2009 PONTIAC VIBE light

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

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across
the body.
{CAUTION
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt
is twisted, make it straight so it
can work properly, or ask your
dealer/retailer to x it.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.The lap-shoulder belt may lock
if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens,
let the belt go back slightly to
unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
1-16 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout
the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer/retailer will order
you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to t. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats.
To wear it, just attach it to the regular
safety belt. For more information, see
the instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.When a safety belt extender is
installed in the right front passenger
safety belt, make sure the passenger
airbag status indicator displays ON.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-15.Ifthe
indicator shows OFF, disconnect
the extender’s latch from the buckle
then reconnect the safety belt.
The passenger airbag status
indicator light should be ON and
then the safety belt extender can
be reconnected. If the safety belt
extender is used while the passenger
airbag status indicator light is OFF,
the right front passenger frontal and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped) may not activate
correctly.
Always disconnect the extender
from the safety belt after you use
it so that the airbag will work
properly the next time someone
uses that seat.
Seats and Restraints 1-19
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Safety Belt Check
Now and then, check the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts that might
keep a safety belt system from doing
its job. See your dealer/retailer to
have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in
a crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. SeeSafety Belt
Reminders on page 4-14for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeCare of Safety Belts on
page 1-20.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{CAUTION
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
If you do, it may severely weaken
them. In a crash, they might not
be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean safety belts only
with mild soap and lukewarm
water.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After
a Crash
{CAUTION
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon
as possible.
1-20 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies
that were used during any crash
may have been stressed or
damaged. See your dealer/retailer
to have the safety belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at
the time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in
a crash, or if the airbag readiness
light stays on after you start
the vehicle or while you are driving.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 4-14.Airbag System
This vehicle has the following
airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the
right front passenger and the
passenger seated directly behind
the right front passenger.All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached
label near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for
the driver and on the instrument
panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force
of an inating bag, all airbags
must inate very quickly to do
their job.
Seats and Restraints 1-21
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-14
for more information.Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
The right front passenger frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger’s side.If the vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
right front passenger, they are in the
side of the seatbacks closest to
the door.
Driver Side shown, Passenger
Side similar
Seats and Restraints 1-23
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be
visible in the instrument panel when
the vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF will be
visible during the system check.
When the system check is complete,
either the word ON or the word
OFF will be visible depending onwhether the seat is occupied and/or
the weight of the occupant. If the
seat is unoccupied, the light will not
be visible after the system check.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-15.
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbags
and the roof-rail airbags are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system will
also turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped), and
safety belt pretensioner if it detects
that there is no occupant in that
position.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the right front passenger seat.
The sensors are designed to detectthe presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped) should
be enabled (may inate) or not.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are
large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
1-28 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual

When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped), the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that
the airbags are off. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 4-15.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped) anytime
the system senses that a person
of adult size is sitting properly in
the right front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags and
pretensioner to be enabled, the
on indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbags and
pretensioner are active.For some children who have
outgrown child restraints and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the right front passenger frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped), depending
upon the person’s seating posture
and body build. Everyone in the
vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
If the airbag readiness light and the
OFF light in the passenger airbag
status indicator come on together, it
may mean there is a malfunction in
the passenger sensing system.
Secure the child in the child restraint
in a rear seat position in the vehicle
and check with your dealer/retailer.{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the
right front passenger’s seat may
not have the protection of the
airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 4-14for more on
this, including important safety
information.
1-30 Seats and Restraints
2009 - Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual