2004 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

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.LO (Low):Move the lever to LO for steady wiping at
low speed.
HI (High):Move the lever to HI for steady wiping at
high speed.
MIST:For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go. The
wipers will stop after one wipe.
REAR:To turn on the rear window wiper, twist the end
of the lever upward. The wiper does not work with
the rear liftglass open.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
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Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you to spray washer ¯uid on the
windshield. The spray will continue until you release the
lever. The wipers will run a few times. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-39.
To squirt washer ¯uid on the rear window, twist the knob
upward and downward as far as it will go. The knob
automatically returns from these positions after you
release it. You can twist the lever downward to create a
large ¯ow of water on the rear window, then twist the
lever back up to wipe the window. This feature is helpful
to quickly clear the rear liftglass when very dirty.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lever is located on the right side of
the steering wheel.
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With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h).
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don't use cruise control on
slippery roads.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control 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
Cruise Control Light
on page 3-39for 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.
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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 less than 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.
The cruise control set speed is erased from memory if the
vehicle speed goes below 25 mph (40 km/h). If your
preset speed cancels out at speeds above 25 mph
(40 km/h), 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 brie¯y and then release
it. Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
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Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
·Push and hold the lever to SET/COAST until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
·To slow down in very small amounts, push the lever
down brie¯y. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake or downshifting to SECOND (2) or
LOW (L) takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers ®nd this to be too much trouble and don't use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:
·Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the
clutch pedal, if you have a manual transaxle.
·Press the CRUISE ON-OFF button again.
·Pull the cruise control lever toward you.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased. The set
speed memory is also erased when the vehicle speed is
less than 25 mph (40 km/h).
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Exterior Lamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
O(Exterior Lamps):Turn the outside part of the
lever with the symbol on it, to operate the lamps.The exterior lamp switch has three positions:
OFF:Turning the switch to this position turns off all
lamps, except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
O(Parking Lamps):Turning the switch to this position
turns on the parking lamps together with the following:
·Sidemarker Lamps
·Taillamps
·License Plate Lamp
·Instrument Panel Lights
3(Headlamps):Turning the switch to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Turn the switch to OFF to turn off the lamps.
-(Fog Lamps):You can also use the control lever
to turn on the fog lamps. They will come on only
when the headlamps are on low beam.
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Automatic Headlamp System
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor
on the top left corner of the instrument panel, so be
sure it is not covered or the headlamps will be on
continuously.
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your low-beam headlamps
at the normal brightness along with other lamps such
as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and
instrument panel lights. The parking brake must be
released for the automatic headlamp system to work.
This is indicated by the headlamp symbol on your
instrument panel cluster.
If you are driving through a parking garage, overcast
weather, or a tunnel, the automatic headlamp system
may turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal
brightness along with the taillamps, sidemarker, parking
lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will be dimmer, and the instrument panel cluster lights
may dim. There will be a delay of several seconds before
the lights will turn on when starting the car at night.
Headlamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition to LOCK or ACC and leave
the lamps on, you'll hear a tone when you open the
driver's door.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when the following conditions
are met:
·The ignition is on with the engine running,
·the exterior lamps switch is off and
·the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your headlamps will be on
at a reduced brightness. The taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel
won't be lit up either.
When you turn the exterior lamp switch to the headlamp
position, your DRL will go off and your headlamps will
come on. The other lamps that come on with your
headlamps will also come on.
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When it begins to get dark, the headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL to the regular headlamps.
See ªAutomatic Headlamp Systemº 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
Instrument Panel Brightness
The instrument panel
brightness control is
located to the left of the
steering wheel on the
instrument panel.
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