2010 PONTIAC VIBE Owners Manual

When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment.
Notice:Improper use of the
power outlet can cause damage
not covered by the warranty.
Do not hang any type of accessory
or accessory bracket from the
plug because the power outlets
are designed for accessory power
plugs only.
Power Outlets (115 Volt
Alternating Current)
Electrical equipment with a
maximum limit of 115 VAC can
be plugged into this power outlet.
If the equipment used requires
more than the limit, a protection circuit will cut the power supply.
The power automatically restarts
when equipment that operates
within the limit is plugged in.
The power outlet is located below
the shift lever.
Before using the outlet, turn on the
ignition and press the button located
on the instrument panel below the
climate control system. An indicator
light in the button comes on. After
using the outlet, press the button
again to turn it off.
The power outlet is not designed for
the following electrical equipment
and they may not work properly:
•Equipment with high initial peak
wattage: cathode-ray tube type
televisions, compressor-driven
refrigerators, or electric power
tools.
•Other equipment requiring an
extremely stable power supply:
microcomputer-controlled electric
blankets, touch sensor lamps, etc.
Instruments and Controls 4-7

Cigarette Lighter
For vehicles with a lighter, push
the lighter down and it will pop up
when it is ready to be used. The
ignition switch must be in the
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
position to use the lighter.
Notice:Holding a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating does
not let the lighter back away from
the heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown.
Do not hold a cigarette lighter in
while it is heating.
It is not recommended to use the
cigarette lighter to plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment. Use the
accessory power outlet for phones and other electrical equipment. See
Power Outlets (Accessory Power
Outlets) on page 4-6
orPower
Outlets (115 Volt Alternating
Current) on page 4-7 .
Ashtrays
For vehicles with a removable
ashtray, it is located in the front
cupholder in the center console
storage area.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other
ammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put ammable
items in the ashtray.
Warning Lights,
Gages, and Indicators
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.
Gages can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gages and warning
lights work together to indicate
a problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while driving,
or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the
section that explains what to do.
Follow this manual’s advice. Waiting
to do repairs can be costly and even
dangerous.
4-8 Instruments and Controls

Instrument Cluster
This feature is designed to show at a glance how the vehicle is running. It shows vehicle speed, how much fuel is
left in the fuel tank and many other things needed to drive safely and economically.United States Base Cluster shown, Canada similar
Instruments and Controls 4-9

Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle’s speed in both kilometers
per hour (km/h) and miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far
the vehicle has been driven,
in either kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper-resistant
odometer. If the vehicle needs a new
odometer installed, the new one is
set to the mileage total of the old
odometer. If this is not possible, it is
set at zero and a label is put on the
driver’s door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was
installed. If the mileage is unknown,
the label should then indicate
“previous mileage unknown”.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven since the trip
odometer was last set to zero.
The button located above the
odometer allows switching between
the odometer and the trip odometer.
To set the trip odometer to zero,
press and hold the button.
Temperature Display
The outside air temperature is
displayed on the center of the
instrument panel, within the trip
odometer. The display shows the
outside air temperature in Fahrenheit
with a range from−40°F to 122°F
(−40°C to 50°C).
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates
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4-10 Instruments and Controls

that the fuel filler 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
first 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.
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 fill 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
fill it.
•It takes the gage several minutes
to read F or full after filling 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.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer
moves into the red area, the engine
is too hot. Pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 9-23 .
Safety Belt Reminders
When the engine is started, a chime
will sound for several seconds to
remind people to fasten their safety
belts, unless the driver safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will also flash
until the driver belt is buckled. If the
driver belt is already buckled, neither
the chime nor the light comes on.
This light is located on the center
of the instrument panel, next
to the audio system.
When the key is turned to ON/RUN
or START, this light comes on
as a reminder for the right front
passenger to fasten their safety belt.
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Canada
Instruments and Controls 4-11

This light flashes until the right front
passenger safety belt is buckled.
The passenger safety belt reminder
light will not come on if the right front
passenger belt is already buckled or
if a sensor does not detect the weight
of a passenger in that seat.
If something is placed on the right
front passenger seat, the sensors
in the seat may detect that object
and cause the right front passenger
safety belt reminder light to come on.
If this happens, remove the object.Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the airbag
system, seeAirbag System on
page 2-23.
The airbag readiness light comes
on and stays on for several seconds
when the vehicle is started. Then the
light goes out. If it stays on after the vehicle has
been started or comes on when while
driving, the airbag system may not
work properly. Have the vehicle
serviced right away.
{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
4-12 Instruments and Controls

Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has the passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 2-29
for important safety information.
The instrument panel has a
passenger airbag status indicator.
When the vehicle is started,
the passenger airbag status
indicator will light ON and OFF for
several seconds as a system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either
ON or OFF if there is weight on the
seat, to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped). If the seat is
unoccupied, the light will not be
visible after the system check.
If the word ON is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it
means that the right front passenger
frontal and seat-mounted side impact
airbags (if equipped) are enabled
(may inflate).
If the word OFF is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped). See
Passenger
Sensing System on page 2-29 for
more on this, including important
safety information. If, after several seconds, all status
indicator lights remain on, there
may be a problem with the lights
or the passenger sensing system.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away.
See
Airbag Readiness Light on
page 4-12 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Instruments and Controls 4-13

Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned on,
but the engine is not running, as a
check to show the light is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, or comes
on while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer/retailer. Driving while this
light is on could drain the battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It makes sure that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light comes on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer/
retailer.If the check engine light comes
on and stays on, when the engine
is running, this indicates that there is
an OBD II problem and service is
required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Heeding the light can
prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this
light on, after a while, the
emission controls might not
work as well, the vehicle’s fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
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4-14 Instruments and Controls