2010 PONTIAC VIBE ECU

Folding Seatback
{CAUTION
If you fold the seatback forward to
carry longer objects, such as skis,
be sure any such cargo is not near
an airbag. In a crash, an inflating
airbag might force that object
toward a person. This could
cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area
in which an airbag would inflate.
For more information, seeWhere
Are the Airbags? on page 2-24 .
{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.
2-6 Seats and Restraints

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 upstraight. 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.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If the latch plate will not go fully
into the buckle, check if the
correct buckle is being used.
The buckle for the center rear
passenger position (A) has
the word CENTER on it.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see
Safety
Belt Extender on page 2-21 .
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
2-18 Seats and Restraints

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 fit. 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. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-13 .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.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that 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. See Safety Belt
Reminders on page 4-11 for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care on page 2-22 .
Seats and Restraints 2-21

{CAUTION
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates
can be seriously injured or killed.
Do not sit unnecessarily close to
the airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash. Always
wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as
far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
Children who are up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer protection for adults and
older children, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor
its airbag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide.
Always secure children properly
in your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 2-37or
Infants and Young Children on
page 2-38. 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. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 4-12 for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
2-24 Seats and Restraints

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.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 inflate properly or it might
force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even
death. The path of an inflating
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 inflation 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 inflating roof-rail airbag will
be blocked.
Driver Side shown,
Passenger Side similar
Seats and Restraints 2-25

The sensors are designed to detect
the 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 inflate) 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.
{CAUTION
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger
airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat
is in a forward position.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped), no system
is fail-safe. No one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual
circumstance, even though
the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag(s)
are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the
right front seat, always move the
front passenger seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
2-30 Seats and Restraints

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 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.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 4-12 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint with the ignition key in the ACC or
LOCK position while following the
directions provided by the child
restraint manufacturer and refer
toSecuring Child Restraints
(Rear Seat Position) on
page 2-51 orSecuring Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position) on page 2-53 .5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then slightly
recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion, if
adjustable, to make sure that the
vehicle seatback is not pushing
the child restraint into the seat
cushion.
6. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle
head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
See Head Restraints on
page 2-2.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure
the child in the child restraint in
a rear seat position in the vehicle,
and check with your dealer/retailer.
2-32 Seats and Restraints

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s safety belts.
The manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the booster seat, state
the weight and height limitations forthat booster. Use a booster seat
with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the below fit test:
•Sit all the way back on the
seat. Do the knees bend at the
seat edge? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
•Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.
Does the shoulder belt rest on the
shoulder? If yes, continue. If no,
then return to the booster seat.
•Does the lap belt fit low and snug
on the hips, touching the thighs? If
yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
•Can proper safety belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q:What is the proper way to
wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt
can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck.
The lap belt should fit snugly
below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. This applies belt
force to the child’s pelvic bones in
a crash. It should never be worn
over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal
internal injuries in a crash.
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.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use safety
belts properly.
Seats and Restraints 2-37