2009 PONTIAC G8 Owners Manual

Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) Indicator Light
This light turns on whenever the
Daytime Running Lamps are on.
SeeDaytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 5-2for more information.
Door Ajar Light
When the ignition is on, this light
stays on until all doors are closed
and completely latched.
If a door is not closed properly,
a chime sounds after the engine is
started and the vehicle is not in
P (Park).
Oil Pressure Gage
The gage shows the engine oil
pressure.
It is located in the center of the
instrument panel.
{CAUTION
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches re.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how
much fuel you have left, when the
ignition is on.
When the indicator nears empty,
the low fuel warning light will come
on and along with a chime.
There is still a little fuel left,
but you should refuel soon.
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. These are normal
and do not indicate a problem
with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the gage
reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel
to ll up than the gage indicated.
The indicator moves a little when
you turn a corner or speed up.
The gage will continue to show
the remaining fuel when the
ignition is turned off.
Instruments and Controls 4-21

Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about
your vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC also allows some
features to be customized. SeeDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-31
for more information. All messages
will appear in the DIC display located
in the center of the instrument panel
cluster.
When the ignition is turned on, a
vehicle system check is performed
and the status is shown on the
DIC display. If there are no warnings
or service reminders, the display
shows a series of welcome screens.
When the ignition is turned off,
the odometer appears on the display
for a short period of time unless
a service reminder is active.Active service reminders are
displayed for 10 seconds before
the odometer appears. The
odometer will reappear on the
display when the driver door is
opened. For more information on
the warnings and messages
seeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4-26.
DIC Operation and
Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
left side of the steering wheel.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, vehicle
system information, and warning
messages if a system problem
is detected.
DIC Buttons
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button
to go through the displays and
the select the information.
QR(Thumbwheel):Use the
thumbwheel to scroll through
the available options.
8(ENTER to Reset/Select):
Press the thumbwheel to set or
reset certain functions and to turn
off or acknowledge messages on
the DIC.
4-22 Instruments and Controls

Trip/Fuel Menu Items
Press3to scroll through the
following menu items:
Speedometer
UNITS
Tire Pressure
Customize Options
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Distance/Time To Go
Range
Avg (Average)Speed/Avg
(Average) Fuel
OverSpeed
Speedometer
Press
3until the speedometer
is displayed.
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either miles
per hour (MPH) or kilometers per
hour (km/h). To switch between
English and metric measurements,
see “UNITS” later in this section.The digital speedometer display can
be enabled or disabled. See “Digital
Speedometer” underDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 4-31for more
information.
UNITS
Move the thumbwheel up
Qor
down
Rto highlight English or Metric
when the UNITS display is active.
Press
8to conrm the setting.
This will change the displays on the
cluster, DIC, and the temperature
display in the mirror to either English
or metric measurements.
Tire Pressure
Press
3until Tire Pressure is
displayed.
The display will show a vehicle and
the approximate pressures of all four
tires. Tire pressure is displayed in
either pounds per square inch (PSI)
or in kilopascal (kPa).
This display can be customized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-31for more information.Customize Options
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-31for more information.
Odometer/Trip Odometer
Press
3until the Odometer/Trip
Odometer is displayed.
The odometer display shows the
distance the vehicle has been
driven in either miles (MI) or
kilometers (km). To switch between
English and metric measurements,
see “UNITS” earlier in this section.
The Trip Odometer display shows
the current distance traveled since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing and holding
8
while the trip odometer value is
highlighted. If
8is only pressed
briey, the Avg Speed/Avg Fuel
will be reset as well.
Instruments and Controls 4-23

Distance/Time To Go
Press
3until To Go is displayed.
If this item doesn’t display, check
that the display is turned on through
the Customize Options menu.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on
page 4-31for more information.
At the start of a trip, estimate the
distance to arrival (for example,
from maps, road signs). Move the
thumbwheel up or down until
the display shows the estimated
trip distance. When driving, the
computer constantly updates
the time to arrival, based on
changing driving speeds. Use the
thumbwheel to adjust the distance
any time this display is shown.
Time to go is shown in hours and
minutes and is only shown if the
distance to go is more than zero.
This display can be turned on or off
and the default setting can be
changed.Range
Press3until Range is displayed.
This display shows the approximate
distance the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The fuel range
estimate is based on an average of
the vehicle’s fuel economy over
recent driving history and the amount
of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.
Fuel range cannot be reset.
Avg (Average) Speed/Avg
(Average) Fuel
Press
3until Avg Speed/Avg
Fuel is displayed.
Avg Speed shows the average
speed (while the engine is running)
since the last reset.
Avg Fuel shows average fuel used
since the last reset.
To reset only the Avg Speed or Avg
Fuel, press and hold
8while either
value is highlighted. If
8is only
pressed briey, the Trip Odometer
will be reset as well.OverSpeed
OverSpeed allows the driver to set
a speed that they do not want to
exceed. OverSpeed will illuminate in
the display and a chime will sound
to warn that the vehicle’s speed
is equal or has exceeded the
preselected value. During an
OverSpeed warning, the OverSpeed
display is shown, allowing the
driver to make adjustments.
To set the OverSpeed warning
press
3when OverSpeed
is displayed to highlight the
OverSpeed mode. Move the
thumbwheel up
Qor downRto
scroll through and highlight one
of the following options:
Off:No OverSpeed warning set.
Manual:Allows you to manually
set the OverSpeed warning.
See “Manual OverSpeed” following.
4-24 Instruments and Controls

