2008 PONTIAC G8 heater

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean,
drinkable water and one-half
DEX-COOL
®coolant which will not
damage aluminum parts. If you
use this coolant mixture, you do not
need to add anything else.
{CAUTION
Adding only plain water to the
cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as
alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
The vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but
would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could
catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50
mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and
other parts.If you have to add coolant more
than four times a year, have
your dealer/retailer check your
cooling system.
Notice:If you use extra
inhibitors and/or additives in your
vehicle’s cooling system, you
could damage your vehicle. Use
only the proper mixture of the
engine coolant listed in this
manual for the cooling system.
SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11-12for
more information.
9-14 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Engine Overheating
There is an engine coolant
temperature warning light on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
on page 4-17.
If Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
{CAUTION
Steam from an overheated
engine can burn you badly,
even if you just open the hood.
Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle
until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open
the hood.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
If you keep driving when your
engine is overheated, the
liquids in it can catch re. You
or others could be badly
burned. Stop your engine if it
overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
Notice:If the engine catches re
because of being driven with
no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
An engine coolant temperature
warning can indicate a serious
problem. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 4-17.If you get an engine coolant
temperature warning, but see or hear
no steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
If you get the engine coolant
temperature warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn
it off.
2. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle
in N (Neutral) while stopped. If it
is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral) and
let the engine idle.
3. Turn on your heater to full hot at
the highest fan speed and open
the windows as necessary.
9-16 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

A. Coolant Reservoir and Dipstick
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
{CAUTION
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up
even when the engine is not
running and can cause injury.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
The coolant level should be at or
above the top mark on the coolant
reservoir dipstick. If it is not,
you may have a leak at the radiator
pressure cap or in the radiator
hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump, or somewhere else in the
cooling system.
V8 Engine
9-18 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

{CAUTION
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That
could cause an engine re, and
you could be burned. Get any
leak xed before you drive the
vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the
engine on, check to see if the electric
engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both
fans should be running. If they are
not, your vehicle needs service.
Notice:Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.Notice:Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner, at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free)
coolant in the vehicle.
How to Add Coolant to the
Cooling System
Notice:This vehicle has a
specic coolant ll procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.If no coolant is visible in the coolant
reservoir, add coolant as follows:
{CAUTION
Adding only plain water to the
cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as
alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will.
The vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but
you would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could
catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50
mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-19
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Notice:In cold weather, water
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core and other
parts. Use the recommended
coolant and the proper coolant
mixture.
{CAUTION
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the
engine parts are hot enough.
Do not spill coolant on a hot
engine.
1. Check the engine coolant
reservoir (A) level and, if
required, top with coolant. See
Engine Coolant on page 9-13.2. Locate the radiator pressure
cap (B).
{CAUTION
Steam and scalding liquids
from a hot cooling system can
blow out and burn you badly.
They are under pressure, and if
you turn the radiator pressure
cap — even a little — they can
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the radiator
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for
the cooling system and radiator
pressure cap to cool if you ever
have to turn the pressure cap.
3. Cover the cap with a thick
cloth and turn it slowly
counterclockwise and remove.
4. If there is no coolant or the level
is low, slowly ll the system
through the radiator pressure cap
opening with a 50/50 mixture
of clean, drinkable water and
a DEX-COOL
®coolant until full.
Wait 30 seconds for coolant
to settle and top off if the
level drops.
Do not spill coolant on the
accessory drive belts.
If a spill occurs, rinse the belt
with fresh water.
9-20 Vehicle Service and Care
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

D
Daytime Running Lamps......... 5-2
Daytime Running Lamps
Indicator Light..................4-21
Defensive Driving . . ...............8-13
DIC Vehicle Customization . . . . 4-32
Disc, MP3 . . .........................6-19
Doing Your Own
Service Work..................... 9-4
Dome Lamps........................ 5-4
Door
Ajar Light . .......................4-21
Locks . . . . . . . ........................ 2-8
Power Door Locks.............. 2-9
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . 2-9
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . ...........4-23, 4-32
DIC Operation and
Displays .......................4-23
DIC Warnings and
Messages....................4-27
Driving
At Night ..........................8-22
Before a Long Trip............8-24
Defensive . .......................8-13
Drunken ..........................8-13
Highway Hypnosis............8-24
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . 8-24Driving (cont.)
In Rain and on
Wet Roads...................8-23
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get it Out ....................8-28
Winter .............................8-25
E
EDR .................................12-16
Electrical System
Add-On Equipment . ...........9-32
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block...........................9-35
Headlamp Wiring . . ............9-33
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block...........................9-33
Power Windows and Other
Power Options . . ............9-33
Rear Compartment
Fuse Block...................9-38
Windshield Wiper Fuses....9-33
Electronic Stability Program . . . 8-16
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . .............9-11
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light...................4-18
Coolant...........................9-13
Coolant Heater................... 8-5Engine (cont.)
Coolant
Temperature Gage.........4-17
Drive Belt Routing...........11-14
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . .................. 9-6
Exhaust . ..........................8-12
Oil ................................... 9-8
Oil Life System.................9-10
Overheating.....................9-16
Starting ............................. 8-4
Event Data Recorders .........12-16
Extender, Safety Belt ............1-17
Exterior Lamps . ..................... 5-1
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner ............9-11
Finish Damage....................9-98
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . .........6-24
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . 4-4
Flat Tire . . . ...........................9-62
Flat Tire, Changing . . .............9-71
Flat Tire, Storing . . . . ..............9-78
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-13
Power Steering.................9-21
Windshield Washer . ..........9-22
INDEX i-3
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Fog Lamp
Fog .................................. 5-3
Fog Lamp Light . . . ................4-21
Front Seats . .......................... 1-2
Fuel...................................8-32
Additives . ........................8-34
California Fuel . . ................8-33
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . ..................8-36
Filling the Tank . . ...............8-35
Fuels in Foreign
Countries . . . ..................8-34
Gage ..............................4-22
Gasoline Octane . ..............8-33
Gasoline Specications......8-33
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block ...........................9-35
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block ...........................9-33
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block ...........................9-38
Windshield Wiper ..............9-33G
Gage
Engine Coolant
Temperature.................4-17
Fuel . . . . . ...........................4-22
Oil Pressure.....................4-22
Speedometer...................4-12
Tachometer......................4-12
Voltmeter Gage................4-15
Gasoline
Octane............................8-33
Specications...................8-33
Glove Box............................ 3-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program..........................12-5
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . ....... 4-4
Head Restraints . .................... 1-4
Headlamp
Aiming............................9-27
Headlamp System
Automatic.......................... 5-2
Headlamp Wiring.................9-33Headlamps
Bulb Replacement . ............9-29
Daytime Running Lamps . . . . . 5-2
Exterior Lamps ................... 5-1
Halogen Bulbs..................9-29
Headlamps and Parking
Lamps .........................9-29
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 4-7
Heater...........................7-1, 7-4
Engine Coolant . ................. 8-5
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . ........4-21
High-Speed Operation, Tires . . . 9-48
Highway Hypnosis . . . .............8-24
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 8-24
Hood
Release............................ 9-5
Horn.................................... 4-4
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly............................ 1-8
i-4 INDEX
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual