Page 3 of 381
ii
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem are registered
trademarks and the name VIBE is a trademark 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 ªGeneral Motors
of Canada Limitedº for Pontiac Division whenever it
appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will
be there if you ever need it when you're on the road.
If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the new owner can use it.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
Canadian Owners
Canadian Owners: You can obtain a French copy of
this manual from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Litho in U.S.A.Copyright General Motors Corporation 01/07/02
Part Number 22683297 A First Edition All Rights Reserved
Page 41 of 381
1-35
CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose. In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your body.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the
law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
Infants and Young Children
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by the
appropriate restraint. Young children should not use the
vehicle's safety belts, unless there is no other choice.
Page 73 of 381

2-9
Remote Keyless Entry System
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can lock and unlock
your doors from about 3 feet (1 m) up to 30 feet (9 m)
away using the remote keyless entry transmitter supplied
with your vehicle.
Your remote keyless entry system operates on a radio
frequency subject to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and with Industry Canada.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
This device complies with RSS
-210 of Industry Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation of
the device.Changes or modifications to this system by other than an
authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
At times you may notice a decrease in range. This is
normal for any remote keyless entry system. If the
transmitter does not work or if you have to stand closer
to your vehicle for the transmitter to work, try this:
Check the distance. You may be too far from your
vehicle. You may need to stand closer during rainy
or snowy weather.
Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal. Take a few steps to the left or
right, hold the transmitter higher, and try again.
Check to determine if battery replacement is
necessary. See the instructions that follow.
If you're still having trouble, see your dealer or a
qualified technician for service.
Page 75 of 381
2-11 Battery Replacement
Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless
entry transmitter should last about three years.
You can tell the battery is weak if the transmitter won't
work at the normal range in any location. If you have to
get close to your vehicle before the transmitter works,
it's probably time to change the battery.
NOTICE:
When replacing the battery, use care not to touch
any of the circuitry. Static from your body
transferred to these surfaces may damage the
transmitter.
To replace the battery, do the following:
1. Insert a small coin or similar object to separate the
bottom half from the top half of the transmitter.
2. Remove the battery and replace it with the new one.
Make sure the positive side of the battery faces
upward. For battery replacement, use a three
-volt
battery, type CR2032, or equivalent.
3. Snap the transmitter back together tightly to be sure
no moisture can enter.
Page 84 of 381

2-20 Manual Transaxle
The gear selector should be in neutral and the parking
brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor and
start the engine. Your vehicle won't start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down
-- that's a safety feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid
draining your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again to start the engine by turning the ignition key
to START. Wait about 15 seconds between each try.When your engine has run about 10 seconds to warm
up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don't ªraceº
your engine when it's cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32F or 0C), let
the engine run for a few minutes to warm up.
3. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you don't,
your engine might not perform properly.
Page 101 of 381

2-37 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
The headlamps must be on for this feature to work. For
high beams, push the turn signal lever away from you.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel
cluster also will be on.
It will go off when you switch to the low beams. To
switch back to low beams, pull the lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
With the lever in the low-beam position, pull the lever
toward you to momentarily switch to high beams (to
signal that you are going to pass). If you have the
headlamps on when you release the lever, they will
return to the low beams.
Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of the steering column
controls the windshield wipers and washer.
The available positions are the following:
OFF: The wipers are off.
INT (Intermittent): Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. In light rain or snow, you might
want to use this position rather than continuous wiping.
You can change the time between wipes by turning the
INT TIME band. Turn the band forward or rearward for
longer or shorter delay interval. This position works the
same for the rear wiper.
Page 108 of 381

2-44
When it begins to get dark, the headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL to the regular
headlamps. See ªAutomatic Light Controlº earlier in
this section.
When you turn the exterior lamp switch off, the regular
lamps will go off and your headlamps will change to the
reduced brightness of DRL provided it is not dark
outside. DRL also comes on if only the parking lamps
are being used.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, do the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Turn the ignition back on.
The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.Interior Lamps
Interior/Instrument Panel Brightness Dial
The interior/instrument
panel brightness dial is
located to the left of the
steering wheel on the
instrument panel.
The brightness of the instrument panel lights will not
decrease when the headlamps are on. It is recommended
that the brightness level is kept at the maximum setting
for all daytime driving to insure proper visibility.
Page 154 of 381

3-14
RCL (Recall): Press this button to see how long the
current track has been playing. To change what is
normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time),
press the button until you see the display you want, then
hold the button until the display flashes. While elapsed
time is showing, CD TIME will appear on the display.
AM FM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside
the radio for future listening.
CD AUX (Auxiliary): Press this button to play a
compact disc when listening to the radio. CD will appear
on the display when a compact disc is loaded.
(Eject): Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may
be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs
may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this
button is pressed first.Compact Disc Messages
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio
display and the disc comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
You're driving on a very rough road. When the road
becomes smoother, the disc should play.
The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.
The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.