Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-5
Safety Belts
................... 1-5
Airbag System
..............1-20
Child Restraints
.............1-34
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)
.............4-22
OnStar
®System
............4-35
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
......8-16
Fuel
............................8-34
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-28
Bulb Replacement
.........9-31
Electrical System
...........9-36
Tires
...........................9-42Tire Changing
...............9-66
Jump Starting
...............9-84
Towing
........................9-88
Appearance Care
..........9-95
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identi cation
......10-1
Capacities and
Speci cations
............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
2009 Pontiac G8 Owner ManualM
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
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. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-18.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
1-14 Seats and Restraints
{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 1-45
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to
set the lock.5. 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. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to use
your knee to push down on the
child restraint as you tighten
the belt.6. If your child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for more
information.
7. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.
Seats and Restraints 1-49
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. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be 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 is off, the off indicator
in the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint” underPassenger
Sensing System on page 1-27
for more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
1-52 Seats and Restraints
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.One key, located inside the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
can be used for the ignition and all
locks except the glovebox.
Press the button on the RKE
transmitter to extend the key.
Press the button and the key blade
to retract the key.
A xed blade key is also supplied
for the glovebox.
See your dealer/retailer if a new key
is needed.
Notice:If you ever lock your
keys in the vehicle, you may have
to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
Contact Roadside Assistance
or OnStar if you are locked out of
the vehicle. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program on page 12-6
orOnStar
®System on page 4-35.
2-2 Keys, Doors and Windows
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. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of
the vehicle in a crash if the
doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock
the doors whenever you drive.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
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 your
vehicle whenever you leave 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.
Manual Door Locks
Unlock the driver door manually
from the outside using the key.
Turn the key counter-clockwise once
to unlock the driver door, and twice
to unlock all doors.
Lock all doors manually from the
outside by turning the key clockwise.
Lock and unlock the doors
manually from inside the vehicle
using the knob on the door. Do not
use the manual door lock knob
when the door is open.
2-8 Keys, Doors and Windows
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist
because the engine stops or the
system is not functioning, you can
steer but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the
road surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and your speed.
While in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
If you need to reduce speed, do it
before you enter the curve, while the
front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain
a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the
curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking.
For example, you come over a hill
and nd a truck stopped in your
lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts
out from between parked cars
and stops right in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by
braking — if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you cannot;
there is not room. That is the
time for evasive action — steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like these. First
apply the brakes. SeeBraking on
page 8-17. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around
the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel
at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear
safety belts properly.
8-22 Driving and Operating