2008 PONTIAC G6 check engine

If, after several seconds, both status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer/retailer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
airbag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-30for more on this, including
important safety information.
Charging System Light
This light will come on
briey when you turn on
the ignition, but the engine
is not running, as a
check to show you it is
working.
It should go out once the engine is running. If it stays
on, or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the charging system. A charging system
Driver Information Center (DIC) message may also
appear. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-46
for more information. This light could indicate that you
have problems with a generator drive belt, or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. If
you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area, the light comes
on and you hear a chime, the engine is too hot! It means
that your engine coolant has overheated. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 5-33.
Tire Pressure Light
Your vehicle has a tire
pressure light.
This light comes on briey when the engine is started
and provides information about tire pressures and
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
When the Light is Solid
This indicates that one or more of your tires are
signicantly underinated.
A tire pressure message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), may accompany the light. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-46for more
information. Stop and check your tires as soon as it is
safe to do so. If underinated, inate to the proper
pressure. SeeTires on page 5-60for more information. United States
Canada
3-37

When the Light Flashes First and Then is
Solid
This indicates that there may be a problem with the Tire
Pressure Monitor System. The light will ash for
about a minute and then stay on solid for the remainder
of the ignition cycle. This sequence will repeat with
every ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure Monitor System
on page 5-70for more information.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
A computer system called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission control systems. It makes
sure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
The check engine light
comes on to indicate that
there is an OBD II
problem and service is
required.Malfunctions often are indicated by the system before
any problem is apparent. This can prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed
to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, the emission controls
might not work as well, your vehicle’s fuel economy
might not be as good, and the engine might not
run as smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs
that might not be covered by your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-4.
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This light comes on, as a check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned ON/RUN but the engine is not
running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired.
This light also comes on during a malfunction in
one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and could damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the ignition off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-9. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet. The
condition is usually corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-6. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You
might notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — these
conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.
This will be detected by the system and cause the light to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
might begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced the battery or if the
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This can take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your dealer/retailer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.This light will come on
briey when you start your
engine. If it does not,
have your vehicle serviced.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
is not owing through your engine properly. You
could be low on oil and you might have some other
system problem.
Security Light
For information regarding
this light and the vehicle’s
security system, see
Content Theft-Deterrent on
page 2-18.
3-41

OIL LIFE:Press the information button until OIL LIFE
displays. The engine oil life system shows an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. It shows 100% when
the system is reset after an oil change. It alerts you to
change the oil on a schedule consistent with your driving
conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4andEngine Oil on
page 5-21.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-24.
Tire Pressure:The pressure for each tire can be
viewed in the DIC. The tire pressure is shown in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
Press the information button until LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF
displays for the front tires. Press the information
button again until LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for
the rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is detected by the system
while driving, a message advising you to check the tire
pressure appears in the display. SeeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-68andDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-46for more information.Personalization
MENU:Press this button while the ignition is on to
scroll through each of the personalization options in the
following order. To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that the headlamps are
turned off. If the vehicle is moving faster than 2 mph
(3 km/h), the personalization menu options are not
available, except for the UNITS option. All of the
personalization options may not be available on your
vehicle. Only the options available display on the DIC.
Oil Life Reset
Units Selection (English/Metric)
Tire Learn?, on vehicles without the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) system
Remote Start Capability
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Locking
Horn Chirp During Remote Keyless Entry Unlocking
Exterior Light Flash During Remote Keyless
Entry Locking or Unlocking
Delayed Locking
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: Specic Doors
Automatic Vehicle Unlocking: When Key is Off or
When Shift To Park
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CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when the life of the engine oil
has expired and it should be changed.
When this message is acknowledged and cleared from
the display, the engine oil life system must still be
reset separately. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-24,Engine Oil on page 5-21, andScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4for more information.
CHECK CARGO TOP
If your vehicle has a retractable hardtop, this message
displays if the cargo divider is not in place when
operating the retractable hardtop. Open the trunk and
make sure the cargo divider is secure and no objects are
on the divider. SeeTrunk on page 2-13,Lowering the
Retractable Hardtop on page 2-46, andRaising the
Retractable Hardtop on page 2-49for more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel cap has not been fully
tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to make sure that it
is on properly. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the message off.
CHECK TIRE PRESS (Pressure)
This message displays when the pressure in one or
more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked. If a tire
pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as soonas you can. Have the tire pressures checked and set to
those shown on the Tire Loading Information label.
SeeTires on page 5-60,Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-20, andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-68.
The DIC also shows the tire pressure values. See
DIC Operation and Displays on page 3-43. If the tire
pressure is low, the low tire pressure warning light
comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light on page 3-37.
DOOR AJAR
This message displays if one or more of the vehicle’s
doors are not closed properly. Make sure that the
door(s) are closed completely.
ENGINE DISABLED
This message displays if the starting of the engine is
disabled. Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer immediately.
ENG (Engine) PWR (Power) REDUCED
This message displays to inform you that the vehicle
has reduced engine power to avoid damaging the
engine. Reduced engine power can affect the vehicle’s
ability to accelerate. If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may be reduced the next
time the vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be driven
at a reduced speed while this message is on, but
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