Preset 1:Default setting 30 MPH
(48 km/h)
Preset 2:Default setting 45 MPH
(72 km/h)
Preset 3:Default setting 55 MPH
(89 km/h)
Preset 4:Default setting 70 MPH
(113 km/h)
The selection is set automatically
after a few seconds.
The corresponding value of the
presets will be shown on the display.
The preset OverSpeed warnings
can be reprogrammed. See
“Programming the OverSpeed
Presets” later in this section.Manual OverSpeed
To manually set the OverSpeed
warning:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select
Manual for OverSpeed.
2. Press
8to highlight the current
value.
3. Use the thumbwheel to adjust
the value in 5 MPH or km/h
increments and press
8
to conrm the setting.
To set the OverSpeed warning to
the vehicle’s current speed:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select
Manual as described in the
OverSpeed section.
2. Press
8to highlight the current
value.
3. Press and hold
8for more than
3 seconds to set the value to the
nearest 5 MPH or km/h above the
current vehicle’s speed.Programming the OverSpeed
Presets
While the vehicle’s speed is 6 MPH
(10 km/h) or below, each of the
presets can be altered and values
can be stored for future use.
To reprogram the OverSpeed
presets:
1. Use the thumbwheel to select the
desired preset and press
8.
2. Move the thumbwheel up
Qor
down
Rto adjust the value in
1km/h increments.
3. Press
8to conrm the setting.
Instruments and Controls 4-25

Adjusting the Setting During an
OverSpeed Warning
While the OverSpeed warning is
displayed move the thumbwheel up
Qor downRto adjust the
value when in Manual mode or to
select a different preset when
in Preset mode. Press and hold
8
for more than 3 seconds to set
the value to the nearest 5 MPH or
km/h above the current vehicle’s
speed. If Preset mode was selected,
this will change it to Manual mode.
Underspeed Chime
If an OverSpeed warning appeared
and the vehicle’s speed drops
below the set value, you will hear a
chime. The underspeed chime
can be turned on or off through the
vehicle customization. SeeDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4-31
for more information.
DIC Warnings and
Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status
of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by
the driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear
one after another.
Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you can press
3or8to acknowledge that
you received the messages and
to clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared
from the DIC display because
they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they
can be cleared. You should take
any messages that appear on
the display seriously and remember
that clearing the messages will
only make the messages disappear,
not correct the problem.The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed
and some information about them.
!ABS Fault
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the ABS system.
The ABS light may also turn on
in the instrument panel cluster.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 4-16.
When this message is on, the brake
system will still operate with the
antilock operation disabled.
See your dealer/retailer.
uActive Select On
This message is displayed when
the automatic transmission
active select mode is enabled.
See “Active Select Mode” under
Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 8-6.
4-26 Instruments and Controls

9Airbag Fault
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the airbag system
or safety belt pretensioner system.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-20
and “Safety Belt Pretensioners”
underLap-Shoulder Belt on
page 1-14. The Airbag Readiness
light may also come on in the
instrument panel cluster. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-13.
See your dealer/retailer.
{Alarm Activated
This message is displayed when
the content theft-deterrent system
was activated by an attempted
break-in. The messages may
also include the location on the
vehicle where the break-in
was attempted. SeeContent
Theft-Deterrent on page 2-13
for more information.
"Alternator
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the battery charging
system. The charging system light
may also come on in the instrument
panel cluster. SeeCharging System
Light on page 4-15. Driving while this
message is on could drain the
battery. Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as possible.
See your dealer/retailer.
Battery Saver Mode On
This message is displayed when the
battery voltage level is low.
$Brake
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the brake system.
The Brake System Warning light may
also come on in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 4-15. When this
message is on, stop the vehicle onthe side of the road. Do not continue
driving until you know that braking is
possible or that the cause of the
problem has been corrected, see
your dealer/retailer. This message
also indicates low brake uid. Check
the brake uid level. SeeBrakes on
page 9-25.
*Check Engine
If this message and the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp come on and
stay on when driving, the system
may require servicing. Although the
vehicle may still be drivable and
not require towing, take the vehicle
to your dealer/retailer as soon
as possible. If this message comes
on when the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp is ashing, reduce the
vehicle’s speed and load until the
lamp stops ashing, then take
the vehicle to your dealer/retailer as
soon as possible. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 4-18
for more information.
Instruments and Controls 4-27

:Check Oil
This message is displayed if the oil
pressure or oil level is low. Stop
when safe, turn off the engine and
check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil on page 9-8. Do not run
the engine when this warning is
illuminated. If the oil level is normal,
have the system checked at your
dealer/retailer.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
:Check Oil will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the vehicle
has been serviced.
X Contact Dealer
This message is displayed when
there is a fault in the instrument
panel, see your dealer/retailer.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, butXService willcontinue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the vehicle
has been serviced.
ICruise On, Cruise Off,
Cruise Active, and Cruise
Inactive
These messages display the
status of the cruise control system.
SeeCruise Control on page 4-5
for more information.
Engine Immobilized Refer to
Owners Manual
This message is displayed when the
engine has been shutdown due to
the theft-deterrent system. See
Immobilizer Operation on page 2-12
for more information.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
AEng Immo will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the vehicle
has been serviced.
BEngine Temp
(Temperature) Hot
This message is displayed when the
engine coolant temperature is
excessively hot. Stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. See
Engine Overheating on page 9-20.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
BTemp Hot will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the vehicle
has been serviced.
.Low Fuel
This message is displayed when the
fuel level is low.
You can press
3or8to
acknowledge that you received the
message, but
.Low Fuel will
continue to appear in the bottom of
the DIC display until the fuel
tank has been lled above the low
fuel level.
4-28 Instruments and Controls