Pontiac G8 manual Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs

4-20 Instruments and Controls

•If you just drove through a deep puddle of water, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet. The condition is usually corrected when the electrical system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

•If you recently changed brands of fuel, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See Gasoline Octane on page 8-33. Poor

fuel quality causes the engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You might notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — these conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.

If you experience one or more of these conditions, change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.

If none of the above have made the light turn off, your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Your dealer/retailer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical problems that might have developed.

Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs

Some state/provincial and local governments have or might begin programs to inspect the emission control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could prevent getting a vehicle registration.

Here are some things to know to help your vehicle pass an inspection:

•Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check engine light is on or not working properly.

•Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical emission control systems have not been completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if you have recently replaced

the battery or if the battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to evaluate critical emission control systems during normal driving. This can take several days of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack of

OBD system readiness, your dealer/retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.