
Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-2
Front Seats
............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-14
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Airbag System
.........................................1-58
Restraint System Check
............................1-72
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
.................................................2-11
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-13
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-34
Storage Areas
.........................................2-37
Sunroof
..................................................2-38
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-23
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-38Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-28
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-42
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-42
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-49
Tires
......................................................5-50
Appearance Care
.....................................5-79
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-86
Electrical System
......................................5-87
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-93
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-16
Index................................................................ 1
2009 Pontiac G3 Owner ManualM

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-32or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-36. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of
the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in
the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the oor in
front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you
would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the
chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or
crash.
1-20

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating position with a detachable
safety belt and the safety belt is not attached, seeRear
Seat Operation (Sedan) on page 1-8orRear Seat
Operation (Hatchback) on page 1-11for instruction
on reconnecting the safety belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled
out all the way, the child restraint locking feature
may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt
go back all the way and start again.3. If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until it can be buckled.
1-28

Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to
anchors, the child restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be
seriously injured or killed. Install a LATCH-type
child restraint properly using the anchors, or use
the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that came with the child
restraint and the instructions in this 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.
1-48

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap
portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing
child restraint, you may nd it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
If the airbag or airbags are off, the off indicator in the
passenger airbag status indicator will come on and stay
on when the vehicle is started.
1-57

Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key
is dangerous for many reasons, children or others
could be badly injured or even killed. They could
operate the power windows or other controls or
even make the vehicle move. The windows will
function with the keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed if caught in the
path of a closing window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key can be used for the ignition, doors and all other
locks.
The key has a key code tag that the dealer/retailer or
quali ed locksmith can use to make new keys. Store this
information in a safe place, not in your vehicle.
2-2

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. The chance of being thrown
out of the vehicle in a crash is increased if
the doors are not locked. So, all passengers
should wear safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked whenever the vehicle
is driven.
Young children who get into unlocked vehicles
may be unable to get out. A child can be
overcome by extreme heat and can suffer
permanent injuries or even death from heat
stroke. Always lock the vehicle whenever
leaving it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
Locking your doors can help prevent this from
happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock the vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on page 2-4.
To manually unlock the front doors from the outside,
insert the key and turn it toward the front of the vehicle.
To manually lock the doors from the outside, insert
the key and turn it toward the rear of the vehicle.
All doors, except for the driver door, can be locked by
pushing down the manual door lock and then closing
the door. On vehicles with power locks, the driver door
can only by locked from the outside by using the key
or the optional RKE transmitter.
From the inside, all of the doors can be locked and
unlocked by pushing or pulling the manual door
lock located on each door.
Central Door Unlocking System
The vehicle may be equipped with the central door
unlocking system. This system is activated from
the driver door.
From the outside, lock or unlock all the doors by using
either the key or the RKE transmitter, if equipped.
From the inside, lock or unlock all the doors by using
the driver door lock switch.
2-6