Pontiac Solstice (2006 year). Manual

Lowering the Manual Convertible Top

1. Park on a level surface and set the parking

brake. Shift an automatic transmission into
PARK (P). Shift a manual transmission into
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).

2. Make sure the ignition is turned off.
3. Push the trunk release button located in the glove

box, or on the remote keyless entry, if equipped.

4. Lift the trunk.

5. The convertible top front latch, located above the

inside rearview mirror, must be unlatched. Pull the
latch down and turn it counterclockwise to unlatch it.
Leave the latch open and rotated to prevent damage.

6. Pull rearward on the side edge (B) of the convertible

top and pull it off of the windshield frame.

7. Push the convertible top down into the trunk (D).

8. After the top is stored, apply one even push, as

shown, on the convertible top to ensure that the
top is fully retracted and securely stored.

9. Close the trunk (D) by pressing down on it with a

swift, firm motion.

2-35

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Raising the Manual Convertible Top

1. Park on a level surface, set the parking brake firmly

and shift an automatic transmission into PARK (P).
Shift a manual transmission into FIRST (1) or
REVERSE (R).

2. Make sure the ignition is turned off, and lower the

windows.

3. Push the trunk release button located in the glove

box, or on the remote keyless entry, if equipped.

4. Lift the trunk.

5. Pull the convertible top forward by firmly gripping the

side edge (B) and applying a brisk upward and
forward motion to get the top in the pull-up position.

6. Close the trunk (D) by pushing it down with a swift,

firm motion.

7. At the rear edge of the convertible top, press down

on the two buttresses (C) to latch them into the top
of the trunk.

8. Pull the front edge (A) of the convertible top forward

from the outside of the vehicle, or push the front
edge (A) of the convertible top forward from the
inside of the vehicle.

9. Turn the top front latch handle clockwise to latch

the convertible top.

2-36

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The main components of your instrument panel are the following:

A. Side Window Outlets. See Climate Control System

on page 3-17.

B. Air Outlets. See Outlet Adjustment on page 3-20.

C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See Turn

Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.

D. Cruise Control Buttons (If Equipped). See Cruise

Control on page 3-10.

E. Instrument Panel Cluster. See Instrument Panel

Cluster on page 3-21.

F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped). See

Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-69.

G. Instrument Panel Brightness Control. See Instrument

Panel Brightness on page 3-15.

H. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator. See Passenger

Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-25.

I. Hazard Warning Flashers Button. See Hazard

Warning Flashers on page 3-6.

J. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped). See Fog Lamps on

page 3-14.

K. Drive Information Center (DIC) Controls. See Driver

Information Center (DIC) on page 3-36.

L. Horn. See Horn on page 3-6.

M. Windshield Wiper/Washer Controls. See Windshield

Wipers on page 3-9 and Windshield Washer on
page 3-10.

N. Climate Controls. See Climate Control System on

page 3-17.

O. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). Accessory Power

Outlet (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-16 and Accessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 3-15.

P. Shift Lever. See Manual Transmission Operation on

page 2-23. See Automatic Transmission Operation on
page 2-20 (if equipped with automatic transmission).

Q. Parking Brake Lever. See Parking Brake on

page 2-24.

R. Audio System. See Audio System(s) on page 3-45.

S. Cupholder. See Cupholder(s) on page 2-33.

T. Trunk Release. See Trunk on page 2-9.

U. Glove Box. See Glove Box on page 2-33.

3-5

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Hazard Warning Flashers

Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.

The hazard warning
flasher button is located in
the center of the
instrument panel.

Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in.

Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the flashers off.

When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.

Other Warning Devices

If you carry reflective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.

Horn

To sound the horn, press the center pad on the steering
wheel.

Tilt Wheel

A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise the steering wheel to
the highest level to give your legs more room when you
enter and exit the vehicle.

3-6

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The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.

To tilt the wheel, pull down the lever. Then move the
wheel to a comfortable position, pull up the lever to lock
the wheel in place.

Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever

The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:

•

Turn and Lane-Change Signals. See Turn and

Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.

•

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.

•

Flash-to-Pass. See Flash-to-Pass on page 3-8.

•

Exterior Light Control. See Headlamps

on page 3-13.

3-7

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Turn and Lane-Change Signals

The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.

To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.

An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.

To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself
when you release it.

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 the fuse. See Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-78.

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer

To change the headlamps from low beam to high
beam, push the turn signal lever away from you.

When the high beams are
on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.

To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.

Flash-to-Pass

This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.

To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.

3-8

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Windshield Wipers

Use this lever, located on the right side of the steering
wheel, to operate the windshield wipers.

(Off): Move the lever to this position to turn off the

windshield wipers.

(Intermittent): Move the lever to this position for

intermittent operation. When you select this position, the
delay will vary depending on the manually selected delay.

(Delay): When the lever is in the intermittent

position, turn the intermittent adjust band with this symbol
on it up or down to set for a shorter or longer delay
between wipes. To the left of the adjust band are bars,
increasing in size from bottom to top, that indicate the
frequency of the wipes. Smaller bars mean the wipers
movement is less frequent. Larger bars mean the
movement is more frequent.

(Low Speed): Move the lever up to the first

setting past intermittent, for steady wiping at low speed.

(High Speed): Move the lever up to the second

setting past intermittent, for wiping at high speed.

(Mist): Move the lever all the way down to this

position for a single wiping cycle. Hold it there until the
windshield wipers start; then let go. The windshield
wipers will stop after one wiping cycle. If you want
additional wiping cycles, hold the lever down longer.

Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing
well enough to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure to
clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before
using them.

If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.

3-9

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Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload. 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 will turn on
automatically. They will turn off 15 seconds after
the wipers are turned off.

Windshield Washer

To wash your windshield, press the button at the end of
the lever until the washers begin.

{

CAUTION:

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 you release the button, the washers will stop, but
the wipers will continue to wipe for about three times
or will resume the speed you were using before.

Cruise Control

If equipped with cruise control, your vehicle can maintain
a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really help
on long trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below 25 mph (40 km/h).

{

CAUTION:

Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your 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 needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.

3-10

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Setting Cruise Control

{

CAUTION:

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 steering
wheel.

(On/Off): Press this button to turn the cruise

control system on and off.

RES+ (Resume): Press this button to resume a set
speed and to accelerate the speed.

SET

−

(Set): Press this button to set a speed and to

decrease the speed.

To set a speed do the following:

1. Press the on/off button to turn cruise control on.

The indicator light on the button will come on.

2. Get to the speed you want.

3. Press the SET

−

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.

When you apply the brakes or clutch, the cruise control
will shut off.

Resuming a Set Speed

Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course,
disengages the cruise control. To return to your
previously set speed, you do not need to go through the
set process again. Once you’re going about 25 mph
(40 km/h) or more, you can press the RES+ button briefly.

This will take you back up to your previously chosen
speed and stay there.

3-11

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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control

There are two ways to increase 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+ button. Press it until you get up
to the speed you want, and then release the button.
To increase your speed in very small amounts,
press the RES+ button briefly and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) 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 you

reach the lower speed you want, then release it.

•

To slow down in very small amounts, push the
SET

−

part of the button briefly. Each time you

do this, you will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control

Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.

Using Cruise Control on Hills

How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.

Ending Cruise Control

To end cruise control, step lightly on the brake pedal or
the clutch if your vehicle has a manual transmission.

Stepping on the brake pedal or clutch will only end the
current cruise control session. Press the cruise
control on/off button to turn the system completely off.

Erasing Speed Memory

When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.

3-12

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Headlamps

The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.

The exterior lamp switch has the following four positions:

(Headlamps): This position turns on the

headlamps, parking lamps, and taillamps.

;

(Parking Lamps): This position turns on the

parking lamps and taillamps only.

AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System): This position
automatically turns on the Daytime Running Lamps
during daytime, and the headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps at night.

(Off/On): This position is an Off/On switch for the

Automatic Headlamp System. In Canada, this applies
to vehicles with an automatic transmission set to
PARK (P) and manual transmission vehicles with the
parking brake engaged.

When operating in AUTO, a momentary turn of the
switch to off/on will turn off the Automatic Headlamp
System. An AUTO LIGHTS OFF message will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC), if equipped, and
a chime will sound. Rotating the switch to off/on
again will turn the Automatic Headlamp System back
on. An AUTO LIGHTS ON message will display on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).

The Automatic Headlamp System is always turned on at
the beginning of an ignition cycle for vehicles with
manual transmission. When the parking brake is
engaged, the automatic headlamps will turn off. For
vehicles with an automatic transmission, when the shift
lever is shifted out of PARK (P), the Automatic
Headlamp System will turn on. Shifting the lever back to
PARK (P) will turn off the automatic headlamp system
for vehicles with an automatic transmission.

3-13

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Headlamps on Reminder

If you open the driver’s door with the ignition off and the
lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.

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.

Your 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 both front turn signal lamps
turn on 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 PARK (P).

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 your vehicle is in
PARK (P). The DRL system on U.S. vehicles can
also be turned off by using the off/on switch for one
ignition cycle.

As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

The DRL system will turn off whenever the park brake is
engaged or if vehicle speed is less than 5 mph after
the vehicle is started.

Fog Lamps

If your vehicle is equipped
with a fog lamp button, it is
located on the instrument
panel, to the right of
the steering wheel.

The ignition must be on to turn your fog lamps on.

Push the button to turn the fog lamps on. An indicator
light on the switch will come on when the fog lamps are
on. Push the button again to turn the fog lamps off.

The parking lamps will automatically turn on and
off when the fog lamps are turned on and off.

3-14

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Pontiac Solstice (2006 year). Manual - part 6