2009 PONTIAC VIBE ECO mode

If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags for
the driver, right front passenger, and
second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side
windows.
{CAUTION
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inate properly or
it might force the object into that
person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an
inating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not use seat accessories
that block the ination path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
inate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver or right
front passenger head and chest.
However, they are only designed
to inate if the impact exceeds apredetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inate and help restrain
the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on
how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle
slows down.
Frontal airbags may inate at
different crash speeds. For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could inate at
a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could inate
at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle hits an object that
does not deform.
1-24 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Radio(s)
Playing the Radio
PWR VOL (Power/Volume):Press
to turn the radio on and off. Turn
the PWR VOL knob to adjust
the volume. CLOCK:
Press to adjust the time.
See Setting the Clock on page 6-2
for more information.
Finding a Station
BAND: Press to select AM, FM,
or XM.
TUNE ADJ (Tune/Adjust): Turn to
select radio stations.
ySEEK TRACKz: Press to go to
the previous or next radio station.
The radio only stops at stations with
a strong signal.
SCAN: Press to enter scan mode.
The radio will display Scanning,
then goes to the next station, plays
for a few seconds, then continues
on to the next station. Press SCAN
again to stop scanning. The radio
only stops at stations with a
strong signal.
INFO (Information) (FM-RDS,
XM™ Satellite Radio Service, and
MP3 Features): Press to display
information for the current FM-RDS,
XM station, or MP3 song. Choose
from Channel, Song, Artist, and
CAT (category).
NO INFO displays when information
is not available from the station.
Radio with CD (MP3) shown, Radio with CD (Base) similar
Infotainment 6-3
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Finding a Category (CAT)
Station (XM Satellite Radio
Service Only)
If CAT times out and is no longer
on the display, return to Step 1.
To select and nd a desired
category:
1. Press the CAT button.
2. Turn the TUNE ADJ knob to
select a category.
3. Press
yorzto go to the
category’s rst station, when the
desired category is displayed.
4. Press
yorzto go to another
station within the selected
category.
5. Press CAT to exit the category
select mode or wait for CAT to
time out.
NOT FOUND displays if the desired
category cannot be found.
Scanning Categories (CAT)
(XM Satellite Radio
Service Only)
To scan a desired category:
1. Press the CAT button to enter
the category select mode.
2. Turn the TUNE ADJ knob to
select a category.
3. Press
yorzfor two seconds
to scan the stations in the
selected category.
4. Press
yorzagain to stop
scanning.
NOT FOUND displays if the desired
category cannot be found.
XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service
that is based in the 48 contiguous
United States and 10 Canadian
provinces. XM Satellite Radio
has a wide variety of programming
and commercial-free music,
coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality
sound. During your trial or when you
subscribe, you will get unlimited
access to XM Radio Online for when
you are not in your vehicle. A service
fee is required to receive the XM
service. For more information,
contact XM at www.xmradio.com
or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S.
and www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
Infotainment 6-5
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

To turn the systems back on,
press the
gswitch again. If both
systems are turned off, they will not
turn back on automatically when
vehicle speed increases.
If the VSC OFF light ashes,
there is a problem in the traction
control system or StabiliTrak.
Adding non-GM accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance.
SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 9-3Accessories and
Modications for more information.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System
If your vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels all the time. This is like
four-wheel drive, but it is fully
automatic.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle has StabiliTrak. This
system helps provide integrated
control of systems such as the
Antilock Brake System, traction
control and engine control. This
system automatically controls the
brakes and engine to help prevent
the vehicle from skidding when
cornering on a slippery road surface
or turning the steering wheel
abruptly.
This system activates when your
vehicle speed reaches or exceeds
9 mph (15 km/h), and deactivates
when the vehicle speed reduces to
below 9 mph (15 km/h).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just
after the vehicle begins to move.
This means that the system is in
the self-check mode, but does not
indicate a problem.If the vehicle is going to skid during
driving, the traction control system
warning light ashes and an alarm
sounds intermittently. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
To turn off both the traction control
system and StabiliTrak, press
and hold the
gswitch while the
vehicle is stopped.
8-22 Driving and Operating
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Maximum Load Rating:The load rating for a tire at the
maximum permissible ination
pressure for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle
Weight
:The sum of curb weight,
accessory weight, vehicle
capacity weight, and production
options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight
:The
number of occupants a vehicle
is designed to seat multiplied by
150 lbs (68 kg). SeeLoading
the Vehicle on page 8-32.
Occupant Distribution
:Designated seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall
:The
side of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that faces
outward when mounted on a
vehicle. The side of the tire that
contains a whitewall, bears white
lettering, or bears manufacturer,
brand, and/or model name
molding that is higher or deeper
than the same moldings on the
other sidewall of the tire.Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:A tire used on passenger
cars and some light duty trucks
and multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Ination
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer’s recommended
tire ination pressure as
shown on the tire placard.
SeeInflation - Tire Pressure
on page 9-47andLoading the
Vehicle on page 8-32.
Radial Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated.
Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
:An alphanumeric
code assigned to a tire indicating
the maximum speed at which a
tire can operate.Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread remains.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New
Tires on page 9-54.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards)
:A tire
information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a
tire’s traction, temperature,
and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing
procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the
tire. SeeUniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 9-56.
9-46 Vehicle Service and Care
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual