2010 PONTIAC G5 Owners Manual

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high
beam, push the turn signal lever away from you.This indicator light appears
on the instrument panel
cluster when the high
beams are on.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
To signal to a driver in front of you that you want to pass,
pull the turn signal/multifunction lever until the high-beam
headlamps come on. Then release the lever to turn
them off.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper lever is on the right side of the
steering column.
Move the lever to control the windshield wipers.
9(Off): Turns the windshield wipers off.
&(Intermittent; Speed Sensitive Wipers): For
intermittent or speed sensitive operation. The amount of
delay time varies between wiping cycles due to the delay
setting selected or the speed of the vehicle. As vehicle
speed is increased or decreased, the wiper interval also
increases or decreases.
4-5

x(Delay):Move the lever to the&position, then
turn the
xband up for more frequent wipes or down
for less frequent wipes.
6(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
1(High Speed): Fast wipes.
8(Mist):Single wipe, move the lever down, then
release it. Several wipes, hold the lever down.
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.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker stops the motor until it cools. If the
motor gets stuck, turn the wipers off, clear away
the snow or ice, and then turn the wipers back on.
As an added safety feature, if the wipers are on for
more than 15 seconds, the vehicle’s headlamps turn
on automatically. They turn off 15 seconds after the
wipers are turned off.
Windshield Washer
Press the button at the end of the windshield wiper
lever until the washers begin.
{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.
When the button is released, the washers stop, but the
wipers continue to wipe about three times or resume
the previous speed.
4-6

Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph)
or more can be maintained without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. Cruise control does not work
at speeds below 40 km/h (25 mph).
The brake must be applied at least one time, after the
vehicle has been started, before cruise control will
function.
{WARNING:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery roads.
On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and you could lose
control. Do not use cruise control on slippery roads.
Setting Cruise Control
{WARNING:
If you leave your cruise control on when you are not
using cruise, you might hit a button and go into
cruise when you do not want to. You could be
startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch off until you want to use cruise
control.The cruise control buttons
are located on the outboard
side of the steering wheel.
J(On/Off):Press to turn the cruise control system on
and off.
4-7

RES+ (Resume):Press to resume a set speed and to
accelerate the speed.
SET– (Set): Press to set a speed and to decrease the
speed.
To set a speed do the following:
1. Press
Jto turn the cruise control on. The indicator
light on the button will come on.
2. Get to the speed desired.
3. Press the SET– part of the control button and release it. The CRUISE ENGAGED message
will appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC)
to show the system is engaged.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose the cruise control is set at a desired speed
and then the brake is applied. This disengages the
cruise control. To return to the previously set speed,
you do not need to go through the set process again.
Once the vehicle is traveling at least 40 km/h (25 mph)
or more, press the RES+ part of the button briefly.
The vehicle returns to the previously selected speed and
stays there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed. 1. Disengage the cruise control by applying the brake pedal, but do not turn it off. Accelerate to a higher
speed and reset the cruise control.
2. If the cruise control system is already engaged, press the RES+ part of the button. Hold it there until you
get up to the speed desired, and then release the
button. To increase the vehicle speed in very small
amounts, press the RES+ part of the button briefly
and then release it. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already engaged,
•Push and hold the SET– part of the button until the
lower speed desired is reached, then release it.
•To slow down in very small amounts, push the
SET– part of the button briefly. Each time this
is done, the vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph)
slower.
4-8

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed
you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle speed, load, and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle’s speed.
When going downhill, you might have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed down. Applying
the brake will turn off the cruise control.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to end cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal or the clutch pedal if
the vehicle has a manual transmission. This will
only end the current cruise control session.
•PressJto turn the system completely off.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when
the cruise control or the ignition is turned off.
Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has the following four positions:
2(Headlamps):Turns on the headlamps, parking
lamps, and taillamps.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the parking lamps and
taillamps only.
AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System): Automatically
turns on the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) during
daytime, and the headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps at night. This position must be selected in
order for the Wiper Activated Headlamps to be activated.
See Wiper Activated Headlamps on page 4-10 .
4-9

P(Off/On):When operating in AUTO, a momentary
turn of the switch to Off/On will turn the Automatic
Headlamp System off or back on. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, the automatic transmission must be
in P (Park) or the manual transmission must have the
park brake set, before the Automatic Headlamp System
can be turned off.
Wiper Activated Headlamps
The headlamps and parking lamps are activated
15 seconds after the windshield wipers are turned on.
For this feature to work, automatic lighting must be
enabled. See Headlamps on page 4-9 for additional
information.
When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They also turn
off 15 seconds after the windshield wiper control
is turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
If the drivers door is opened with the ignition off and the
lamps on, a warning chime will sound. This indicates
that the headlamps are still on.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The vehicle has a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel. Make sure it is not covered or the headlamps
will come on when you do not need them.
The DRL system will make the headlamps come on at
reduced intensity when the following conditions are met:
•The ignition is on.
•The exterior lamp control is turned to AUTO.
•The light sensor detects daytime light.
•The shift lever is not in P (Park).
While the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, and instrument panel lights will not be illuminated.
The DRL system will be off any time the vehicle is in
P (Park). The DRL system on U.S. vehicles can also be
turned off by using the off/on switch for one ignition cycle.
The regular headlamp system should be used when
needed.
4-10

Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the button is located on the
instrument panel, to the left of the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on to use the fog lamps.
#:Press to turn the fog lamps on off. An indicator
light on the button comes on when the fog lamps are on.
The parking lamps automatically turn on and off when
the fog lamps are turned on and off.
The fog lamps will turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The control for this feature
is located on the instrument
panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
Turn the knob clockwise to brighten the lights or
counterclockwise to dim them.
Dome Lamp
The vehicle may have a dome lamp.
Move the lever to the following positions:
9(Off): Turns the lamp off, even when a door is
opened.
1(Door): Turns the lamp on whenever a door is
opened.
+(On): Turns the dome lamp on.
4-11

Entry/Exit Lighting
The lamps inside the vehicle will go on when any door is
opened. These lamps fade out about 20 seconds after all
of the doors have been closed or when the ignition is
turned to ON/RUN. These lamps will also go on when
pressing the trunk release, unlock symbol, or the horn
symbol button on the Remote Keyless Entry System
(RKE) Transmitter.
After the key is removed from the ignition, the lamps
inside the vehicle stay on for about 20 seconds to
provide an illuminated exit.
Mirror Reading Lamps
The vehicle may have reading lamps on the rearview
mirror. Press the button near each lamp to turn the
reading lamps on and off.
Electric Power Management
This vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM),
an advanced control system. It estimates the battery’s
temperature and state of charge and then adjusts
the voltage for best performance and extended life
of the battery.When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When the
state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage
or voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the following
loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps, rear
window defogger, climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and
loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the battery.
It does this by balancing the generator’s output and the
vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power, whenever needed.
It can temporarily reduce the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver.
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