Pontiac G5 (2008 year). Manual

Sunroof

On vehicles with a sunroof,
the switch that operates it
is located on the
headliner between the
map lamps.

The sunroof will only operate while the ignition is on, or
turned to ACC/ACCESSORY, or if Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) is active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 2-24.

Press the sunroof switch rearward to open the sunroof
to the vent position. If the sunshade is closed, it must
be opened manually in the vent position. Press and hold
the switch rearward a second time to open the sunroof.
If the sunshade is closed, it will open automatically
when the sunroof is opened.

To close the sunroof, press the switch forward and hold
it until the sunroof is closed. The sunroof will stop if
the switch is released. Close the sunshade by hand.

The sunroof glass panel cannot be opened or closed if
the vehicle has an electrical failure.

Notice: If you force the sunshade forward of the
sliding glass panel, damage will occur and the
sunroof may not open or close properly. Always
close the glass panel before closing the sunshade.

2-44

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The main components of the instrument panel are the following:

A. Side Window Outlets. See Climate Control System

on page 3-19.

B. Air Outlets. See Outlet Adjustment on page 3-22.

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 3-26.

F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).

See Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-76.

G. Hazard Warning Flashers Button. See Hazard

Warning Flashers on page 3-6.

H. Windshield Wiper/Washer Controls. See Windshield

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

I. Audio System. See Audio System(s) on page 3-55.

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

on page 3-16.

K. Trunk Release. See Trunk on page 2-12.

L. Instrument Panel Brightness Control. See Instrument

Panel Brightness on page 3-16.

M. Driver Information Control Buttons. See Driver

Information Center (DIC) on page 3-42.

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

O. Traction Control System Button (If Equipped).

See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6.
Electronic Stability Control Button (If Equipped).
See Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on page 4-10.

P. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). Accessory Power

Outlet (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-19 and Accessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 3-18.

Q. Shift Lever (Manual Shown). See Manual

Transmission Operation on page 2-30 and Automatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-27.

R. Climate Controls. See Climate Control System on

page 3-19.

S. Heated Seats Button (If Equipped). See Heated

Seats on page 1-4.

T. Glove Box. See Glove Box on page 2-43.

3-5

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Hazard Warning Flashers

The hazard warning flashers let you warn the police and
others that you have a problem. The front and rear
turn signal lamps will flash on and off.

The hazard warning
flasher button is on the
instrument panel.

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

The hazard warning flashers work even if the key is not
in the ignition switch.

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.

3-6

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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.

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 Lamp Control. See Headlamps

on page 3-14.

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, 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 5-97.

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; Speed Sensitive Wipers): Move the

lever to this position 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 will also increase or
decrease.

(Delay): While the lever is in the intermittent

position, turn the intermittent adjust band with this
symbol on it up or down to select a shorter or longer
delay between wiping cycles. 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 a 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 stop after one wiping cycle. If additional
wiping cycles are needed, hold the lever down longer.

Damaged wiper blades can prevent you from seeing well
enough to drive safely. Clear ice and snow from the
wiper blades before using them to prevent damage.

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

3-9

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Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker stops 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 turn on
automatically. They turn off 15 seconds after the
wipers are turned off.

Windshield Washer

To wash the 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 the button is released, the washers stop, but the
wipers continue to wipe about three times or resume
the previous speed.

Cruise Control

With cruise control, a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h)
or more can be maintained 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 excessive wheel slip, 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
outboard side of 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

button to turn 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.

3-11

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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 25 mph (40 km/h)
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 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 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 mph (1.6 km/h)
slower.

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.

3-12

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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.
Many drivers find this to be too much trouble and do
not use cruise control on steep hills.

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.

•

Press the cruise control

on/off button to 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.

3-13

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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): Turn the switch to this position to

turn on the headlamps, parking lamps, and taillamps.

;

(Parking Lamps): Turn the switch to this position to

turn on the parking lamps and taillamps only.

AUTO (Automatic Headlamp System): Turn the
switch to this position to automatically turn 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 3-14.

(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 transmission must be in the PARK (P)
position, before the Automatic Headlamp System can be
turned off.

Wiper Activated Headlamps

This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers are turned on. For this
feature to work, automatic lighting must be enabled.
See Headlamps on page 3-14 for additional information.

When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They will also turn
off 15 seconds after the windshield wiper control is
turned off.

3-14

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Headlamps on Reminder

If the driver’s door is opened with the ignition off and
the lamps on, a warning chime will sound. This lets you
know 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.

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 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 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.

3-15

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Fog Lamps

If equipped, the fog lamp
button is located on the
instrument panel, to the left
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 cluster 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.

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

Your vehicle may have a dome lamp.

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

lamp off, even when a door is opened.

(Door): Move the lever to this position to turn the

lamp on whenever a door is opened.

(On): Move the lever to this position to turn the

dome lamp on.

3-16

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Pontiac G5 (2008 year). Manual - part 8