Pontiac 2005 Montana User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-30
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-50
Airbag System ......................................... 1-81
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-91
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-9
Windows ................................................. 2-23
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-25
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-30
Mirrors .................................................... 2-42
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-43
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-44
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-48
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-57
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-34
Message Center ....................................... 3-45
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-52
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-55
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-34
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-44
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-50
Tires ...................................................... 5-52
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-83
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-91
Electrical System ...................................... 5-92
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-99
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index ................................................................ 1
2005 Pontiac Montana Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem, and the name
MONTANA are registered trademarks; of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division whenever it
appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is
sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05MONTANA A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 05/17/04 All Rights Reserved
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of
a component, gage, or indicator, reference the
following topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Six-Way Power Seats .....................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Rear Seats .......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-7
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage .....................1-7
Flip and Fold Feature .....................................1-8
Split Bench Seats ...........................................1-8
Bucket Seats ...............................................1-16
Captain Chairs .............................................1-22
Stowable Seat ..............................................1-26
Safety Belts ...................................................1-30
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-30
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-34
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-35
Driver Position ..............................................1-36
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-43
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-44
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-44
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-44
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-47
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-49
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-49
Child Restraints .............................................1-50
Older Children ..............................................1-50
Infants and Young Children ............................1-52
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-56
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-59
Top Strap ....................................................1-59
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-61
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-62
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-64
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position ............................................1-65
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-67
Built-In Child Restraint ...................................1-69
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Airbag System ...............................................1-81
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-84
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-87
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-88
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-89
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-89
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-91
Restraint System Check ..................................1-91
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-91
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-92
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Seats
Use the lever located on
the front of the seat to
adjust the seat forward or
rearward. Pull up the
lever to unlock the seat.
Slide the seat to where
you want it and release
the lever.
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
1-3

Six-Way Power Seats
Your vehicle may have
this feature. If it does,
the six-way power
seat control is located on
the outboard sides of
the driver’s and front
passenger’s seats.
•Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
•Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust
the rear portion of the cushion up or down.
•Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
•To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control forward or rearward.
1-4

Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have this
feature. If it does, the
heated seat switches are
located in the instrument
panel switchbank.
This feature will heat the lower cushions and lower
back of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats
for added comfort.
The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right
switch is for the front passenger’s seat. Press the bottom
of the switch to turn the heater on. The indicator light
on the switch will be lit. Press the top of the switch
to turn the heater off. The heated seat switch will turn
off when the ignition is turned to OFF and will resume
operation when the ignition is turned to RUN, unless the
switch is manually turned off.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard side of the driver’s or front passenger’s
seats. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you
want it. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it’s
locked into position. Pull up on the lever, and the seat
will go to its original upright position.
1-5

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can not do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can not do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can not do its job either. In a
crash the belt could go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
1-6

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Head restraints are fixed on some models and
adjustable on others. To adjust a head restraint, slide it
up or down.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps
used to adjust, remove, and reinstall the seats. By using
the levers and straps in the correct order, you can
easily remove the seats from the vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, follow the
label on the back of the seat for proper location.
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage
If your vehicle has a split bench seat in the
second row, use the clip on the safety belt to secure
the belt after it is disconnected from the mini-buckle.
When removing the second row split bench seat,
secure the loose end of the safety belt in this clip. This
will keep the safety belt from dangling and possibly
striking something.
Do not have the second row outside safety belt stored if
someone is sitting in the second row outside position.
1-7

Flip and Fold Feature
The rear seats in your vehicle can be folded forward.
Use this feature for exiting and entering third row seats.
1. If the seats have the adjustable head restraints,
push them fully down.
2. Fold the seatback flat
on the seat, by either
pulling on the nylon
strap on the rear of the
seat or lifting up on
the lever located on the
front of the seatback.
If the seat adjusts, slide
it all the way back.
3. Release the rear set
of hooks from the floor
pins by pulling the
nylon strap located
at the base of the seat;
hang on to the strap
as the seat
folds forward.
To return the seat(s) to the normal position, do
the following:
1. Push the seat back and firmly push the rear hooks
onto the rear floor pins by pushing down on the
rear of the seat.
2. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon
strap on the back of the seat and raise the
seatback until it locks upright.
4. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it
is locked.
Split Bench Seats
If you have the split bench seat (50/50 or 40/60), the
seatbacks can be folded forward or reclined individually
and the seats can be removed individually. The
second row (40/60) sections can also be adjusted
forward or rearward individually.
The second row (40/60) split bench may be equipped
with a built-in child restraint. See
Built-In Child Restraint
on page 1-69
.
1-8

Adjusting the Split Bench Seats
(Second Row)
The second row bench seats are adjustable. There are
two adjustment levers on each section of the split
bench seats to adjust the seat forward or rearward.
One is located below the center, in the front of each
section of the split bench.
The other lever is located
on the rear of the seat.
Lift up either lever and slide the seat forward or
rearward. Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat
to make sure it is locked into place.
1-9

Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
The seatbacks on each section of the split bench seat
can be either folded forward or reclined. The following
explains how to use the nylon strap or recliner lever
to fold or recline the seatbacks. To fold the seatback forward, pull the nylon strap
located on the rear of the seat or lift up on the recliner
lever located on the front of the seatback. The
seatback will lock into place.
Nylon Strap Recliner Lever
1-10

To raise a seatback, pull the nylon strap or lift the
recliner lever while raising the seatback until it locks
upright. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked into place.
To recline the seatback, pull the nylon strap or lift the
recliner lever. Press back on the seatback until you
reach the desired position then let go of the strap
or lever.
To return the seatback to an upright position, pull on the
nylon strap or lift the recliner lever without putting any
pressure on the seatback. Push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked into place.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position.
1. For the second row split bench, with the seatback
in the upright position, unhook the side attachment
for the safety belt. This mini-buckle is located
on the right side of the seat.
2. Push the red center
of the buckle with a
small pointed object to
remove the seat
belt, if needed.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the
nylon strap on the back of the seat to fold the
seatback forward.
4. If the seat is in the second row, lift one of the
adjustment levers and slide the seat fully rearward.
1-11

5. From behind the bench seat, pull the nylon strap at
the center of the base of the seat to release the
rear latches from the floor pins.
Do not let go of the strap until the seat is folded all
the way forward.
6. To unlatch the front latches, squeeze the angled
bar toward the straight crossbar.
7. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly forward,
then toward the rear of the vehicle and then
pulling it out.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.
1-12

Replacing the Split Bench Seats
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
{CAUTION:
A seat that is not locked into place properly
can move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position and
the safety belts are on the correct section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so they face
rearward because they won’t latch that way. If you
want more storage room behind the second row seat,
adjust each section by sliding it forward.
The split bench seats have seat position labels, located
on the back of each seat, showing where the seat
must go. Follow that diagram.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
Make sure the seat is in the full rear position before
beginning this procedure.
1-13

1. Squeeze the angled bar toward the solid crossbar
while placing the front hooks of the bench seat onto
the front two floor pins.
2. Make sure the bench
seat is angled so that
the front hooks
clear the floor pins.
If the front legs are not attached correctly, the rear
legs will not attach to the rear set of floor pins.
1-14