2009 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

If any of the soil remains, a
commercial fabric cleaner or spot
lifter may be necessary. When a
commercial upholstery cleaner or
spot lifter is to be used, test a small
hidden area for colorfastness rst.
If the locally cleaned area gives any
impression that a ring formation may
result, clean the entire surface.
After the cleaning process has been
completed, a paper towel can be
used to blot excess moisture
from the fabric or carpet.Leather
A soft cloth dampened with
water can be used to remove dust.
If a more thorough cleaning is
necessary, a soft cloth dampened
with a mild soap solution can be
used. Allow the leather to dry
naturally. Do not use heat to dry.
Never use steam to clean leather.
Never use spot lifters or spot
removers on leather. Many
commercial leather cleaners and
coatings that are sold to preserve
and protect leather may permanently
change the appearance and
feel of your leather and are not
recommended. Do not use silicone
or wax-based products, or those
containing organic solvents to clean
your vehicle’s interior because
they can alter the appearance by
increasing the gloss in a non-uniform
manner. Never use shoe polish on
leather.
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and
Other Plastic Surfaces
A soft cloth dampened with water
may be used to remove dust.
If a more thorough cleaning is
necessary, a clean soft cloth
dampened with a mild soap solution
can be used to gently remove dust
and dirt. Never use spot lifters or
removers on plastic surfaces.
Many commercial cleaners and
coatings that are sold to preserve
and protect soft plastic surfaces may
permanently change the appearance
and feel of your interior and are not
recommended. Do not use silicone
or wax-based products, or those
containing organic solvents to clean
your vehicle’s interior because
they can alter the appearance by
increasing the gloss in a non-uniform
manner.
Some commercial products may
increase gloss on your instrument
panel. The increase in gloss may
cause annoying reections in the
windshield and even make it difficult
to see through the windshield under
certain conditions.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-85
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Exterior Cleaning
Cleaning Exterior
Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a
soft cloth and a car washing soap to
clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under “Washing
Your Vehicle” later in this section.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing
of your vehicle by hand may be
necessary to remove residue
from the paint nish. You can
get approved cleaning products
from your dealer/retailer.
If your vehicle has a
basecoat/clearcoat paint nish,
the clearcoat gives more depth
and gloss to the colored basecoat.
Always use waxes and polishes that
are non-abrasive and made for a
basecoat/clearcoat paint nish.Notice:Machine compounding
or aggressive polishing on a
basecoat/clearcoat paint nish
may damage it. Use only
non-abrasive waxes and polishes
that are made for a basecoat/
clearcoat paint nish on your
vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium
chloride and other salts, ice melting
agents, road oil and tar, tree sap,
bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle’s nish if they
remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive
cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.Exterior painted surfaces are subject
to aging, weather and chemical
fallout that can take their toll over
a period of years. You can help to
keep the paint nish looking new by
keeping your vehicle garaged or
covered whenever possible.
Protecting Exterior Bright Metal
Parts
Bright metal parts should be
cleaned regularly to keep their
luster. Wash with water or
use chrome polish on chrome or
stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum
trim. To avoid damaging protective
trim, never use auto or chrome
polish, steam or caustic soap to
clean aluminum. A coating of
wax, rubbed to high polish, is
recommended for all bright metal
parts.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your
vehicle’s nish is to keep it clean by
washing it often.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight. Use a car washing soap.
Notice:Certain cleaners contain
chemicals that can damage the
emblems or nameplates on your
vehicle. Check the cleaning
product label. If it states that it
should not be used on plastic
parts, do not use it on your vehicle
or damage may occur and it would
not be covered by the warranty.Do not use cleaning agents that are
petroleum based or that contain acid
or abrasives, as they can damage
the paint, metal or plastic on your
vehicle. Approved cleaning products
can be obtained from your dealer/
retailer. Follow all manufacturers’
directions regarding correct product
usage, necessary safety precautions
and appropriate disposal of any
vehicle care product.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the nish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and
water spotting.High pressure car washes may
cause water to enter the vehicle.
Avoid using high pressure washes
closer than 12 inches (30 cm) to
the surface of the vehicle. Use of
power washers exceeding 1,200 psi
(8 274 kPa) can result in damage or
removal of paint and decals.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will
make them last longer, seal better,
and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth.
During very cold, damp weather
frequent application may be required.
See “Fluids and Lubricants” in the
Index of the “Maintenance and
Warranty and Owner assistance
Information” manual.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-87
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Wheels and Trim — Aluminum
or Chrome
Your vehicle may have either
aluminum or chrome-plated wheels.
Keep the wheels clean using a
soft clean cloth with mild soap and
water. Rinse with clean water.
After rinsing thoroughly, dry with a
soft clean towel. A wax may then
be applied.
