2009 PONTIAC VIBE belt

Seats and Restraints......... 1-1
Front Seats
.................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.................... 1-7
Safety Belts
................... 1-8
Airbag System
..............1-21
Child Restraints
.............1-36
Keys, Doors and
Windows............................ 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems
... 2-9
Windows
......................2-12
Mirrors
.........................2-13
Sunroof
........................2-14
Storage.............................. 3-1
Storage
......................... 3-1
Instruments and
Controls............................. 4-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 4-2
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............4-11
OnStar
®System
............4-25
Lighting............................. 5-1
Lighting
......................... 5-1
Infotainment...................... 6-1
Audio System(s)
............. 6-1
Climate Controls............... 7-1
Climate Controls
............. 7-1
Driving and Operating....... 8-1
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
............... 8-2
Driving Your Vehicle
......8-17
Fuel
............................8-36
Vehicle Service
and Care............................ 9-1
Service
.......................... 9-2
Owner Checks
................ 9-5
Headlamp Aiming
..........9-30
Bulb Replacement
.........9-31
Electrical System
...........9-35
Tires
...........................9-41
Tire Changing
...............9-61Jump Starting
...............9-71
Towing
........................9-75
Appearance Care
..........9-83
Technical Data.................10-1
Vehicle Identication
......10-1
Capacities and
Specications
............10-2
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts
.....10-4
Service and
Maintenance.....................11-1
Service and
Maintenance
..............11-1
Customer Information......12-1
Customer Information
.....12-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
...................12-15
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
.............12-17
Index....................................i-1
2009 Pontiac Vibe Owner ManualM
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Seats and
Restraints
Front Seats
Manual Seats.....................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster...........1-2
Reclining Seatbacks...........1-3
Passenger Folding
Seatback...........................1-4
Head Restraints..................1-6
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation...........1-7
Safety Belts
Safety Belts........................1-8
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly..........................1-11
Lap-Shoulder Belt.............1-16
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy.......................1-19
Safety Belt Extender.........1-19
Safety Belt Check.............1-20
Care of Safety Belts.........1-20
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash
..............................1-20
Airbag System
Airbag System..................1-21
Where Are the Airbags?. . . .1-23
When Should an Airbag
Inate?............................1-24
What Makes an Airbag
Inate?............................1-26
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?........................1-26
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?..........1-26
Passenger Sensing
System............................1-28
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-33
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-34
Airbag System Check.......1-35
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash.........1-35
Child Restraints
Older Children..................1-36
Infants and Young
Children..........................1-38
Child Restraint Systems. . . .1-41
Where to Put the
Restraint.........................1-43
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH)
..........................1-44
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash.........1-49
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat)...........1-50
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seats)...................1-53
Seats and Restraints 1-1
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver’s seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{CAUTION
If the seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.
{CAUTION
Sitting in a reclined position when
your vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even if you buckle up,
your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job
because it will not be against your
body. Instead, it will be in front of
you. In a crash, you could go into
it, receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could go
up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause
serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your
safety belt properly.
Seats and Restraints 1-3
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

{CAUTION
Things you put on this seatback
can strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a crash.
Remove or secure all items
before driving.
On vehicles with this feature, the
seatback folds down to allow
for more cargo space. When the
area is not being used for more
cargo space or as a temporary table,
put the seatback in the locked,
upright position. Only adjust the seat
when the vehicle is not moving.To fold the seatback down:
1. Move the seat rearward.
2. Lower the head restraint to the
lowest position and make sure
the seatback is at the most
upright position and locked.
3. Pull up on one of the levers
located on either side of the back
of the passenger seatback.
4. Fold the seatback down.To raise the seatback:
1. Pull up on one of the levers
located on either side of the back
of the passenger’s seatback.
2. Pull the seatback up and push it
back to lock it into place. Make
sure the safety belt is not twisted
or caught in the seatback.
3. Push and pull the top of the
seatback to be sure it is
locked into position.
4. Use the reclining front seatback
lever to adjust the seatback to a
comfortable position.
Seats and Restraints 1-5
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Push down on the head restraint
after the button is released to make
sure that it is locked in place.
The head restraints are not
designed to be removed.
Always raise the rear center head
rest at least one position when there
is a passenger seated there.
Active Head Restraint System
The vehicle has an active head
restraint system in the front seating
positions. These automatically tilt
forward to reduce the risk of
neck injury if the vehicle is hit
from behind.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
You can fold either side of the
seatback down. The rear right side
seatback can also be used as a
temporary table while the vehicle is
stopped.
{CAUTION
A rear seatback folded forward, or
any other object contacting or
pressing the front seatback may
affect the proper functioning of the
passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 1-28.
To fold either seatback down:
1. Move the front seat forward and
the seatback to the upright
position.
2. Move the headrests all the
way down.3. Pull up on the lock release knob,
located on the top outboard side
of the seatback.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
4. Fold the seatback down.
Seats and Restraints 1-7
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

To raise the seatback:
1. Pull the seatback up and push it
back to lock it into place. The
safety belts should not be twisted
or caught in the seatback.
{CAUTION
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt could
be seriously injured. After raising
the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts
are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.2. Push and pull the top of the
seatback to check that it is locked
into position.
{CAUTION
If the seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.
Safety Belts
This section of the manual describes
how to use safety belts properly.
It also describes some things not to
do with safety belts.
{CAUTION
Do not let anyone ride where
a safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, the injuries can be
much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be
ejected from the vehicle. You
and your passenger(s) can be
seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if
you are buckled up. Always fasten
your safety belt, and check that
your passenger(s) are restrained
properly too.
1-8 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

{CAUTION
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or
killed. Do not allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle that
is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in
your vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
SeeSafety Belt Reminders on
page 4-14for additional information.In most states and in all Canadian
provinces, the law requires
wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a
crash. If you do have a crash, you do
not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be so serious that even
buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in
between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without
safety belts they could have been
badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety
belts in vehicles, the facts are clear.
In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything,
you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose
it is just a seat on wheels.
Seats and Restraints 1-9
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...
or the instrument panel...or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as
the vehicle does. You get more
time to stop. You stop over more
distance, and your strongest bones
take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-10 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual