2004 PONTIAC VIBE wheel alignment

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-23
Manual Transaxle Fluid..................................5-25
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-26
Engine Coolant.............................................5-27
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-29
Engine Overheating.......................................5-30
Cooling System............................................5-32
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-38
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-39Brakes........................................................5-40
Battery........................................................5-44
Jump Starting...............................................5-45
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-52
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-54
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-55
Rear Combination Lamps...............................5-56
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-58
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-59
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-60
Tires..............................................................5-61
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-67
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-68
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-70
Buying New Tires.........................................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-73
Wheel Replacement......................................5-74
Tire Chains..................................................5-75
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-76
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-77
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-88
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It should be
at 60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage ®rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire in¯ation pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the in¯ation pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.
If you over®ll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-70andWheel Replacement
on page 5-74for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See
Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4for scheduled
rotation intervals.
5-68

Temperature Ð A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a speci®ed indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
5-73

Tires (cont.)
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-76
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure..............................5-67
Inspection and Rotation................................5-68
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-73
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-74
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-70
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-19
Top Strap......................................................1-36
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-38
Torque Lock...................................................2-30
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires..................4-36
Towing..........................................................4-30
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-30
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-34
Your Vehicle...............................................4-30
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-37
Transaxle.......................................................5-23
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-23
Fluid, Manual..............................................5-25
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-20
Transaxle Operation, Manual............................2-23
Transfer Case (Power Transfer Unit)..................5-51
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit
Repair Manual............................................7-11
Transportation Options...................................... 7-8
Trip Odometers..............................................3-27
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-5Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer..................4-39
U
Underbody Flushing Service.............................6-23
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-63
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-72
United States ± Customer Assistance.................. 7-4
Used Replacement Wheels..............................5-75
Using Cleaner on Fabric..................................5-90
Using Song List Mode.....................................3-61
Using the Recovery Hook................................4-29
V
Vehicle............................................................ 4-5
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Loading......................................................4-32
Parking Your...............................................2-31
Symbols......................................................... iv
Vehicle Identi®cation........................................5-97
Number (VIN).............................................5-97
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-97
Vehicle Storage..............................................5-44
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-22
Visor Vanity Mirror..........................................2-13
Visors...........................................................2-13
13

W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators................3-25
Warnings......................................................... 3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers............................... 3-4
Other Warning Devices.................................. 3-4
Safety and Symbols......................................... iii
Vehicle Damage.............................................. iv
Washer Fluid, Low Warning Light......................3-39
Washing Your Vehicle......................................5-92
Weatherstrip Lubrication...................................6-20
Weight of the Trailer Tongue.............................4-36
Weight of the Trailer........................................4-35
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use........................5-18
What to Do with Used Oil................................5-21
What to Use..................................5-28, 5-38, 5-39
Wheels..........................................................5-73
Alignment and Tire Balance..........................5-73
Replacement...............................................5-74
When to Add Engine Oil..................................5-17
When to Change Engine Oil.............................5-20
When to Check......................................5-25, 5-68
When to Check and Change............................5-23
When to Check and What to Use.....................5-27
When to Check Power Steering Fluid................5-38
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking
on a Hill.....................................................4-40Where to Put the Restraint...............................1-36
Why Safety Belts Work....................................1-10
Windows.......................................................2-11
Manual......................................................2-11
Power........................................................2-12
Windshield, Backglass and Wiper Blades...........5-93
Windshield Washer........................................... 3-8
Fluid..........................................................5-39
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check................6-19
Windshield Wiper............................................5-60
Blade Replacement......................................5-60
Fuses........................................................5-98
Windshield Wipers............................................ 3-7
Winter Driving................................................4-24
Wiper Blade Check.........................................6-20
X
XMŸ Radio Satellite Service (USA Only)...........3-42
XMŸ Satellite Radio Antenna System................3-64
XMŸ Satellite Radio Service (USA Only)...........3-64
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................... 6-2
14