2009 Pontiac G5 Owner's Manual - Page 149

An emission system malfunction might be corrected by doing the following: • Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. See Filling the Tank on page 5-8. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should turn the light off. • If the vehicle has been driven through a deep puddle of water, the 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. • Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality causes the engine not to run as efficiently as designed and can cause: stalling after start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. These conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up. If one or more of these conditions occurs, change the fuel brand used. It will require at least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off. See Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. If none of the above have made the light turn off, your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. The 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 the vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could prevent getting a vehicle registration. Here are some things to know to help the vehicle pass an inspection: • The vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check engine light is on with the engine running, or if the key is in ON/RUN and the light is not on. • The vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD II (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 the battery has recently been replaced 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 this has been done and the vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD II system readiness, your dealer/retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection. 3-35