2009 PONTIAC TORRENT oil change

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

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Horn .............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-7
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-8
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-8
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-8
Windshield Washer.........................................3-9
Rear Window Wiper/Washer...........................3-10
Cruise Control..............................................3-10
Headlamps..................................................3-13
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-13
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-13
Automatic Headlamp System..........................3-14
Fog Lamps ..................................................3-14
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-15
Dome Lamp .................................................3-15
Entry Lighting...............................................3-15
Map Lamps .................................................3-16
Cargo Lamp.................................................3-16
Electric Power Management...........................3-16
Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-17
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-18
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-18Climate Controls............................................3-19
Climate Control System.................................3-19
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-23
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-23
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-24
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-25
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-26
Trip Odometer..............................................3-26
Tachometer.................................................3-26
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-27
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-28
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-29
Charging System Light..................................3-30
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-30
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light.....3-31
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light......3-32
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-32
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-33
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-33
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-34
Oil Pressure Light (US-Canada)......................3-36
Change Engine Oil Light................................3-37
Security Light...............................................3-37
Fog Lamp Light............................................3-37
Cruise Control Light......................................3-38
Reduced Engine Power Light.........................3-38
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

This light comes on briey while starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer. If the system is working normally
the indicator light then goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
is not owing through the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might have some other system
problem.
Change Engine Oil Light
If this light comes on and stays on for 30 seconds,
it means that service is required for your vehicle.
A CHANGE OIL SOON message will appear on the
DIC. For more information seeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-49.
After having the oil changed you will need to reset the
light. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-15, andScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4for more information.
Security Light
For information regarding
this light and the vehicle’s
security system, see
Content Theft-Deterrent
on page 2-17, and
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic
Immobilizer Operation on
page 2-18.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes
on when the fog lamps are
in use.
The light goes out when the fog lamps are turned off.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-14for more information.
3-37

RANGE
Press the trip/fuel button until RANGE displays.
This display shows the approximate number of
remaining miles (mi) or kilometers (km) 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.
This estimate will change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and making frequent
stops, this display may read one number, but if
the vehicle is driven on a freeway, the number may
change even though the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different driving conditions
produce different fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel economy than city driving.
If your vehicle is low on fuel, the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message will be displayed. See “FUEL LEVEL LOW”
underDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49
for more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu Items
T
(Vehicle Information):Press this button to scroll
through the following displays:
OIL LIFE
Press the vehicle information button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an estimate
of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine oil life system will alert
you to change the oil on a schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will appear on the display
along with the Change Engine Oil Light on the instrument
panel cluster. See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49andChange
Engine Oil Light on page 3-37. You should change the
oil as soon as possible. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-15.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4for more information.
3-44

Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself
after each oil change. It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system, seeEngine Oil
Life System on page 5-18.
UNITS
Press the vehicle information button until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to select between
English or Metric units of measurement. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units.
FRONT TIRES or REAR TIRES
The pressure for each tire can be viewed in the DIC.
The tire pressure will be shown in either pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press the vehicle
information button until the DIC displays FRONT TIRES
PSI (kPa) LF ## RF ##. Press the vehicle information
button again until the DIC displays REAR TIRES PSI
(kPa) LR ## RR ##.
If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected by
the system while driving, a message advising you
to check the pressure in a specic tire will appear inthe display. SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-55
andDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49for
more information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes instead of
a value, there may be a problem with your vehicle. If this
consistently occurs, see your dealer/retailer for service.
BATTERY
Press the vehicle information button until BATTERY
displays. This display shows the current battery voltage.
If the voltage is normal, the display will show NORMAL.
If the voltage is low or high, the display will show LOW or
HIGH. Your vehicle’s charging system regulates voltage
based on the state of the battery. The battery voltage
may uctuate when viewing this information on the DIC.
This is normal. SeeCharging System Light on page 3-30
for more information.
If there is a problem with the battery charging system,
the DIC will display SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM. See “SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-49. Also, seeElectric Power Management
on page 3-16for more information.
3-45

CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN CIRCLES
This message displays when calibrating the compass.
Drive the vehicle in circles at less than 5 mph (8 km/h)
to complete the calibration. SeeDIC Compass on
page 3-47for more information.
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
This message displays when the compass calibration
is complete. SeeDIC Compass on page 3-47for
more information.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays and the Change Engine Oil Light
in the instrument panel cluster turns on when service
is required for the vehicle. See your dealer/retailer.
SeeChange Engine Oil Light on page 3-37,Engine Oil
on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
Acknowledging this message will not reset the OIL LIFE
REMAINING display. That must be done at the OIL LIFE
screen under the vehicle information menu. See “OIL
LIFE” underDIC Operation and Displays on page 3-42
andEngine Oil Life System on page 5-18for more
information.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This message displays when the pressure in one
or more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked.
This message also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRNT
(Front), LEFT REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which
tire needs to be checked. You can receive more than
one tire pressure message at a time. To read the other
messages that may have been sent at the same time,
press the set/reset button. If a tire pressure message
appears on the DIC, stop as soon as you can. Have the
tire pressures checked and set to those shown on the
Tire Loading Information label. SeeTires on page 5-48,
Loading the Vehicle on page 4-20, andInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-55. The DIC also shows the tire
pressure values. SeeDIC Operation and Displays on
page 3-42. If the tire pressure is low, the low tire pressure
warning light comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light on
page 3-33.
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays when the driver door is not
closed properly. Close the door completely.
3-50

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel ash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lamps also ash, telling other drivers the vehicle
is turning, changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument
panel ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. For this reason you may think other
drivers are seeing the signal when they are not.
It is important to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforestarting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the
vehicle’s speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce
the possibility of the engine and the transmission
overheating.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level ground, with the automatic
transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning
the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating on page 5-28.
4-39

Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in
Canada. Some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend against the use of
gasolines containing MMT. SeeAdditives on page 5-6
for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specications. See the underhood emission
control label. If this fuel is not available in states adopting
California emissions standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal specications, but
emission control system performance might be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog-check test. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-34. If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer/retailer for diagnosis. If it is determined
that the condition is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In most
cases, you should not have to add anything to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel injectors
and intake valves clean, or if the vehicle experiences
problems due to dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
For customers who do not use TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel tank at every engine
oil change, can help clean deposits from fuel injectors
and intake valves. GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS
is the only gasoline additive recommended by General
Motors.
5-6