2010 Saturn VUE Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-7
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-13
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1
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Seats and Restraints 3-41
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on
page 5‑13for more information.
Notice: If an airbag covering is
damaged, opened, or broken, the
airbag may not work properly. Do
not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag covers,
have the airbag covering and/or
airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules,
see What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
on page 3‑31. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in your vehicle.
A damaged airbag system may
not work properly and may not
protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure your airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible. If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See
your dealer/retailer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on
page 5‑13for more information.
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5-22 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer/
retailer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer/retailer.
Change Engine Oil Light
When the change engine oil light
comes on, it means that service is
required on the vehicle.
See Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2and Engine Oilon
page 10‑8for more information.
After the engine oil is changed the
engine oil life system needs to be
reset in order to turn off this light.
See Engine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑10for more information.
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Instruments and Controls 5-29
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages
on
page 5‑33. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil
on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2for more information.
Whenever the oil is changed the Oil
Life System will need to be reset. To
reset the system through the DIC,
press and hold
Vwhile this display
is shown. When the system is reset
the display will show 100% OIL LIFE
REMAINING. Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between
English or Metric units of
measurement. Once in this display,
press the set/reset button to select
between ENGLISH or METRIC
units. All of the vehicle information
will then be displayed in the unit of
measurement selected.
Tire Pressure
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either pounds per square
inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
Press the vehicle information button
until the DIC displays FRONT
TIRES PSI (kPa) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##. Press the vehicle
information button again until the
DIC displays REAR TIRES
PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.If a low or high tire pressure
condition is detected by the system
while driving, a message advising
you to check the pressure in a
specific tire will appear in the
display. See
Tire Pressure
on
page 10‑50and Tire Messageson
page 5‑37for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with your vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer/retailer for service.
For information on relearning tire
positions see “TPMS Sensor
Matching Process” underTire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 10‑54.
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Instruments and Controls 5-33
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not increase the engine speed
above normal idling speed. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑20for more information.
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive your vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not increase the engine speed
above normal idling speed. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑20for more information.
This message displays along with a
continuous chime when the engine
has overheated. Stop and turn the
engine off immediately to avoid
severe engine damage. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑20.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when
service is required for the vehicle.
See your dealer/retailer. See Engine
Oil
on page 10‑8and Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 11‑2for
more information.
Acknowledging this message will
not reset the OIL LIFE REMAINING
display. That must be done at the
OIL LIFE screen. See “OIL LIFE”
under Driver Information Center
(DIC)
on page 5‑25and Engine Oil
Life Systemon page 10‑10for more
information.
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5-38 Instruments and Controls
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the TPMS
is re-learning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
SeeTire Rotation
on page 10‑57,
Tire Pressure Monitor Systemon
page 10‑52, and Tire Pressureon
page 10‑50for more information.
Transmission Messages
CHANGE TRANSMISSION
FLUID
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid may
damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission
fluid listed in Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants
on
page 11‑7.
This message displays when the life
of the transmission fluid has expired
and it should be changed. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2and Recommended
Fluids and Lubricantson page 11‑7for the proper fluid and change
intervals.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive your vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead to
costly repairs that would not be
covered by your warranty. Do not
drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission fluid or
while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays along with a
chime if the transmission fluid in the
vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears and the chime
stops when the fluid temperature
reaches a safe level.
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Driving and Operating 9-17
Driving in Water
{WARNING
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and
you could lose traction and roll
the vehicle over. Do not drive
through rushing water.Heavy rain can mean flash flooding,
and flood waters demand extreme
caution.
Find out how deep the water is
before driving through it. Do not try
it if it is deep enough to cover the
wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe
—you probably will not get
through. Deep water can damage
the axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water is not too deep, drive
slowly through it. At faster speeds,
water splashes on the ignition
system and the vehicle can stall.
Stalling can also occur if you get the
tailpipe under water. If the tailpipe is
under water, you will never be able
to start the engine. When going
through water, remember that when
the brakes get wet, it might take
longer to stop. See Driving on Wet
Roads on page 9‑18.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody,
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, axles,
and exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
The vehicle requires more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer to
the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
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9-56 Driving and Operating
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedalwhile you:
.Start the engine.
.Shift into a gear.
.Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑20.
Trailer Towing
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
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