2003 PONTIAC VIBE warning

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When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº and ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
With the anti
-lock brake system, the light will come on
when your engine is started and may stay on for several
seconds. That's normal.

2-67
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light will come on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. This is
normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States

2-73 Cruise Light
The CRUISE light appears
whenever use the ON
-OFF
button to set your cruise
control. See ªCruise
Controlº in the Index.
Overdrive Off Light
Your automatic transaxle
has overdrive. The light will
come on whenever you turn
off the overdrive. See
ªOverdriveº in the Index.
Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level
Warning Light (Canada Only)
This light will come on
when your windshield
washer fluid is low.
Door Ajar Warning Light
This light will come on
if any door is not
completely closed.

2-74 Fuel Gage
United States
Canada
Your fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your
tank. The fuel gage works only when the ignition switch
is ON. When the gage first indicates E or empty, you
still have a little fuel left about 1 or 2 gallons (3.8 L or
7.6 L), but you need to get more right away. When your
vehicle is low on fuel the low fuel warning light will
also come on to remind you to add fuel.

2-75
Here are five things some owners ask about. None of
these show a problem with your fuel gage.

At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads F or full.

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill it.

It takes the gage several minutes to read F or full
after filling the vehicle with fuel.

The gage moves a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.

The gage doesn't go back to E or empty when you
turn off the ignition.Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on when
the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the tank. See ªFuelº in
the Index.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (Option)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
United States Canada
If your vehicle has anti
-lock brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will come on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system, the
anti
-lock brake system warning light will stay on. See
ªAnti
-Lock Brake System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-14
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as
enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to make a
ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow down when you have
any doubt.
If you have the anti
-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti
-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.

4-20 Driving Through Flowing Water
CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be
carried away. As little as six inches of flowing
water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants could
drown. Don't ignore police warning signs, and
otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips

Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.

Have good tires with proper tread depth. See ªTiresº
in the Index.