s systems. The DIC is also used to display driver
personalization menu modes and warning/status
messages. All messages will appear in the DIC display,
located at the bottom of the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC buttons are
located on the left side of
the steering wheel.
INFO (Information):Press this button to scroll through
the vehicle information mode displays.
r(Reset):Press this button to reset some vehicle
information mode displays, select a personalization
menu mode setting, or acknowledge a warning
message.Press and hold the information and reset buttons at the
same time for one second, then release the buttons
to enter the personalization menu. SeeDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-50for more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. The DIC
has different modes which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons. The button functions are detailed in
the following.
Information Modes
INFO (Information):Press this button to scroll through
the following vehicle information modes:
Outside Air Temperature and Odometer
Press the information button until the outside air
temperature and the odometer display. This mode shows
the temperature outside of the vehicle in either degrees
Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C) and the total
distance the vehicle has been driven in either miles (mi)
or kilometers (km). The outside air temperature appears
on the left side of the DIC display and the odometer
appears on the right side of the display.
To change the DIC display to English or metric units,
see “UNITS” underDIC Vehicle Personalization on
page 3-50.
3-42

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” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2-4.
LEARN COMPLETE
On vehicles without the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
system, this message displays when the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS) has completed the tire
learning process. SeeTire Pressure Monitor System on
page 5-56for more information.
LOW FUEL
This message displays when your vehicle is low on fuel.
Rell the fuel tank as soon as possible. SeeFuel
Gage on page 3-41,Fuel on page 5-5, andFilling the
Tank on page 5-8for more information.
LOW TRACTION
If your vehicle has the Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
or Traction Control System (TCS), this message
displays and the ETS light or the ESC/TCS light on the
instrument panel cluster ashes when the system is
actively limiting wheel spin. Slippery road conditions may
exist if this message is displayed, so adjust your
driving accordingly. This message stays on for a few
seconds after the system stops limiting wheel spin.
SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9or
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6and
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on page 3-34
orElectronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/Warning Light on page 3-35for
more information.
PARKING BRAKE
This message displays if the parking brake is left
engaged. SeeParking Brake on page 2-32for more
information.
POWER STEERING
This message displays if a problem has been detected
with the electric power steering. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer/retailer immediately.
3-47

While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering wheel
controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules covering
mobile radio and telephone units. If sound
equipment can be added, it is very important to do
it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere
with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation
of sound equipment that has been added.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-24for more
information.
Setting the Clock
Without Date Display
AM/FM Base Radio with a Single CD Player
This type of radio has aHbutton for setting the time.
You can set the time by following these steps:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN. Press the
Oknob, located in the
center of the radio, to turn the radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton until the hour begins ashing
on the display. Press the button a second time and
the minute begins ashing on the display.
3. While either the hour or the minute numbers are
ashing, turn the
fknob, located on the upper
right side of the radio, clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the time.
4. Press the
Hbutton again until the clock display
stops ashing to set the currently displayed time;
otherwise, the ashing stops after ve seconds and
the current time displayed is automatically set.
3-56

The radio only seeks and scans stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
4(Information) (Radio with CD (Base)):Press to
switch the display between the radio station frequency
and the time. While the ignition is off, press this button to
display the time.
4(Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service, MP3,
and RDS Features):Press to display additional
text information related to the current FM-RDS or XM™
station, or MP3 song. A choice of additional information
such as: Channel, Song, Artist, and CAT (category)
can display. Continue pressing to highlight the desired
label, or press the pushbutton positioned under any
one of the labels and the information about that
label displays.
While information is not available, No Info displays.
Setting Preset Stations
(Radio with CD (Base Only))
Up to 18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), can
be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons,
by performing the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.4. Press and hold one of the six numbered
pushbuttons for three seconds until a beep sounds.
When that pushbutton is pressed and released,
the station that was set, returns.
5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for each pushbutton.
Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to your
favorite stations using the presets, favorites button, and
steering wheel controls if the vehicle has this feature.
SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the six pushbuttons
positioned below the radio station frequency labels and
by using the radio favorites page button (FAV button).
Press the FAV button to go through up to six pages
of favorites, each having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped)
stations. To store a station as a favorite, perform the
following steps:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where
you want the station stored.
3-61

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Radio controls are located
on the inboard side of the
steering wheel. If your
vehicle has this feature,
some audio controls
can be adjusted at this
location. They include the
following:
wx(Previous/Next):Press the arrows to go to
the previous or to the next stored radio station and
stay there. Press and hold the arrows longer than
three-quarters of a second to advance to the previous
or to the next station with a strong signal in the
selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the arrows to go to the
previous or to the next track. Press and hold the arrows
longer than three-quarters of a second to continue
reversing back or advancing ahead, to other tracks
within the disc.
e+e−(Volume):Press the plus or minus button to
increase or to decrease the radio volume.
g(Mute/Voice Activation):Press this button to
silence the system. Press this button again to turn the
sound on. If your vehicle has OnStar
®, press and
hold this button for two seconds to activate voice on the
OnStar
®system. See theOnStar®System on
page 2-40in this manual for more information.
Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static can occur during
normal radio reception if items such as cell phone
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 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.
3-76

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-5
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-6
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).....................4-9
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)....................4-10
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-17Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-18
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-18
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-19
Winter Driving..............................................4-20
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow.....................................4-24
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-24
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-25
Towing..........................................................4-30
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-30
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-30
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transmission)...........4-32
Towing a Trailer (Automatic Transmission)........4-32
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1