2010 PONTIAC G3 Owners Manual

WARNING: (Continued)
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑32.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only as needed to
keep warm, but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of the way to save heat.
Repeat this until help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to
keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then
when you run the engine, push the accelerator pedal
slightly so the engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to restart the vehicle
and to signal for help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible to save fuel.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 5‑14.
{WARNING:
If you let your vehicle's tires spin at high speed,
they can explode, and you or others could be
injured. The vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other damage. Spin
the wheels as little as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as shown on the
speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on the vehicle,
see Tire Chains on page 6‑68.
5-13

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a forward gear, or with a manual
transmission, between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as little as possible.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes
a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to
be towed out. If the vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5‑25.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight or maximum load amount and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory‐ installed options. Two labels on
your vehicle show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information
label and the Certification label.
{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts
on the vehicle can break, and it can change
the way your vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the life of the
vehicle.
5-14

Tire and Loading Information
Label‐United States
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the vehicle's center pillar
(B‐pillar). With the driver's door open, you will
find the label attached below the door lock
post (striker). The Tire and Loading Information
label shows the number of occupant seating
positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity
weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. The Tire and Loading Information label also
shows the tire size of the original equipment
tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more information on tires and
inflation see
Tires
on page 6‑50andInflation - Tire
Pressure
on page 6‑57.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. See “Certification Label”later in
this section.
5-15

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement“The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle's placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the“XXX”amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 ‐750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to
tow a trailer.
5-16

Example 1
Item DescriptionTotal
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 1 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 2 = 300 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Occupant
and Cargo Weight = 700 lbs (317 kg)
Example 2
Item Description
Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 2 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 5 = 750 lbs (340 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight = 250 lbs (113 kg)
5-17

Example 3
Item DescriptionTotal
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 3 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 200 lbs
(91 kg) × 5 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight = 0 lbs (0 kg)Refer to your vehicle's tire and loading information
label for specific information about your vehicle's
capacity weight and seating positions. The
combined weight of the driver, passenger, and
cargo should never exceed your vehicle's capacity
weight.
5-18

Tire and Loading Information
Label‐Canada
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the driver's side, center pillar
(B‐pillar). This label shows the Maximum Load amount, the number of occupant seating
positions, the original equipment tires, and
the recommended cold tire inflation pressure.
For more information on tires and inflation see
Tires
on page 6‑50and
Inflation - Tire Pressureon
page 6‑57
.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. See “Certification Label”later in
this section.
5-19

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the“Maximum Load” amount.
2.Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from the Maximum Load
amount.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the Maximum Load amount
equals 1400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be
five 150 lb (68 kg) passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (295 kg).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
Your vehicle is not designed nor intended to tow a
trailer.
5-20