2006 PONTIAC VIBE tires

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
.......................................1-26
Airbag System
.........................................1-49
Restraint System Check
............................1-66
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
.................................................2-10
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-12
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-14
Mirrors
....................................................2-30
OnStar
®System
......................................2-32
Storage Areas
.........................................2-34
Sunroof
..................................................2-37
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-24
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-42Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-37
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-52
Appearance Care
.....................................5-81
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-89
Electrical System
......................................5-90
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-96
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-98
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-13
Index................................................................ 1
2006 Pontiac Vibe Owner ManualM

NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
while the engine is running at high speed may
damage the transaxle. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speeds when shifting your vehicle.DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 27 mph (43 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 29 mph (47 km/h) or more, push your
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power than
DRIVE (D) but lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off and on.
LOW (L):This position gives you even more power
than SECOND (2) but lower fuel economy. You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in LOW (L), the transaxle will not shift
into low gear until the vehicle is going slow enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transaxle. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes, or parking brake to hold the vehicle
in place.
2-20

Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of your
vehicle or replacement tires that do not match your
vehicle’s original tires can affect your vehicle’s
emission controls and may cause this light to come
on. Modications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
This may also result in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on page 5-3.This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
3-36

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work at the places where the tires meet
the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-32.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.
4-6

All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD
system operates automatically without any action
required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to
slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive
the vehicle as required. There may be a slight
engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertiawill keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you
have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems — steering and acceleration — can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
4-12

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you are following a larger
vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do
not get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
running start that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone is not
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and
check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in yourinside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. Remember that
your passenger side outside mirror is convex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away
from you than it really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can
ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
4-15

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 overdriving
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
are not 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
will 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 mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do
not have ABS, 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.
4-16

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to
go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when
your reexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road,
and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer uid
reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when
strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you
hit them.
4-18