Notice:Chrome wheels and
other chrome trim may be
damaged if you do not wash your
vehicle after driving on roads
that have been sprayed with
magnesium, calcium or sodium
chloride. These chlorides are
used on roads for conditions
such as ice and dust. Always
wash your vehicle’s chrome with
soap and water after exposure.Notice:If you use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes,
cleaners, brushes, or cleaners
that contain acid on aluminum
or chrome-plated wheels,
you could damage the surface of
the wheel(s). The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty.
Use only approved cleaners on
aluminum or chrome-plated
wheels.
The surface of these wheels is
similar to the painted surface of your
vehicle. Do not use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes,
abrasive cleaners, cleaners with
acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes
on them because you could damage
the surface. Do not use chrome
polish on aluminum wheels.Notice:Using chrome polish on
aluminum wheels could damage
the wheels. The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty.
Use chrome polish on chrome
wheels only.
Use chrome polish only on
chrome-plated wheels, but avoid
any painted surface of the wheel,
and buff off immediately after
application.
Notice:If you drive your
vehicle through an automatic
car wash that has silicone
carbide tire cleaning brushes,
you could damage the aluminum
or chrome-plated wheels. The
repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Never drive a
vehicle equipped with aluminum
or chrome-plated wheels through
an automatic car wash that uses
silicone carbide tire cleaning
brushes.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield
with glass cleaner.
Clean the rubber blades using a lint
free cloth or paper towel soaked with
windshield washer uid or a mild
detergent. Wash the windshield
thoroughly when cleaning the blades.
Bugs, road grime, sap, and a buildup
of vehicle wash/wax treatments may
cause wiper streaking. Replace the
wiper blades if they are worn or
damaged.
Wipers can be damaged by:
Extreme dusty conditions
Sand and salt
Heat and sun
Snow and ice, without proper
removal
Tires
To clean the tires, use a stiff brush
with tire cleaner.
Notice:Using petroleum-based
tire dressing products on your
vehicle may damage the paint
nish and/or tires. When applying
a tire dressing, always wipe off
any overspray from all painted
surfaces on your vehicle.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and
requires sheet metal repair or
replacement, make sure the body
repair shop applies anti-corrosion
material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion
protection.Original manufacturer replacement
parts will provide the corrosion
protection while maintaining
the vehicle warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep
scratches in the nish should be
repaired right away. Bare metal will
corrode quickly and may develop into
major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be
repaired with touch-up materials
available from your dealer/retailer.
Larger areas of nish damage can be
corrected in your dealer’s/retailer’s
body and paint shop.
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2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow
removal and dust control can collect
on the underbody. If these are not
removed, corrosion and rust can
develop on the underbody parts such
as fuel lines, frame, oor pan, and
exhaust system even though they
have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, ush these
materials from the underbody
with plain water. Clean any areas
where mud and debris can collect.
Dirt packed in close areas of
the frame should be loosened before
being ushed. Your dealer/retailer
or an underbody car washing
system can do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric
conditions can create a chemical
fallout. Airborne pollutants can
fall upon and attack painted surfaces
on the vehicle. This damage can
take two forms: blotchy, ring-shaped
discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint
surface.
Although no defect in the paint job
causes this, we will repair, at no
charge to the owner, the surfaces
of new vehicles damaged by this
fallout condition within 12 months
or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of
purchase, whichever occurs rst.
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Technical Data
Vehicle Identication
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)..................10-1
Service Parts
Identication Label...........10-1
Capacities and
Specications
Capacities and
Specications..................10-2
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts
Maintenance
Replacement Parts..........10-4
Engine Drive Belt
Routing...........................10-5
Vehicle Identication
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)
This is the legal identier for your
vehicle. It appears on a plate in
the front corner of the instrument
panel, on the driver side. It can
be seen through the windshield from
outside the vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certication
and Service Parts labels and the
certicates of title and registration.
Engine Identication
The eighth character in the VIN is
the engine code. This code helps
identify the vehicle’s engine,
specications, and replacement
parts. See “Engine Specications”
underCapacities and Specifications
on page 10-2for your vehicle’s
engine code.
Service Parts
Identication Label
This label is on the inside of the
glove box. It is very helpful if
you ever need to order parts.
The label has the following
information:
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)
Model designation
Paint information
Production options and special
equipment
Do not remove this label from the
vehicle.
Technical Data 10-1
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Capacities and Specications
The following approximate capacities are given in English and metric conversions. Please refer toPart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 11-18 for more information.
Application Capacities
English Metric
Air Conditioning Refrigerant R134a For the air conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant caution label located
under the hood. See your dealer/retailer for more information.
Cooling System 1.8L L4 Engine 5.8 qt5.5 L
2.4L L4 Engine 6.0 qt5.7 L
Engine Oil with Filter 1.8L L4 Engine 4.4 qt4.2 L
2.4L L4 Engine 4.5 qt4.3 L
Fuel Tank 13.2 gal50 L
Transmission, Automatic (Complete Drain and Rell) 1.8L L4 Engine 3.1 qt2.9 L
2.4L L4 Engine 3.7 qt3.5 L
10-2 Technical Data
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual