2009 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

2. If the engine does not start, wait
about 15 seconds and try again
to start the engine by turning
the ignition to START. Wait about
15 seconds between each try.
When the engine has run
about 10 seconds to warm up,
the vehicle is ready to be driven.
Do not run the engine at high
speed when it is cold.
If the weather is below freezing
(32°F or 0°C), let the engine run
for a few minutes to warm up.
3. If the engine still will not start, or
starts but then stops, it could be
ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing the accelerator pedal
all the way to the oor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the vehicle starts briey but then
stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal down
for ve or six seconds. This clears
the extra gasoline from the
engine.Notice:The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If electrical parts or
accessories are added, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer/retailer. If you do not,
the engine might not perform
properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater, if
available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below 0°F (−18°C)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The electrical
cord is located on the driver side
of the engine compartment.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a re. You
could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
Driving and Operating 8-5
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

4. Before starting the engine, be
sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be parking
the vehicle for the best advice
on this.Automatic Transmission
Operation (Four Speed)
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 8-13. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 9-77.
Make sure the shift lever is
fully in P (Park) before starting
the engine. The vehicle has
an automatic transmission
shift lock control system.
8-6 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

You must fully apply the regular
brake rst and move the shift lever to
the right before you can shift from
P (Park) when the ignition key is in
ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever all the
way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the
shift lever to the right and move the
shift lever into another gear. See
Shifting Out of Park on page 8-14.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 8-31.N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart the vehicle when
it is already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. Also, use N (Neutral) when the
vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph
(56 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h)
or more, push the accelerator
all the way down.
Notice:If the vehicle seems to
start up rather slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and you
continue to drive the vehicle that
way, you could damage the
transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. You can drive
in L2 (Low) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (56 km/h) and
D (Drive) for higher speeds
until then.
2 (Second):This position reduces
vehicle speed more than D (Drive)
without using the brakes. You
can use 2 (Second) on hills.
Driving and Operating 8-7
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

It can help control vehicle speed as
you go down steep mountain roads,
but then you would also want to use
the brakes off and on.
L (Low):This position reduces
vehicle speed even more than
2 (Second) without using the brakes.
You can use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in L (Low),
the transmission will not shift
into low gear until the vehicle
is going slow enough.Automatic Transmission
Operation (Five Speed)
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 8-13. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 9-77.
Make sure the shift lever is
fully in P (Park) before starting
the engine. The vehicle has
an automatic transmission
shift lock control system.
8-8 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

You must fully apply the regular
brake rst and move the shift lever to
the right before shifting from P (Park)
while the ignition key is in ON/RUN.
If you cannot shift out of P (Park),
ease pressure on the shift lever and
push the shift lever all the way into
P (Park) as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 8-14.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice, or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 8-31.N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle
is being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy from the vehicle.
If you need more power for
passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h)
or more, push the accelerator
all the way down.
Driving and Operating 8-9
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Driver Shift Control (DSC)
DSC mode allows you to choose
the top gear limit of the vehicle’s
transmission and the vehicle’s speed
while driving down hill or towing a
trailer. To use this feature, do the
following:
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) left to S (Shift Control).
While driving in this mode,
the transmission will remain
in the driver selected range.
When coming to a stop, the
vehicle will automatically shift
into 1 (First) gear.
2. Move the shift lever forward to
increase the gear range, or
rearward to decrease the gear
range available based upon your
current driving conditions and
needs.The number displayed in the
instrument cluster is the highest gear
that the transmission will be allowed
to operate in. However, your vehicle
can automatically shift to lower gears
as required by various driving
conditions. This means that all gears
below that number are available.
The display in the instrument
cluster will change from the currently
displayed message to 4 (Fourth)
when you enter S (Shift Control),
and change to indicate the requested
gear range when moving the shift
lever forward or rearward.
While using the DSC feature the
transmission will have rmer shifting
and sportier performance. You can
use this for sport driving or when
climbing hills to stay in gear longer
or to downshift for more power or
engine braking.The transmission will only allow
shifting into gears appropriate
for the vehicles speed and engine
revolutions per minute (RPM):
The transmission will not
automatically shift to the next
higher gear if the vehicle speed
or engine RPM is too high.
The transmission will not allow
shifting to the next lower gear if
the vehicle speed or engine RPM
is too high. An audible warning
will sound and the downshift will
not be allowed. The downshift
request will have to be made
again once the vehicle reaches
an acceptable speed.
Downshift
RequestedRequired
Vehicle Speed
4 (Fourth) to
3 (Third)Below 95 mph
(153 km/h)
3 (Third) to
2 (Second)Below 60 mph
(97 km/h)
2 (Second) to
1 (First)Below 30 mph
(48 km/h)
8-10 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Manual Transmission
Operation
1 (First):Press the clutch pedal and
shift into 1 (First). Then, slowly let
up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.You can shift into 1 (First) when
you are going less than 20 mph
(32 km/h). If you have come to a
complete stop and it is hard to shift
into 1 (First), put the shift lever in
NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch.
Press the clutch pedal back down.
Then shift into 1 (First).
2 (Second):Press the clutch pedal
as you let up on the accelerator
pedal and shift into 2 (Second).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator
pedal.
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth):
Shift into 3 (Third), 4 (Fourth)
and 5 (Fifth) the same way you
do for 2 (Second). Slowly let up
on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal,
and shift to NEUTRAL.
Neutral:Use this position when
you start or idle the engine.
R (Reverse):To back up, press
down on the clutch pedal and shift
into R (Reverse). Let up on the
clutch pedal slowly while pressing
the accelerator pedal.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
Also, use R (Reverse) along with
the parking brake for parking
your vehicle.
Driving and Operating 8-11
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Shift Speeds
{CAUTION
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of your vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
This chart shows the maximum
allowable speeds in each gear when
maximum acceleration is necessary.Manual Transmission
Recommended Shift Speeds
Engine 1.8L
1to234 mph
(55 km/h)
2to356 mph
(91 km/h)
3to482 mph
(132 km/h)
4to5121 mph
(195 km/h)
Engine 2.4L
1to231 mph
(50 km/h)
2to353 mph
(86 km/h)
3to482 mph
(132 km/h)
4to5112 mph
(181 km/h)If your speed drops below 20 mph
(32 km/h), or if the engine is not
running smoothly, you should
downshift to the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine
running smoothly or for good
performance.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light
will come on.
8-12 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual