2009 PONTIAC G3 light

Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in your
vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not
properly protect the person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a crash. To help
make sure your restraint systems are working
properly after a crash, have them inspected and
any necessary replacements made as soon as
possible.If the vehicle has been in a crash, do you need new
safety belts or LATCH system (if equipped) parts?
After a very minor crash, nothing may be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that were used during any
crash may have been stressed or damaged. See your
dealer/retailer to have the safety belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it was being
used during a crash, you may need new LATCH system
parts.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the
safety belt or LATCH system (if equipped), was
not being used at the time of the crash.
If an airbag inates, you will need to replace airbag
system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier
in this section.
Have the safety belt pretensioners checked if the
vehicle has been in a crash, if the airbag readiness light
stays on after the vehicle is started, or while you are
driving. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-26.
1-73

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter functions
work up to 65 feet (20 m) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which can affect the
performance of the transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2-3.The following functions may be available if the vehicle
has RKE:Q(Lock):Press to lock all of the doors. If all of the
doors and the trunk or liftgate are closed, the hazard
lamps ash once and the horn will sound to indicate that
locking has occurred and the theft-deterrent system is
active.
K(Unlock):Press to unlock all of the doors.
The hazard lamps ash twice to indicate that unlocking
has occurred and that the theft-deterrent system is
deactivated. If the doors are not opened within
30 seconds the doors will lock again.
3(Panic) (Hatchback):Press to sound the panic
alarm. The hazard lamps will ash and the panic alarm
will stay on for about 30 seconds. Press any of the
buttons on the transmitter to turn off the alarm.
V(Remote Trunk Release) (Sedan):Press and hold
for approximately one second to open the trunk.
The LED light (A) on the transmitter ashes when the
buttons on the transmitter are pressed. If the light does
not ash see “Battery Replacement” later in this section.
The buttons do not operate and the theft-deterrent
system does not activate if the key is in the ignition. Hatchback
Sedan
2-4

Door Ajar Reminder
If one of the doors, trunk,
or liftgate is not closed
properly while the ignition
is on, the door ajar light on
the instrument panel comes
on and stays on until the
doors are closed.
Rear Door Security Locks
The vehicle has rear
door security locks on
each rear door that
prevents passengers
from opening the rear
doors from the inside.
Using the Rear Door Security Lock
1. Move the lever up to lock.
2. Close the door.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to the other rear door lock.
Notice:Pulling the inside door handle while
the rear door security locks are engaged could
damage your vehicle. Do not pull the inside door
handle while the rear door security locks are
engaged.
The rear doors on the vehicle cannot be opened from
the inside while this feature is in use.
Opening a Rear Door When the
Security Lock is On
1. Unlock the door from the inside.
2. Open the door from the outside.
If you do not cancel the security lock, adults or older
children who ride in the rear will not be able to open the
rear door from the inside.
Canceling the Rear Door Security Lock
1. Unlock the door from the inside and open the
door from the outside.
2. Move the lever down to unlock.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to the other rear door lock.
The rear door locks can now be locked and unlocked
normally.
2-7

If the vehicle has a trunk
release lever located on
the outboard side of the
driver seat, the trunk can
be opened from inside the
vehicle by pulling the
release lever.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release handle is only
intended to aid a person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk from the inside.There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located on the underside of the trunk lid.
This handle will glow following exposure to light. Pull the
release handle down to open the trunk from the inside. Trunk Release Lever
2-9

