2010 PONTIAC VIBE check engine

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under your vehicle’s
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is
to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
•Allow extra following distance.
•Pass with caution.
•Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
•Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
•Have good tires with proper tread
depth. SeeTires on page 9-43 .
•Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention
to your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find
a safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
•Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
•Keep interior temperature cool.
•Keep your eyes moving — scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
•Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
•Keep the vehicle serviced
and in good shape.
•Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
•Going down steep or long hills,
shift to a lower gear.
{CAUTION
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
8-8 Driving and Operating

Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program on page 12-6 .
To get help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
•Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
•Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{CAUTION
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
•Clear away snow from
around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust pipe.
•Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
•Open a window about 5 cm
(two inches) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
•Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
•Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 8-23 .
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome
you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow
from around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only
as needed to keep warm, but be
careful.
8-10 Driving and Operating

Notice:Holding the key in START
for longer than 15 seconds at a
time will cause the battery to be
drained much sooner. And the
excessive heat can damage the
starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining the battery or
damaging the starter.
2. If the engine does not start, wait about 15 seconds and try again
to start the engine by turning
the ignition to START. Wait about
15 seconds between each try.
When the engine has run about
10 seconds to warm up, the
vehicle is ready to be driven.
Do not run the engine at high
speed when it is cold.
If the weather is below freezing
(32°F or 0°C), let the engine run
for a few minutes to warm up. 3. If the engine still will not start, or
starts but then stops, it could be
flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing the accelerator pedal
all the way to the floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal down
for five or six seconds. This clears
the extra gasoline from the
engine. Notice:
The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If electrical parts or
accessories are added, you
could change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer/retailer. If you do not,
the engine might not perform
properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater, if
available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below 0°F ( −18°C)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the vehicle.
Driving and Operating 8-19

Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that
helps prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake pedal
moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 4-17. Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue
braking. Here is what happens
with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to apply
the brakes if that vehicle suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop,
even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and
let antilock work. The antilock pump
or motor might be heard operating,
and the brake pedal might be
felt to pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
United States
Canada
8-32 Driving and Operating

StabiliTrak System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems. 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 the
vehicle speed reaches or exceeds
15 km/h (9 mph), and deactivates
when the vehicle speed reduces to
below 15 km/h (9 mph).
A sound may be heard 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 flashes and an alarm
sounds intermittently. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
To turn off both the traction control
system and StabiliTrak, press and
hold
gwhile the vehicle is stopped.
The traction control system warning
light and the VSC OFF light will come
on. To turn the systems back on,
press
gagain. If both systems are
turned off, they will not turn back on
automatically when vehicle speed
increases.
If the VSC OFF light flashes, there
is a problem in the traction control
system or StabiliTrak.
Driving and Operating 8-35

Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane rating of 87 or higher.
If the octane rating is less than 87,
you might notice an audible knocking
noise when you drive, commonly
referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If you are using gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification D 4814
in the United States or CAN/
CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeFuel Additives
on page 8-40 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehicle
might fail a smog-check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 4-14. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Driving and Operating 8-39

Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States
or Canada, the proper fuel might
be hard to find. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused by
use of improper fuel would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now required
to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits
from forming, allowing the emission
control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not have
to add anything to the fuel. However,
some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required
to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and
intake valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed
by the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found
at www.toptiergas.com.For customers who do not use
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS, added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help clean deposits
from fuel injectors and intake valves.
GM Fuel System Treatment
PLUS is the only gasoline additive
recommended by General Motors.
It is available at your dealer/retailer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
8-40 Driving and Operating

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
flash whenever signaling a turn or
lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping. When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may
think other drivers are seeing the
signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the transmission
is not shifted down, the brakes
might have to be used so much that
they would get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower gear
if the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions. For vehicles with a
manual transmission, it is better
not to use the highest gear.When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. For vehicles with manual
transmissions, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission out of
gear and the parking brake applied,
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 9-23.
8-46 Driving and Operating