2009 PONTIAC VIBE warning light

If the light comes on and stays on,
it means that oil is not owing
through the engine properly.
The vehicle could be low on oil and
might have some other system
problem.
Fog Lamp Light
For vehicles with this feature,
this light comes on whenever the
front fog lamps are on.
SeeExterior Lamps Controls on
page 5-1for more information.
Lights On Reminder
This light comes on whenever the
headlights are on.
SeeExterior Lamps Controls on
page 5-1for more information.
Taillamp Indicator Light
This light will come on when your
taillamps are on.
SeeExterior Lamps Controls on
page 5-1for more information.
Cruise Control Light
The CRUISE light comes on when
the cruise control is on.
SeeCruise Control on page 4-4for
more information.
Low Washer Fluid
Warning Light
This light comes on when the
windshield washer uid is low.
SeeWindshield Washer Fluid on
page 9-24for more information.
Canada Only
Canada Only
Instruments and Controls 4-23
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Service All-Wheel Drive
Light
This light will come on briey when
the ignition is turned on, and the
engine is not running, as a check to
show you it is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started. It should go out when the
engine is started. If it stays on, or
comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the system.
Have it checked by your dealer/
retailer.
The four-wheel-drive indicator will
light up when the All-Wheel drive
is active.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 4-7for more
information.
Door Ajar Light
This light comes on if any door,
the rear liftgate, or the rear liftglass
are not completely closed.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how
much fuel is in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates
that the fuel ller door is on the driver
side of the vehicle. The fuel gage
works only when the ignition switch is
turned to ON/RUN. When the gage
rst indicates E or empty, there is still
about 2 gallons ( 7.6 L) of fuel left,
but more needs to be added right
away. When the vehicle is low on fuel
the low fuel warning light, located
below the empty mark, comes on.
United StatesCanada
4-24 Instruments and Controls
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Five things that do not indicate 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.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, on the fuel gage, comes
on when the fuel tank is low on
fuel. To turn if off, add fuel to the
fuel tank.
OnStar®System
OnStar uses several innovative
technologies and live advisors to
provide a wide range of safety,
security, information, and
convenience services. If the airbags
deploy, the system is designed to
make an automatic call to OnStar
Emergency advisors who can
request emergency services be
sent to your location. If the keys are
locked in the vehicle, call OnStar at
1-888-4-ONSTAR to have a signal
sent to unlock the doors. OnStar
Hands-Free Calling, including
30 trial minutes good for 60 days, is
available on most vehicles. Press the
OnStar button to have an OnStar
advisor contact Roadside Service. United States
Canada
Instruments and Controls 4-25
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

LOCK/OFF:This is the only position
from which you can remove the key.
This locks the steering wheel,
ignition and automatic transmission.
Push in the ignition switch as you
turn the key toward you.
On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) to turn the ignition switch
to the LOCK/OFF position.
A warning tone will sound if the driver
door is opened with the key in the
ignition.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with your wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from right
to left while turning the key to
ACC/ACCESSORY. If this doesn’t
work, then the vehicle needs service.{CAUTION
On manual transmission vehicles,
turning the key to LOCK/OFF and
removing it will lock the steering
column and result in a loss of
ability to steer the vehicle.
This could cause a collision.
If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle is moving,
turn the key only to ACC/
ACCESSORY. Do not push the
key in while the vehicle is moving.
ACC/ACCESSORY:This position
provides power to some of the
electrical accessories. It unlocks the
steering wheel and ignition. To move
the key from ACC/ACCESSORY to
LOCK/OFF, push in the key and then
turn it to LOCK/OFF.
A warning tone will sound when
the driver door is opened when the
ignition is still in ACC/ACCESSORY
or LOCK/OFF and the key is in the
ignition.ON/RUN:The ignition switch stays
in this position when the engine is
running. This position can be used to
operate the electrical accessories,
including the ventilation fan and
115 volt power outlet, as well as to
display some warning and indicator
lights. The transmission is also
unlocked in this position on
automatic transmission vehicles.
The battery could be drained
if you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off. You may not be
able to start the vehicle if the battery
is allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
START:This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to ON/RUN for normal
driving.
Driving and Operating 8-3
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

To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature wear
or damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.If you are towing a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 9-77.
Shifting Into Park
{CAUTION
It can be 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. 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, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 9-77.To shift into P (Park), do the
following:
1. Hold the brake pedal down
and set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 8-12
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle
and to the left.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the key in your hand, the
vehicle is in P (Park).
Driving and Operating 8-13
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 4-17.
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 the brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the
amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking — rather
than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes might
not have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.
If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.If your vehicle’s engine ever stops
while you are driving, brake normally
but do not pump the brakes. If you
do, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you
will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you
brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 9-3.
Driving and Operating 8-19
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and
begin to drive away, ABS will check
itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you might even
notice that the brake pedal moves a
little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS,
this warning light will stay on.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 4-18.Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue
braking. Here is what happens
with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed
and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time you need to get your foot
up to the brake pedal or alwaysdecrease stopping distance. If you
get too close to the vehicle in front of
you, you will not have time to apply
the brakes if that vehicle suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and
let antilock work for you. You might
hear the antilock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best
braking. United States
Canada
8-20 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual