2009 PONTIAC G8 Owners Manual

Courtesy Transportation
To enhance your ownership
experience, we and our participating
dealers are proud to offer Courtesy
Transportation, a customer support
program for vehicles with the Bumper
to Bumper (Base Warranty Coverage
period in Canada) and extended
powertrain warranty in both the
U.S. and Canada.
Several courtesy transportation
options are available to assist
in reducing your inconvenience
when warranty repairs are required.
Courtesy Transportation is not a
part of the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. A separate booklet
entitled “Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information” furnished
with each new vehicle provides
detailed warranty coverage
information.
Transportation Options
Warranty service can generally be
completed while you wait. However,
if you are unable to wait, GM helps
to minimize your inconvenience
by providing several transportation
options. Depending on the
circumstances, your dealer can
offer you one of the following:
Shuttle Service
Shuttle service is the preferred
means of offering Courtesy
Transportation. Dealers may provide
you with shuttle service to get you
to your destination with minimal
interruption of your daily schedule.
This includes one-way or round
trip shuttle service within reasonable
time and distance parameters of
the dealer’s area.Public Transportation or Fuel
Reimbursement
If your vehicle requires overnight
warranty repairs, and public
transportation is used instead of
the dealer’s shuttle service, the
expense must be supported by
original receipts and can only be
up to the maximum amount
allowed by GM for shuttle service.
In addition, for U.S. customers,
should you arrange transportation
through a friend or relative,
limited reimbursement for
reasonable fuel expenses may be
available. Claim amounts should
reect actual costs and be
supported by original receipts.
See your dealer for information
regarding the allowance amounts
for reimbursement of fuel or
other transportation costs.
Customer Information 12-9

Courtesy Rental Vehicle
Your dealer may arrange to provide
you with a courtesy rental vehicle or
reimburse you for a rental vehicle
that you obtain if your vehicle is kept
for an overnight warranty repair.
Rental reimbursement will be limited
and must be supported by original
receipts. This requires that you sign
and complete a rental agreement
and meet state/provincial, local, and
rental vehicle provider requirements.
Requirements vary and may include
minimum age requirements,
insurance coverage, credit card, etc.
You are responsible for fuel usage
charges and may also be
responsible for taxes, levies, usage
fees, excessive mileage, or rental
usage beyond the completion of
the repair.
It may not be possible to provide a
like-vehicle as a courtesy rental.Additional Program
Information
All program options, such as shuttle
service, may not be available at
every dealer. Please contact
your dealer for specic information
about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will be
administered by appropriate
dealer personnel.
General Motors reserves the right
to unilaterally modify, change
or discontinue Courtesy
Transportation at any time and to
resolve all questions of claim
eligibility pursuant to the terms and
conditions described herein at
its sole discretion.
Collision Damage Repair
If your vehicle is involved in a
collision and it is damaged, have
the damage repaired by a qualied
technician using the proper
equipment and quality replacement
parts. Poorly performed collision
repairs diminish your vehicle’s
resale value, and safety
performance can be compromised
in subsequent collisions.
Collision Parts
Genuine GM Collision parts are new
parts made with the same materials
and construction methods as the
parts with which your vehicle was
originally built. Genuine GM Collision
parts are your best choice to ensure
that your vehicle’s designed
appearance, durability, and safety
are preserved. The use of Genuine
GM parts can help maintain your
GM New Vehicle Warranty.
12-10 Customer Information

Recycled original equipment parts
may also be used for repair. These
parts are typically removed from
vehicles that were total losses in
prior crashes. In most cases, the
parts being recycled are from
undamaged sections of the vehicle.
A recycled original equipment GM
part, may be an acceptable choice to
maintain your vehicle’s originally
designed appearance and safety
performance, however, the history of
these parts is not known. Such parts
are not covered by your GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any
related failures are not covered by
that warranty.
Aftermarket collision parts are
also available. These are made
by companies other than GM and
may not have been tested for your
vehicle. As a result, these parts
may t poorly, exhibit premature
durability/corrosion problems,
and may not perform properly in
subsequent collisions.Aftermarket parts are not covered
by your GM New Vehicle Limited
Warranty, and any vehicle failure
related to such parts are not covered
by that warranty.
Repair Facility
We recommend that you choose a
collision repair facility that meets
your needs before you ever need
collision repairs. Your dealer/retailer
may have a collision repair center
with GM-trained technicians and
state of the art equipment, or be able
to recommend a collision repair
center that has GM-trained
technicians and comparable
equipment.
Insuring Your Vehicle
Protect your investment in your
GM vehicle with comprehensive
and collision insurance coverage.
There are signicant differences
in the quality of coverage afforded
by various insurance policy terms.Many insurance policies provide
reduced protection to your GM
vehicle by limiting compensation
for damage repairs by using
aftermarket collision parts. Some
insurance companies will not
specify aftermarket collision parts.
When purchasing insurance,
we recommend that you assure
your vehicle will be repaired with
GM original equipment collision
parts. If such insurance coverage is
not available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching
to another insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing
company may require you to have
insurance that assures repairs
with Genuine GM Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
parts or Genuine Manufacturer
replacement parts. Read your
lease carefully, as you may be
charged at the end of your lease
for poor quality repairs.
Customer Information 12-11

If a Crash Occurs
Here is what to do if you are
involved in a crash.
Check to make sure that you are
all right. If you are uninjured,
make sure that no one else in
your vehicle, or the other vehicle,
is injured.
If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help.
Do not leave the scene of a crash
until all matters have been taken
care of. Move your vehicle only if
its position puts you in danger or
you are instructed to move it by a
police officer.
Give only the necessary and
requested information to police
and other parties involved in the
crash. Do not discuss your
personal condition, mental frame
of mind, or anything unrelated to
the crash. This will help guard
against post-crash legal action.
If you need roadside assistance,
call GM Roadside Assistance.
SeeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 12-6for more
information.
If your vehicle cannot be driven,
know where the towing service
will be taking it. Get a card from
the tow truck operator or write
down the driver’s name, the
service’s name, and the phone
number.
Remove any valuables from your
vehicle before it is towed away.
Make sure this includes your
insurance information and
registration if you keep these
items in your vehicle.
Gather the important information
you will need from the other
driver. Things like name, address,
phone number, driver’s license
number, vehicle license plate,
vehicle make, model and modelyear, Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN), insurance
company and policy number,
and a general description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
If possible, call your insurance
company from the scene of the
crash. They will walk you through
the information they will need.
If they ask for a police report,
phone or go to the police
department headquarters the next
day and you can get a copy of the
report for a nominal fee. In some
states/provinces with “no fault”
insurance laws, a report may not
be necessary. This is especially
true if there are no injuries and
both vehicles are driveable.
12-12 Customer Information

Choose a reputable collision
repair facility for your vehicle.
Whether you select a dealer/
retailer or a private collision repair
facility to x the damage, make
sure you are comfortable with
them. Remember, you will have to
feel comfortable with their work for
a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read
it carefully and make sure you
understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you
have a question, ask for an
explanation. Reputable shops
welcome this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that your vehicle
requires damage repairs, GM
recommends that you take an active
role in its repair. If you have a
pre-determined repair facility
of choice, take your vehicle there,
or have it towed there. Specify to
the facility that any required
replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled
original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered
by your GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this
with your repair professional, and
insist on Genuine GM parts.Remember if your vehicle is leased
you may be obligated to have
the vehicle repaired with Genuine
GM parts, even if your insurance
coverage does not pay the full cost.
If another party’s insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept
a repair valuation based on
that insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have
no contractual limits with that
company. In such cases, you can
have control of the repair and
parts choices as long as cost stays
within reasonable limits.
Customer Information 12-13

Reporting Safety
Defects
Reporting Safety Defects
to the United States
Government
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying
General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it nds that
a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a
recall and remedy campaign.However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual
problems between you,
your dealer/retailer, or
General Motors.
To contact NHTSA, you may call
the Vehicle Safety Hotline
toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov;
or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington D.C., 20590
You can also obtain other
information about motor
vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
Reporting Safety Defects
to the Canadian
Government
If you live in Canada, and you
believe that your vehicle has
a safety defect, notify Transport
Canada immediately, in addition to
notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at
1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9
Reporting Safety Defects
to General Motors
In addition to notifying NHTSA
(or Transport Canada) in a
situation like this, please notify
General Motors.
Call 1-800-762-2737, or write:
Pontiac Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-5172
12-14 Customer Information

In Canada, call 1-800-263-3777
(English) or 1-800-263-7854
(French), or write:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre,
CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
Service Publications
Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis
and repair information on engines,
transmission, axle suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information needed
to knowledgeably service General
Motors cars and trucks. Each
bulletin contains instructions to
assist in the diagnosis and service
of your vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle.
The owner manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all
models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Without Portfolio:
Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Current and Past Model
Order Forms
Technical Service Bulletins and
Manuals are available for current
and past model GM vehicles.
To request an order form, specify
year and model name of the vehicle.ORDER TOLL FREE:
1-800-551-4123 Monday-Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit
Helm, Inc. on the World Wide
Web at: helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without
notice and without incurring
obligation. Allow ample time for
delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers:
All listed prices are quoted in
U.S. funds. Canadian residents
are to make checks payable in
U.S. funds.
Customer Information 12-15

Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of
sophisticated computers that record
information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven.
For example, your vehicle uses
computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and
deploy airbags in a crash and, if so
equipped, to provide antilock braking
to help the driver control the vehicle.
These modules may store data to
help your dealer/retailer technician
service your vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate of
fuel consumption or average speed.
These modules may also retain the
owner’s personal preferences, such
as radio pre-sets, seat positions, and
temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose
of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an airbag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that
will assist in understanding how a
vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and
safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:
How various systems in your
vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was travelingThis data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:EDR data is recorded
by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data
is recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) is
recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
12-16 Customer Information