2003 PONTIAC VIBE light

2-14
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft
-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it's an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don't do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver's door,
you'll hear a tone reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition. If you take the key with you, and you have an
automatic transaxle, it will be locked. And remember to
lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
Even if you park in a lot where someone will be
watching your vehicle, it's still best to lock it up and
take your keys. But what if you have to leave your key?

If possible, park in a busy, well
-lit area.

Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove box.

Be sure to close and lock the storage area.

Close all windows.

Lock all the doors except the driver's.

If your vehicle has a remote keyless entry system,
take the transmitter with you.

2-15
Content Theft-Deterrent System
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle's theft-deterrent system is designed to
activate an alarm if any of the side doors or the liftgate
is forcibly unlocked or if the battery terminal is
disconnected and then reconnected while the system
is set.
The alarm will sound the horn intermittently and flash
the headlamps, turn signal lamps and interior lights. If
the driver's or front passenger's side doors are unlocked
forcibly, the other side doors and the liftgate will be
locked automatically.
Setting the System
To set the system, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to the LOCK position and
remove it.
2. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle.
3. Close and lock all the side doors and liftgate with the
key or remote keyless entry transmitter.
The indicator light located
on the instrument panel to
the left of the steering wheel
will come on when all the
side doors and liftgate are
closed and locked.
The system will be automatically set after 30
seconds. When the system is set, the indicator light
will start flashing.
4. After the indicator light starts flashing, you may
leave the vehicle.
Do not leave anyone in the vehicle when you set the
system, because unlocking the vehicle from the
inside will activate the system.

2-16 Testing the System
To test the system, do the following:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the system as described in the previous
procedure. The side doors and liftgate should be
locked with the key or remote keyless entry
transmitter. Be sure to wait until the indicator light
starts flashing.
3. Unlock the driver's door from the inside. The system
should activate the alarm.
4. Stop the alarm as described in the cancelling
procedure.
5. Repeat this operation for the other doors. Also check
that the system is activated when the battery terminal
is disconnected and then reconnected.
If the system does not work properly, have it
checked by your dealer.
Activating the System
The system will activate the alarm under the following
conditions:

If the driver's or front passenger's door is unlocked
or if any of the other side doors or the liftgate is
forcibly opened without the key or remote keyless
entry transmitter.

If the battery terminal is disconnected and then
reconnected.

If the ignition is hot
-wired.

If the side window glass is broken or damaged.
The indicator light will come on when the system is
activated.
If the driver's or front passenger's side doors are
unlocked without using the key or remote keyless entry
transmitter, the other side doors and the liftgate will be
automatically locked again.
After one minute the alarm will automatically stop and
the indicator light will start flashing again.

2-19
CAUTION:
On manual transaxle vehicles, turning the key to
LOCK and removing it will lock the steering
column and result in a loss of ability to steer the
vehicle. This could cause a collision. If you need
to turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving,
turn the key only to ACC. Don't push the key in
while the vehicle is moving.
ACC (ACCESSORY) (B): This position operates some
of your electrical accessories (such as the radio, but not
the ventilation fan). It unlocks the steering wheel and
ignition. To move the key from ACC to LOCK, push in
the key and then turn it to LOCK.
ON (C): This is the position the switch returns to after
you start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in the ON position when the engine is running.
But even when the ignition is not running, you can use
ON to operate your electrical accessories (including the
ventilation fan and 115 volt power outlet) and to display
some warning and indicator lights.START (D): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to ON for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and ON allow you
to operate some of your electrical accessories.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver's door
when the ignition is still in ACC or LOCK and the key
is in the ignition.
Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transaxle
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position
-- that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
NOTICE:
Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.

2-25 Overdrive
Your automatic transaxle
has an O/D (overdrive off)
button. It is located on the
left side of the shift lever.
Press the O/D button to turn off overdrive. A light on the
instrument panel cluster will come on when this feature
is used. Press the button again to turn overdrive back on.
Then the light on the instrument panel cluster will go
off. See ªOverdrive Off Lightº in the Index.
Use this feature for better fuel economy. Fast starts
use the most fuel while gradual starts give you the
best fuel economy.
When you turn on your vehicle the overdrive will
automatically be on until you turn it off.
Manual Transaxle Operation
Five-Speed
FIRST (1): Press the
clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly
let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the
accelerator pedal.
Five
-Speed Transaxle
Shift Pattern
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you're going less
than 20 mph (32 km/h). If you've come to a complete
stop and it's hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in neutral and let up on the clutch. Press the clutch
pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.

2-29
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the lever all the way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.

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.

2-40
Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Press the ON-OFF button at the end of the cruise
control lever. The CRUISE light on the instrument
panel cluster will come on. See ªCruise Lightº in the
Index for more information.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Move the lever down to SET/COAST and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose the cruise control is set at a desired speed and
then you apply the brake. This will shut off cruise
control. But you won't need to reset it.
Unless you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) you can
push the lever up to RES/ACC (Resume/Accelerate).
You'll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If your preset speed cancels out when it shouldn't, there
may be a problem with your vehicle's cruise control.
See your dealer.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Move the lever down to SET/COAST. Release the
lever and the accelerator pedal. You'll now cruise at
the higher speed.

Move the cruise lever up to RES/ACC. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want, and then
release the lever.

To increase your speed in very small amounts, move
the lever to RES/ACC briefly and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.