2008 PONTIAC G8 tow

Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-5
Safety Belts
................... 1-5
Airbag System
..............1-19
Child Restraints
.............1-32
Keys, Doors and
Windows............................ 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-8
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-11
Windows
......................2-14
Mirrors
.........................2-16
Sunroof
........................2-18
Storage.............................. 3-1
Storage
......................... 3-1
Instruments and
Controls............................. 4-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 4-2
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............4-10Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............4-23
OnStar
®System
............4-36
Lighting............................. 5-1
Lighting
......................... 5-1
Infotainment...................... 6-1
Audio System(s)
............. 6-1
Climate Controls............... 7-1
Climate Controls
............. 7-1
Driving and Operating....... 8-1
Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
....................... 8-2
Driving Your Vehicle
......8-13
Fuel
............................8-32
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-27
Bulb Replacement
.........9-29Electrical System
...........9-32
Tires
...........................9-39
Tire Changing
...............9-62
Jump Starting
...............9-80
Towing
........................9-84
Appearance Care
..........9-91
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identication
. . . . . . 10-1
Capacities and
Specications
............10-2
Service and
Maintenance.....................11-1
Service and
Maintenance
..............11-1
Customer Information. . . . . . 12-1
Customer Information
. . . . . 12-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
...................12-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
.............12-16
Index................................... i-1
2008 Pontiac G8 Owner ManualM
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

What Makes an Airbag
Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls
the airbag causing the bag to break
out of the cover and deploy.
The inator, the airbag, and
related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules
in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel.
In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body.But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant’s motion is
not toward those airbags. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-22for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, seeWhat Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-24.
1-24 Seats and Restraints
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

{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 4-13for more on this,
including important safety
information.A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment other than
any that GM has approved for your
specic vehicle. SeeAdding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-30for more
information about modications
that can affect how the system
operates.The passenger sensing system may
suppress the airbag deployment
when liquid soaks into the seat.
If this happens, the off indicator in
the passenger airbag status
indicator and the airbag readiness
light on the instrument panel
will be lit. The system should
resume normal operation after the
seat is allowed to dry. If the
system operates incorrectly after
the seat has dried, have your
dealer/retailer check the system.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the
passenger sensing system.
Seats and Restraints 1-29
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

{CAUTION
Do not attach more than one
child restraint to a single
anchor. Attaching more than
one child restraint to a single
anchor could cause the anchor
or attachment to come loose or
even break during a crash. A
child or others could be
injured. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during
a crash, attach only one child
restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION
Children can be seriously
injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck and the
safety belt continues to tighten.
Buckle any unused safety belts
behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the
way out of the retractor to set
the lock, if your vehicle has
one, after the child restraint has
been installed.
Notice:Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled.
This could damage the safety belt
or the seat. Unbuckle and
return the safety belt to its stowed
position.
1. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower attachments
or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the
top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint
manufacturer instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for
the desired seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments on the child
restraint to the lower
anchors.
Seats and Restraints 1-43
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Power Windows
A. Power Window Switches
B. Rear Window Lockout SwitchThe power window switches (A) for
all doors are located on the
center console. The switches work
when the ignition is in ON/RUN,
ACC/ACCESSORY, or in Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 8-3.
Press down or pull up on the switch
to open or close a window.
Express-Down Window
The driver and front passenger
window switches have an
express-down feature to allow the
window to be lowered without
holding the switch. Press the switch
down all the way, release it, and
the window goes down
automatically. Stop the window
while it is lowering by pressing or
pulling the switch.
Rear Window Lockout
Press the lockout buttono(B), to
prevent rear seat passengers
from operating the windows. Press
the button again to turn the
feature off.
Rear Power Windows
The rear doors have their own
switches.
R:Press to open the window.
Q:Press to close the window.
Sun Visors
Pull the visor toward you, or move it
to the side to help reduce glare.
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-15
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
The vehicle has a manual rearview
mirror with a compass display
and OnStar
®control buttons located
at the bottom of the mirror. See
your dealer/retailer for more
information on the system and how
to subscribe to OnStar. See
OnStar
®System on page 4-36for
more information about the services
OnStar provides.
Adjust the mirror to see clearly
behind your vehicle. Hold it in the
center to move it up or down
and side to side.
Headlamp Glare
1. To reduce headlamp glare from
vehicles following from behind,
pull the lever toward you.
The rear view clarity is reduced
when the mirror is set to
reduce headlamp glare.2. Return the lever back to its
original position as soon as
the glare has disappeared to
restore the rear view.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a paper towel
or similar material dampened
with glass cleaner.
Compass
Compass Display
Y(On/Off):Press to turn the
compass on or off. The compass
display can show a maximum of two
characters. For example, NE is
displayed for north-east.
When the ignition and the compass
feature are on, a character box
displays for about two seconds.
After two seconds, the mirror
displays the direction the vehicle is
facing.
Compass Calibration
When on, the compass automatically
calibrates as the vehicle is driven. If,
after two seconds, the display does
not show a compass direction, (N for
North, for example), there may be a
strong magnetic eld interfering with
the compass. Interference can be
caused by a magnetic antenna
mount, magnetic note pad holder, or
a similar magnetic item. If CAL
should ever display in the compass
window, the compass might need
calibration.
Press and hold
Yfor several
seconds to activate the compass
calibration mode. CAL displays
in the compass window on
the mirror.
The mirror can be calibrated by
driving the vehicle in circles
at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the
display shows a direction.
2-16 Keys, Doors and Windows
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.
Outside Convex Mirror
{CAUTION
A convex mirror can make
things (like other vehicles) look
farther away than they really
are. If you cut too sharply into
the right lane, you could hit a
vehicle on your right. Check
your inside mirror or glance
over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror’s surface
is curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat. It also makes
things, like other vehicles, look
farther away than they really are.
Sunroof
The sunroof control is located
between the sun visors. It works
when the ignition is in ON/RUN. The
sunroof will not operate after the
engine is turned off.
From the closed position
9, turn
the control clockwise to one of
the six open positions. The
sunshade opens with the sunroof.
Tilt the sunroof by turning the control
counter-clockwise.
Obstruction Detection
When the sunroof encounters an
obstruction while closing, it
immediately returns to the fully open
or tilt position. The sunroof will
not move again until the control is
pressed upward, or a different
position is selected.
2-18 Keys, Doors and Windows
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual

Storage
Storage
Glove Box..........................3-1
Center Console Storage.....3-1
Convenience Net................3-1
Storage
Glove Box
To open, lift the handle up. Use the
key to lock and unlock.
Center Console Storage
A storage area is provided under the
front armrest.
To open, lift the latch on the
underside of the front edge and lift
the cover.
There is a coin holder towards the
front of the center console storage.
A rubber lining inside the storage
area has slots to hold CDs.
Convenience Net
A convenience net is provided
inside the trunk to secure loose
items. Four hooks are provided, on
each side of the trunk. The net
has six loops to attach on the hooks.
To install the net, attach each of the
corner loops (A, B) to the four
hooks inside the trunk, leaving the
center loop (C) unhooked.
Storage 3-1
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual