2008 PONTIAC G8 Owners Manual

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works on
hills depends upon the vehicle
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills.
When going up steep hills, you
might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle speed.
When going downhill, you might
have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep the vehicle speed down.
When the brakes are applied
the cruise control is turned off.
Ending Cruise Control
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
When the cruise control is
deactivated, the CRUISE
INACTIVE message appears in
the instrument panel cluster.
Press theOQbutton at the
end of the lever two times.Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory
is erased when the cruise control or
the ignition is turned off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrowGon the instrument
panel cluster ashes in the direction
of the turn or lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all
the way up or down.
To signal a lane change, slightly
raise or lower the lever until
the arrow starts to ash and release
the lever. The turn signal ashes
automatically three times.
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
To cancel the lane change, move
the lever back to the starting
position.
Headlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer
The headlamps must be on for
this feature to work.
Push the turn signal lever away
from you to turn the high beams on.
The fog lamps turn off automatically
when high beam is selected.
This instrument panel cluster light
3comes on while the high
beam headlamps are on.
Pull the lever towards you to return
to low beams.
To ash the high beams, pull the
lever towards you. The lamps
remain on high beam as long as the
lever is held.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is located on the right side of
the steering column.
The ignition must be turned to the
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY
position to use the windshield
wipers.Move the lever to the following
positions:
z(Mist):Hold the lever in this
position for continuous wiping
cycles.
((Off):Turns the wipers off.
&(Intermittent):For a delayed
wiping cycle. Turn the
&band
forward or rearward for more
frequent or less frequent wipes.
The frequency of wipes also
depends on the vehicle speed. As
the vehicle speed increases, so
does the wiper rate.
1 (Low):For steady wiping at low
speed.
2 (High):For steady wiping at high
speed.
Never use the wipers on dry glass,
as this could damage the wiper
blade inserts and scratch the glass.Be sure to clear ice and snow from
the wiper blades before using
them. If the blades are frozen to the
windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. If they become
damaged, get new blades or blade
inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. A circuit breaker stops
them until the motor cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent
an overload.
Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you to spray
washer uid on the windshield.
The spray continues until the lever
is released. The wipers will run
a few times. SeeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 9-22for information
on lling the windshield washer uid
reservoir.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

{CAUTION
In freezing weather, do not use
your washer until the
windshield is warmed.
Otherwise the washer uid can
form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
Accessory Power
Outlet(s)
The accessory power outlets can be
used to connect auxiliary electrical
equipment, such as a cellular phone.
The vehicle has two accessory
power outlets. One accessory power
outlet is located under the climate
controls and the other is located
inside the center oor console.
To use the outlet, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Pull down the
small cover to access the outlet.Notice:Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended
periods will drain the battery.
Always turn off electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum amperage
rating.
This circuit is protected by a fuse
and has a maximum current
level. Do not use equipment
exceeding the maximum amperage
rating.
Certain power accessory plugs may
not be compatible to the power
accessory outlet and could result
in blown vehicle or adapter fuses.
If you experience a problem see
your dealer/retailer for additional
information on the power
accessory plugs.Notice:Adding any electrical
equipment to the vehicle
may damage it or keep other
components from working as they
should. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not use equipment
exceeding maximum amperage
rating of 10 amperes. Check with
your dealer/retailer before
adding electrical equipment.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment.
Notice:Improper use of the
power outlet can cause damage
not covered by your warranty. Do
not hang any type of accessory
or accessory bracket from
the plug because the power
outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Warning Lights,
Gages, and Indicators
This section describes the warning
lights and gages on the vehicle.
Warning lights and gages can signal
that something is wrong before it
becomes serious enough to
cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gages could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
may be or is a problem with one
of the vehicle’s functions. Some
warning lights come on briey when
the engine is started to indicate
they are working.Gages can indicate when there may
be or is a problem with one of the
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to
indicate a problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be
costly and even dangerous.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You will know how
fast you are going, how much fuel you have, and many other things you will need to drive safely and economically.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Speedometer
The speedometer can display your
speed in both miles per hour
(MPH) and kilometers per hour
(km/h). You can select between
MPH and km/h using the UNITS
display in the DIC. SeeDIC
Operation and Displays on
page 4-23for more information.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per minute.
Safety Belt Reminders
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the engine is started, a chime
will come on for several seconds
to remind people to fasten their
safety belts, unless the driver’s
safety belt is already buckled.
The safety belt light will also come on
and stay on for several seconds,
then it will ash for several more.
This chime and light is repeated if
the driver remains unbuckled
and the vehicle is in motion. If the
driver’s belt is already buckled,
neither the chime nor the light will
come on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
If your vehicle has this light, several
seconds after the engine is
started, a chime will sound for
several seconds to remind the front
passenger to buckle their safety
belt. The passenger safety belt light
will also come on and stay on for
several seconds, then it will ash for
several more.
This chime and light are repeated if
the passenger remains unbuckled
and the vehicle is in motion.
If the passenger’s safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light will come on.
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Airbag Readiness Light
There is an airbag readiness
light which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag’s
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the airbag
system, seeAirbag System on
page 1-19.
This light will come on when you
start your vehicle, and it will ash for
a few seconds. The light should
go out and the system is ready.If the airbag readiness light and the
Airbag Fault message on the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
stays on after you start the vehicle
or comes on when you are
driving, your airbag system may not
work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your
vehicle, it means the airbag
system may not be working
properly. The airbags in your
vehicle may not inate in a
crash, or they could even
inate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle
serviced right away.The airbag readiness light should
ash for a few seconds when
you start the vehicle. If the light does
not come on then, have it xed
immediately. If there is a problem
with the airbag system, a message
may also come on. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on
page 4-27for more information.
The message will remain until
3
or8are pressed, but the light
will remain until the problem is xed.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4-27for more information.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. The rearview mirror
has a passenger airbag status
indicator.When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. If you are
using remote start to start your
vehicle from a distance, if equipped,
you may not see the system
check. Then, after several more
seconds, the status indicator
will light either ON or OFF, or either
the on or off symbol to let you
know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right front
passenger frontal airbag is enabled
(may inate).
{CAUTION
If the on indicator comes on
when you have a rear-facing
child restraint installed in the
right front passenger’s seat, it
means that the passenger
sensing system has not turned
off the passenger’s frontal
airbag. A child in a rear-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag
inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inating airbag. Do not use
a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger’s seat
if the airbag is turned on. United States
Canada
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual