2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE fuel

An emission system malfunction might be corrected by
doing the following:
Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. SeeFilling
the Tank on page 5-8. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
If the vehicle has been driven through a deep
puddle of water, the vehicle’s electrical system
might be wet. The condition is usually corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel. Poor
fuel quality causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may cause: stalling after
start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed into
gear, misring, hesitation on acceleration, or
stumbling on acceleration. These conditions might
go away once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions occurs, change
the fuel brand used. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5.If none of the above have made the light turn off, have
your dealer/retailer check the vehicle. The dealer/retailer
has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to
x any mechanical or electrical problems that might have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
might begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on the vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things to know to help the vehicle pass
an inspection:
The vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on with the engine running, or if the
key is in the ON/RUN and the light is not on.
The vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
OBD II (on-board diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle
would be considered not ready for inspection.
This can happen if the battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run down. The
diagnostic system is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during normal driving.
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Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when
the high-beam headlamps
are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-7
for more information.
Trunk Ajar Light
This light will come on and
a chime will sound if the
trunk is ajar.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows
how much fuel the vehicle
has left.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
Here are four things that customers ask about. None of
these indicates a problem with the fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off
before the fuel gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the fuel tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the fuel tank’s
capacity to ll it.
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The gage moves a little while turning a corner or
speeding up.
The gage does not go back to empty when the
ignition is turned off.
For the fuel tank capacity, seeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-104.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, below the fuel
gage, comes on briey
when the engine is started.
This light also comes on when the fuel tank is low on
fuel. When fuel is added, the light should go off. If
it does not, have the vehicle serviced.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
The DIC display gives you the status of many of your
vehicle’s systems. The DIC is also used to display driverpersonalization menu modes and warning/status
messages. All messages will appear in the DIC display,
located at the bottom of the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC buttons are
located on the left side of
the steering wheel.
INFO (Information):Press this button to scroll through
the vehicle information mode displays.
r(Reset):Press this button to reset some vehicle
information mode displays, select a personalization
menu mode setting, or acknowledge a warning
message.
Press and hold the information and reset buttons at the
same time for one second, then release the buttons
to enter the personalization menu. SeeDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-41for more information.
3-34

DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. The DIC has
different modes which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons. The button functions are detailed in the
following.
Information Modes
INFO (Information):Press this button to scroll through
the following vehicle information modes:
Odometer
Press the information button until the odometer displays.
This mode shows the total distance the vehicle has
been driven in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km).
To change the DIC display to English or metric units,
see “UNITS” underDIC Vehicle Personalization on
page 3-41.
TRIP A or TRIP B
Press the information button until TRIP A or TRIP B
display. These modes show the current distance
traveled since the last reset for each trip odometer in
either miles (mi) or kilometers (km). Both odometers can
be used at the same time.
To reset the trip odometer to zero, press and hold the
reset button for a few seconds while the desired
trip odometer is displayed.
FUEL RANGE
Press the information button until FUEL RANGE
displays. This mode shows the remaining distance you
can drive without refueling in either miles (mi) or
kilometers (km). It is based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining in the tank.
When the fuel level is low, FUEL RANGE LOW displays.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range
is an average of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
The FUEL RANGE mode cannot be reset.
MPG (L/100 KM) AVG (Average)
Press the information button until MPG (L/100 KM) AVG
displays. This mode shows how many miles per gallon
(mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) your
vehicle is getting based on current and past driving
conditions.
To reset the average fuel economy, press and hold the
reset button while MPG (L/100 KM) AVG is displayed.
Average fuel economy is then calculated starting
from that point. If the average fuel economy is not reset,
it is continually updated each time you drive.
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MPG (L/100 KM) INST (Instantaneous)
Press the information button until MPG (L/100 KM) INST
displays. This mode shows the current fuel economy
at a particular moment and changes frequently as
driving conditions change. This mode shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in miles per gallon (mpg) or
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km). Unlike average
fuel economy, this screen cannot be reset.
AV (Average) SPEED
Press the information button until AV SPEED displays.
This mode shows the vehicle’s average speed in
miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per hour (km/h).
To reset the average vehicle speed, press and hold the
reset button while AV SPEED is displayed.
OIL LIFE
Press the information button until OIL LIFE displays.
The engine oil life system shows an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. It shows 100% when the system
is reset after an oil change. It alerts you to change the oil
on a schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil
life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeEngine Oil
on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-19.
COOLANT
Press the information button until COOLANT displays.
This mode shows the temperature of the engine
coolant in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees
Celsius (°C).
Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), the pressure for each tire can be viewed in
the DIC. The tire pressure is shown in either pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press
the information button until LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF
displays for the front tires. Press the information button
again until LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for the
rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is detected by the
system while driving, a message advising you to
check the tire pressure appears in the display. See
Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-53andDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-37for more information.
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BOOST (Turbo Only)
If your vehicle has this feature, press the information
button until BOOST displays. This mode shows a
graphic that indicates the amount of boost the engine is
receiving in either pounds per square inch (psi) or
kilopascals (kPa).
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages appear if there is a problem detected
in one of your vehicle’s systems.
A message clears when the vehicle’s condition is no
longer present. To acknowledge a message and clear it
from the display, press and hold any of the DIC
buttons. If the condition is still present, the warning
message comes back on the next time the vehicle is
turned off and back on. With most messages, a warning
chime sounds when the message displays. Your
vehicle may have other warning messages.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS OFF
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is disabled with the headlamp switch.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is enabled with the headlamp switch.
BRAKE FLUID
This message displays, while the ignition is on, when
the brake uid level is low. The brake system warning
light on the instrument panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-25for more
information. Have the brake system serviced by
your dealer/retailer as soon as possible.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when the life of the engine oil
has expired and it should be changed.
When this message is acknowledged and cleared from
the display, the engine oil life system must still be
reset separately. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-19andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for
more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel cap has not been fully
tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to make sure that it
is on properly. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the message off.
CHECK TIRE PRESS (Pressure)
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the pressure in
one or more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked. If
a tire pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as
3-37

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............4-2
Driving for Better Fuel Economy.......................4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)......................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-11
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-12Driving at Night............................................4-13
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-14
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-15
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-15
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-16
Winter Driving..............................................4-17
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-19
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-20
Loading the Vehicle......................................4-20
Towing..........................................................4-25
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-25
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-25
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-25
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here are some
driving tips to get the best fuel economy possible.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
Avoid idling the engine for long periods of time.
When road and weather conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control, if equipped.
Always follow posted speed limits or drive more
slowly when conditions require.
Keep vehicle tires properly inated.
Combine several trips into a single trip.
Replace the vehicle’s tires with the same TPC
Spec number molded into the tire’s sidewall near
the size.
Follow recommended scheduled maintenance.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-6.
{CAUTION:
Assume that other road users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following distance between you
and the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause collisions resulting in
injury or possible death. These simple defensive
driving techniques could save your life.
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