2008 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

If the Light Is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is
On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing, follow the
previous steps, and see your dealer/retailer for service as
soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install the
cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-7. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off orimproperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap allows
fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving trips
with the cap properly installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet.
The condition is usually corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the
light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You
might notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — these
conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.
This will be detected by the system and cause the light to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn
off, your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
3-37

Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
might begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced the battery or if the battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This can take several days of routine driving.
If you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
dealer/retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.
This light will come on
briey when you start
your engine. If it does
not, have your vehicle
serviced.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil is
not owing through your engine properly. You could be
low on oil and you might have some other system
problem.
3-38

Lights On Reminder
This light comes on
whenever the headlights
are on.
SeeHeadlamps on Reminder on page 3-15for more
information.
Taillamp Indicator Light
This light will come on
when your taillamps are on.
SeeExterior Lamps on page 3-14for more information.
Cruise Control Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you press the
ON-OFF button to set
your cruise control.
SeeCruise Control Light on page 3-39for more
information.
Overdrive Off Light
The automatic transaxle
has overdrive. This light
comes on whenever
you turn off the overdrive.
SeeOverdrive Off on page 2-25for more information.
Canada Only
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Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when
the high-beam headlamps
are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8
for more information.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light will come on
when your windshield
washer uid is low.
SeeWindshield Washer Fluid on page 5-34for more
information.
Door Ajar Light
This light will come on if
any door, the rear liftgate
or the rear liftglass are
not completely closed.
Canada Only
3-40

Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your fuel
tank. An arrow on the fuel gage indicates that the fuel
ller door is on the driver side of your vehicle. The fuel
gage works only when the ignition switch is ON. When
the gage rst 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, located below the empty
mark, will also come on to remind you to add fuel.Here are ve things some owners ask about. None of
these show a problem with the 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 ll 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 ll it.
It takes the gage several minutes to read F or full
after lling the vehicle with fuel.
The gage moves a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.
The gage does not go back to E or empty when you
turn off the ignition. United States
Canada
3-41

Low Fuel Warning Light
This light is located on the
fuel gage and comes on
when the fuel tank is
low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFuel on
page 5-5for more information.
Audio System(s)
Determine which radio your vehicle has and then read
the pages following to familiarize yourself with its
features.
{CAUTION:
This system provides you with far greater
access to audio stations and song listings.
Giving extended attention to entertainment
tasks while driving can cause a crash and you
or others can be injured or killed. Always keep
your eyes on the road and your mind on the
drive — avoid engaging in extended searching
while driving.
Keeping your mind on the drive is important for
safe driving. SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
3-42

While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules covering
mobile radio and telephone units. If sound equipment
can be added, it is very important to do it properly.
Added sound equipment may interfere with the
operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other
systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s
systems may interfere with the operation of sound
equipment that has been added.
Setting the Time
The radio may have a button marked with an H or HR to
represent hours and an M or MN to represent minutes.
Press and hold the hour button until the correct hour
displays. AM or PM displays for morning or evening
hours. Press and hold the minute button until the correct
minute displays. The time can be set with the ignition
on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and hold
the hour and minute buttons at the same time until
UPDATED and the clock symbol appear on the display.
If the time is not available from the station, NO UPDATE
or NO UPDAT will appear on the display.
RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to
an RDS broadcast station, it could take a few minutes
for the time to update.
3-43

Radio(s)
Your vehicle has one of these radios as its audio
system.
If your vehicle has the Premium audio system, it
includes seven speakers. See your dealer/retailer for
details.
The radio has a theft-deterrent feature. A red light blinks
while the engine is off to indicate the radio is protected.
It will not operate if it is installed in a different vehicle. Radio with CD (MP3) shown,
Radio with CD (Basic) similar
Radio with Six-Disc CD Player
3-44