2008 PONTIAC G8 manual transmission

The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be
parking the vehicle for the best
advice on this.
Automatic Transmission
Operation
The shift lever is located on the
center console between the
front seats.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever. When the
position of the shift lever is changed,a message is shown in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
The selected gear is magnied in
the DIC, and changes according
to the shift lever’s movement.
There are also messages for
Sport Shift Mode, Normal Shift
Mode and Driver Shift Control.
P (Park):This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position
to use when the engine is started
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is
not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake rmly set.
The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. If you have left the
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level
ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever
to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park (Automatic Transmission)
on page 8-10. If you are pulling
a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 9-85.
Make sure the shift lever is fully
in P (Park) before starting the
engine. The vehicle has an
automatic transmission shift lock
control system. Fully apply the brake
pedal rst and then press the shift
lever button before shifting from
P (Park) when the ignition key is in
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY.
If you cannot shift out of P (Park),
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

ease pressure on the shift lever and
push the shift lever all the way
into P (Park) while maintaining brake
application. Then press the shift
lever button and move the shift lever
into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 8-11.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
At low vehicle speeds, R (Reverse)
can also be used to rock the
vehicle back and forth to get out
of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission.
SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 8-27for additional information.N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart when the
vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while
the engine is running at high
speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake
pedal, the vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose
control and hit people or
objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy from the vehicle.
If more power is needed for passing,
and the vehicle is:
Going less than 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have
more power.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see Skidding under
Loss of Control on page 8-21.
Notice:Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Sport Shift Mode
The automatic transmission has a
Sport Shift Mode. When you
are in the Sport Shift Mode the
vehicle will still shift automatically.
The transmission may remain
in a gear longer than it would in the
normal driving mode based on
braking, throttle input, and vehicle
lateral acceleration. To use this
feature, move the shift lever
over from D (Drive) to the right
quadrant. The Sport Shift message
in the DIC displays. If the shift
lever is not moved forward or
rearward, the vehicle remains in
sport mode.
Performance Mode Lift Foot Mode
Within Sport Shift Mode there is
a further performance feature called
Performance Mode Lift Foot (PMLF)
Mode. The feature is activated
automatically when sports oriented
driving is detected, based on
cornering and on/off throttleapplication. PMLF allows the
transmission to hold the current
gear instead of upshifting when the
throttle is lifted.
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Notice:If you drive your vehicle
at high RPMs without upshifting
while using DSC, you could
damage the vehicle. Always
upshift when necessary while
using DSC.
The automatic transmission has
DSC that allows gear changes
similar to a manual transmission.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever over from
D (Drive) to the right quadrant.
The Sport Shift message in
the DIC displays.
2. To enter DSC, press the shift
lever forward to upshift or
rearward to downshift. The Active
Select On message in the DIC
will come on.The DIC will indicate the requested
gear range when moving the
shift lever forward or rearward.
While using DSC, the vehicle has
rmer shifting and increased
performance. This can be used for
sport driving or when climbing
or descending hills, to stay in gear
longer, or to down shift for more
power or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow the
driver to shift into gears appropriate
for the vehicle speed and engine
Revolutions Per Minute (RPM).
The transmission will not
automatically shift to the next lower
gear if the engine RPM is too high.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will ash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not
shifted gears.
While in DSC, the transmission
automatically downshifts when the
vehicle comes to a stop.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
1st, 2nd or 3rd gear starts can
be selected from a standing start.
This is useful for gentle acceleration
on slippery surfaces.
To return to Normal Shift mode,
slide the shift lever over from
the right quadrant to the left into
D (Drive). A Normal Shift message
will be displayed in the DIC.
Normal Shift Mode is recommended
for normal or freeway driving, as
it provides optimum fuel economy.
Powertrain Braking
For vehicles with a 6 speed
automatic transmission, there is
an additional feature known
as Powertrain Braking. When driving
on steep descents where frequent
braking is required, the vehicle
will automatically downshift to
provide engine braking assistance.
This feature also reduces brake
temperatures and wear.Downshifting will only occur when
the driver’s foot is applied to the
brake. Driver Shift Control can
be switched on to override the
feature and gain complete control
of shifts if desired.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, pull up on
the parking brake handle. If the
ignition is in the ON/RUN position,
the brake system warning light
will come on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 4-16.To release the parking brake:
1. Hold the brake pedal down.
2. Pull the parking brake handle up
until you can press the release
button.
3. Hold the release button in as you
move the brake handle all the
way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the
brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to
brake system parts. Make
sure that the parking brake is
fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Driving with the park brake applied
will cause a warning chime to
sound and the Park Brake message
to appear in the DIC. The message
will remain on until:
the park brake is released
the vehicle comes to a stop.
If you are towing a trailer and you
are parking on a hill, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 9-85.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out
of the vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake rmly set. The
vehicle can roll. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or
others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly
level ground, use the steps that
follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 9-85.Use this procedure to shift into
P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 8-9
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by holding in the button on the
shift lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the
front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it
with you. If you can leave
your vehicle with the ignition
key in your hand, your vehicle
is in P (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to leave
the vehicle with the engine
running. The vehicle could
move suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle
with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
re. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle
with the engine running, be
sure your vehicle is in P (Park) and
your parking brake is rmly set
before you leave it. After you have
moved the shift lever into P (Park),
hold the brake pedal down.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without
rst pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift
lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift your automatic
transmission into P (Park) properly,
the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking
pawl in the transmission. You
may nd it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of P (Park). This is
called torque lock. To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into P (Park) properly
before you leave the driver seat.
To nd out how, see “Shifting
Into Park” previously in the section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle
push yours a little uphill to take
some of the pressure from the
parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out
of P (Park).Shifting Out of Park
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out
of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever
button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and
press the shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), seeShift Lock
Manual Release on page 9-84.
Parking Over Things
That Burn
{CAUTION
Things that can burn could
touch hot exhaust parts under
your vehicle and ignite. Do not
park over papers, leaves, dry
grass, or other things that
can burn.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out
of your vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your
vehicle can roll. Do not leave
your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could
be injured. To be sure your
vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level
ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure
your vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 8-10.
If you are parking on a hill and if
you are pulling a trailer, also
seeTowing a Trailer on page 9-85.
Driving Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The
rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt, seeSafety
Belts on page 1-5.
{CAUTION
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your reexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by
even a small amount of alcohol.
You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you
drive after drinking. Do not
drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

on and the ESP CTRL message
will be displayed at the bottom of
the DIC.
The STABILITY CONTROL
ASSISTANCE message will remain
on while the system is working
until the
3button is pressed to
display the trip computer. The ESP
CTRL message stays on at the
bottom of the DIC while the system
is working.
You may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
When this light and the STABILITY
CTRL OFF message is on and
the ESP OFF message is displayed,
the system will not limit wheel spin.Adjust your driving accordingly.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4-27for more information.
ESP is automatically enabled
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially
in slippery road conditions, you
should always leave the system
enabled. You can turn ESP off if you
ever need to.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your
vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, and you want to rock your
vehicle to attempt to free it. It may
also be necessary to turn off the
system when driving in extreme
off-road conditions where high
wheel spin is required. SeeIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow on page 8-27.The ESP button is located in front of
the transmission gear selector lever.
To turn the system off or on, press
and release the ESP button.
The DIC will briey display the
appropriate message and then
return to the trip computer display.
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2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual