2010 PONTIAC G3 tow

Outside Power Mirrors
The control is located on
the instrument panel, left
of the steering wheel.
The ignition must be turned to ON/RUN to adjust the
mirrors.
To adjust the mirrors: 1. Select the mirror you want to adjust by moving the selector switch to L for the driver side mirror
or R for the passenger side mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows located on the control pad to move the mirror to the desired direction.
Manually fold the mirrors inward to prevent damage
when going through an automatic car wash. To fold,
push the mirror toward the vehicle. Push the mirror
outward, to return to its original position.
Outside Convex Mirror
{WARNING:
A convex mirror can make things, like other
vehicles, look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you could
hit a vehicle on the right. Check the inside mirror
or glance over your shoulder before changing
lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex shaped. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so more can be seen from the
driver seat.
Outside Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with this feature:
<(Rear Window Defogger): Press to heat the
mirrors. See “Rear Window and Outside Mirror
Defogger” underClimate Control System
on page 4‑15for more information.
3-35

As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
flash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers will not see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows do not go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then
check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on
page 6‑87.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
The headlamps must be on for this feature to work.
Push the turn signal lever away from you to turn the
high beams on. This instrument panel cluster light
3comes on while
the high beams are on and the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN.
Pull the lever towards you to return to low beams.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature is used to signal to the vehicle ahead that
you want to pass.
Pull the turn signal/multifunction lever towards you until
the high-beam headlamps come on, then release the
lever to turn them off.
4-5

Windshield Wipers
Sedan shown
Hatchback shownThe lever is located on the right side of the steering
column. The ignition must be turned to ON/RUN to
operate the windshield wipers.
Move the lever to one of the following positions:
HI (High Speed) :
Fast wipes.
LO (Low Speed) : Slow wipes.
INT (Intermittent) : Move to this position for a delayed
wiping cycle. Turn the band on the windshield wiper
toward FAST or SLOW for a shorter or longer delay
between wipes. The wiper speed can only be adjusted
when the lever is in the INT position.
OFF : Turns the windshield wipers off.
Misting Function
Move the lever toward INT for a single wiping cycle.
Hold it there until the windshield wipers start; then let
go. The windshield wipers will stop after one wipe.
If more wipes are needed, hold the band toward INT
longer.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades should be replaced.
SeeWindshield Wiper Blade Replacement
on
page 6‑49.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wipers. A circuit
breaker stops them until the motor cools.
4-6

Windshield Washer
To use this feature, the ignition must be turned to
ON/RUN. Pull the windshield washer/wiper lever
toward you to spray washer fluid on the windshield.
The spray continues until the lever is released.
The wipers will run a few times and either stop or
will resume at the speed being used previously.
SeeWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 6‑33for
information on filling the windshield washer fluid.
{WARNING:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
{WARNING:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
The vehicle may have a rear window wiper/washer.
Turn the rear wiper/washer band to operate the rear
window wiper/washer.
OFF : Turns the rear window wiper/washer off.
Z:Turns the rear wiper on for intermittent wipes.
Y: Sprays washer fluid onto the rear window and the
wiper operates continuously.
The windshield washer reservoir is used for the
windshield and rear window. Check the fluid level if
either washer is not working. See Windshield Washer
Fluid on page 6‑33.
4-7

Up-Shift Light
The vehicle may have an
up-shift light.
When this light comes on, shift to the next higher gear if
weather, road, and traffic conditions allow.
See Manual Transmission Operation
on page 3‑26for
more information.
Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can still
work and stop the vehicle. For good braking, both parts
need to work.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected right away.
United StatesCanada
{WARNING:
The brake system might not be working properly if
the brake system warning light is on. Driving with
the brake system warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after the vehicle has
been pulled off the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for service.
This light should come on briefly when the ignition is
turned to ON. If it does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn if there is a problem.
4-26

When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when the parking brake is set. The
light will stay on if the parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after the parking brake is fully
released, it means there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving, carefully pull off the
road and stop. The pedal may be harder to push or may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle towed for service.
SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5‑25.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with the
Antilock Brake System
(ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF or if
the light comes on, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs service. See your
dealer/retailer. If the regular brake system warning light
is not on, the brakes will still work, but the antilock
brakes will not work. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, the antilock brakes will not
work and there is a problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on page 4‑26.
The ABS warning light will come on briefly when the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN. This is normal. If the light
does not come on then, have it fixed so it will be ready
to warn if there is a problem.
Hold Mode Light
If the vehicle has this
feature, this light comes
on when the hold mode
is active.
If the HOLD mode light flashes, have the vehicle
checked. See “Hold Mode”underAutomatic
Transmission Operation
on page 3‑22for more
information.
4-27

Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .5-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
5-1

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