2010 PONTIAC VIBE sensor

When to Check
Check your tires once a
month or more. Do not forget
to check the compact spare
tire, if the vehicle has one.
The compact spare should be at
60 psi (420 kPa). For additional
information regarding the
compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 9-68.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gage to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they are under-inflated. Check
the tire’s inflation pressure when
the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for
at least three hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Remove the valve cap from
the tire valve stem. Press the
tire gage firmly onto the valve
to get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the
inflation pressure is low, add air
until you reach the recommended
amount.
If you overfill the tire, release
air by pushing on the metal stem
in the center of the tire valve.
Re-check the tire pressure with
the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps
back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by
keeping out dirt and moisture.Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) uses radio and
sensor technology to check tire
pressure levels. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in your
vehicle’s tires and transmit tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare
(if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)
9-50 Vehicle Care

Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warns the driver when a
low tire pressure condition exists.
TPMS sensors are mounted onto
each tire and wheel assembly,
excluding the spare tire and
wheel assembly.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the low tire pressure
warning light, located on the
instrument panel cluster, comes on.This light also comes on for a
few seconds and then goes off when
you turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
This indicates the TPMS is
functioning properly. If the low-tire
pressure warning light comes on
while driving the vehicle, the system
may have detected a low-tire
condition. You need to stop as soon
as possible and check the tires.
The low tire pressure warning
light may come on in cool weather
when the vehicle is first started, and
then turn off as you start to drive.
This could be an early indicator that
the air pressure in the tire(s) are
getting low and need to be inflated
to the proper pressure.
A Tire and Loading Information
label, attached to the vehicle, shows
the size of the vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct
inflation pressure for the tires when
they are cold. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 8-12, for an example
of the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location on your vehicle.
Also see Tire Pressure on
page 9-49.
The vehicle’s TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire
maintenance. See Tire Inspection
on page 9-54, Tire Rotation on
page 9-55 andTires on page 9-43.
9-52 Vehicle Care

TPMS Malfunction Light
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays
on for the remainder of the ignition
cycle. The low tire warning light
comes on at each ignition cycle until
the problem is corrected. Some of
the conditions that can cause the
malfunction light to come on are:
•One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire.
The spare tire does not have
a TPMS sensor. The TPMS
malfunction light and DIC
message should go off once
you re-install the road tire
containing the TPMS sensor.
•The initialization (reset) procedure
failed. See “TPMS Reset” later in
this section.
•One or more TPMS sensors
are missing or damaged.
The TPMS malfunction light
should go off when the TPMS
sensors are installed and the
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
your dealer/retailer for service.
•Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the vehicle’s original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 9-56.
•Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
•If tire chains are installed on the
vehicle.
•If there is a lot of snow or ice
around the wheels or wheel
housings.
•If a window tint that affects the
radio wave signals is installed.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer/retailer for
service if the TPMS malfunction light
comes on and stays on.
Vehicle Care 9-53

TPMS Reset
The TPMS sensors and transmitters
have unique identification codes.
Anytime you replace a TPMS sensor
or transmitter the identification codes
need to be registered and the TPMS
needs to be reset (initialized). When
the system is initialized, the current
air pressure in the tires is set as the
tire pressure benchmark. The tire
pressure warning system determines
decreased air pressure by comparing
tire pressure to the benchmark
pressure stored in the TPMS.
Do not reset the TPMS without first
correcting the cause of a low-tire
condition.
To reset the system:
1. Park the vehicle at a safe placeand apply the parking brake.
Turn the engine off.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF. 3. Adjust the tire pressure of all the
installed tires to the specified
cold tire inflation pressure level
indicated on the Tire and Loading
Information label attached to
the vehicle.
4. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
5. Press and hold the tire pressure warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light flashes
slowly on/off three times.
Wait for a few minutes with the
ignition in ON/RUN, and then turn
the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY
or LOCK/OFF. If the low-tire pressure warning
light does not flash three times
while you press and hold the
reset button, the reset has failed.
Repeat the reset process. If the
reset cannot be performed, see
your dealer/retailer for service.
If you press the tire pressure reset
switch while the vehicle is moving,
the reset is not performed. If you
press the tire pressure reset switch
accidentally and initialization is
performed, adjust the tire pressure to
the specified level and perform the
reset procedure again.
Tire Inspection
We recommend that you
regularly inspect your vehicle’s
tires, including the spare tire, if
the vehicle has one, for signs of
wear or damage. See When It Is
Time for New Tires on page 9-56
for more information.
9-54 Vehicle Care