Immobilizer Operation
The vehicle may have a passive theft-deterrent system.
The immobilizer system prevents the vehicle from
being started by an unauthorized person by isolating
the power supply to the ignition system, the fuel pump
and the fuel injectors.
The system is automatically armed when the key is
removed from the ignition. You do not have to manually
arm or disarm the system.
Your vehicle has a special key that works with the
theft-deterrent system. There is a transponder in the key
head that is electronically coded. The correct key will start
the vehicle. An invalid key immobilizes the engine. If your
key is ever damaged, you may not be able to start your
vehicle.
When trying to start the vehicle, if the engine does not
start and the security light ashes or comes on, there may
be a problem with the theft-deterrent system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.If the engine still does not start, and the key appears to
be undamaged, try another key. At this time, you may
also want to check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-88. If the engine still does not start
with the other key, your vehicle needs service. If your
vehicle does start, the rst key may be faulty. See your
dealer/retailer who can have a new key made.
Up to 10 keys may be programmed for the vehicle.
If you lose or damage your keys, only a dealer/retailer
can have new keys made.
If you are ever driving and the security light comes
on and stays on, you will be able to restart the engine
if you turn it off. The theft-deterrent system, however,
is not working properly and must be serviced by your
dealer/retailer. Your vehicle is not protected by the
theft-deterrent system at this time.
In an emergency, contact Roadside Assistance.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-7.
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Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent system.
The theft-deterrent system will not arm when you lock
the doors using the key or the manual door lock. It arms
only when you use the remote keyless entry transmitter.
Arming the System
To arm the system, do the following:
1. Close the doors, the windows, the hood, and the
trunk or liftgate.
Make sure that the windows are closed, as the
system can be armed even if the windows are open.
2. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF and remove the
key from the ignition.
If the key is inserted in the ignition, the transmitter
will not arm the theft-deterrent system.
3. Lock the doors by pressing the lock button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
The LED light on the transmitter will ash once.
All of the doors will lock.
The hazard warning lamps will ash once and
the horn will sound.
The security light will ash continuously to
indicate that the theft-deterrent system is armed.
The security light is located on the center of
the instrument panel near the clock.To avoid activating the alarm by accident, do one of the
following:
Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front door using
the key.
Press the unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
Unlocking a door any other way will activate the alarm
when a door or the trunk or liftgate is opened.
If you do not want to arm the theft-deterrent system,
lock the vehicle using the key or the manual door locks.
Disarming the System
To disarm the system, do one of the following:
Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front door using
the key.
Press the unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
The LED light on the transmitter will
ash once.
All of the doors will unlock.
The hazard warning lamps will ash twice.
If the door is not opened or if the engine is not started
within 30 seconds after disarming the system using
the transmitter, all of the doors will automatically lock
and the theft-deterrent mode will rearm.
2-15

Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has
four different positions.
{CAUTION:
On manual transmission vehicles, turning the key
to LOCK/OFF will lock the steering column and
result in a loss of ability to steer the vehicle.
This could cause a collision. If you need to turn
the engine off while the vehicle is moving, turn the
key only to ACC/ACCESSORY. Do not push the
key in while the vehicle is moving.Notice:Using a tool to force the key to turn in the
ignition could cause damage to the switch or break
the key. Use the correct key, make sure it is all the
way in, and turn it only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see your dealer/retailer.
LOCK/OFF:This position locks the steering wheel,
ignition, shift lever and transmission. This is the
only position in which you can insert or remove the key.
The steering can bind with the wheels turned off
center. If this happens, move the steering wheel from
right to left while turning the key to ACC/ACCESSORY.
If this doesn’t work, then the vehicle needs service.
ACC/ACCESSORY:This position operates some of the
electrical accessories, such as the radio, but not the
climate control system.
ON/RUN:This position can be used to operate the
electrical accessories, and to display some instrument
panel cluster warning and indicator lights. The switch
stays in this position when the engine is running. If you
leave the key in the ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
position with the engine off, the battery could be drained.
You may not be able to start the vehicle if the battery
is allowed to drain for an extended period of time.
START:This is the position that starts the engine.
When the engine starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for driving. Do not turn
the key to START if the engine is running.
2-17

D4 (Automatic Overdrive):This position is for normal
driving.
When operating the vehicle in severe cold conditions,
the transmission may be prevented from shifting into
D4 gear until the transmission uid has warmed up to
it’s operational temperature.
Notice:If the vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly or not shift gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle that way, you could
damage the transmission. Have the vehicle serviced
right away. You can drive in 2 (Second) when you are
driving less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and D4 (Automatic
Overdrive) for higher speeds until then.
2 (Second):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use 2 (Second) on hills.
It can help control vehicle speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, while using the brakes off and on.
Notice:Do not drive in 2 (Second) at speeds
over 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage the
transmission. Use D4 (Automatic Overdrive) as
much as possible. Do not shift into 2 (Second) unless
you are going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h) or you
can damage the engine.1 (First):This position gives you even more power but
lower fuel economy than 2 (Second). You can use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift
lever is put in 1 (First), the transmission will not shift
into rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission. The repair will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
If there is a malfunction with the automatic transmission,
the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) or the HOLD
indicator light will turn on or ash. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-32orHold Mode Light on
page 3-30.
Have the vehicle xed as soon as possible.
2-22