Pontiac 2002 Aztek User manual

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The 2002 Pontiac Aztek Owner’s Manual
1-1Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
2-1Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
3-1Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
4-1Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
5-1Problems on the Road
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
6-1Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
7-1Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
8-1Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Pontiac for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-10.

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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC,
the PONTIAC Emblem and the name AZTEK are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division whenever it
appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will
be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road.
If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the new owner can use it.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Litho in U.S.A. E Copyright General Motors Corporation 11/09/01
Part Number 10312915 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

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About Driving Your Vehicle
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control
or an accident. See “Your Driving, the Road and
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you do
this, it will help you learn about the features and controls
for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work together to explain things quickly.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t,
you or others could be hurt.

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You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about something that
can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage
would not be covered by your warranty, and it could
be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to
help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different
colors or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle may be equipped with components and
labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on
your vehicle, are shown along with the text describing
the operation or information relating to a specific
component, control, message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
D “Engine Compartment Overview”
D “Instrument Panel”
D “Comfort Controls”
D “Audio Systems”
Also see “Warning Lights and Gages” in the Index.

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These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:

1- 1-1
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Seat Controls
1-6 Rear Seats
1-12 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
1-16 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts -- and the Answers
1-17 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
1-18 Driver Position
1-26 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1-27 Right Front Passenger Position
1-28 Air Bag Systems
1-37 Rear Seat Passengers
1-40 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
1-44 Center Passenger Position
1-47 Children
1-51 Restraint Systems for Children
1-67 Older Children
1-70 Safety Belt Extender
1-70 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1-71 Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash

1-2
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to
adjust them, take them out, put them back in, fold
and unfold them.
Manual Front Passenger Seat
To move the seat, pull the
lever located on the front
of the seat up to unlock it.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat with your body.
Six-Way Power Seat
The six-way power seat
control is located on the
outboard side of the driver’s
seat or on the outboard sides
both the driver’s and front
passenger’s seats.
D Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
D Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the
rear portion of the cushion up or down.
D Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
D To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.

1-3
Manual Lumbar (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, the knob is located
on the outboard sides of the
driver’s and front
passenger’s seats.
Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the
vehicle to decrease lumbar support.
Heated Front Seats (Option)
If your vehicle has heated
front seats, the switches are
located in the instrument
panel switchbank.
This feature will quickly heat the seat cushions and
lower part of the driver’s and front passenger’s seatback
for added comfort. The left switch is for the driver’s seat
and the right switch is for the front passenger’s seat.
Press the top of the switch to turn the heater on. Press
the bottom of the switch to turn the heater off. The
heated seat switch will turn off when the ignition is
turned to OFF and will resume operation when the
ignition is turned to ON, unless the switch is manually
turned off.

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Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, pull up on the recliner lever
located on the outboard sides of both the driver’s and
front passenger’s seat.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.

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CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces
the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The front seat head restraints in your vehicle are
adjustable. Slide the head restraint up or down to adjust it.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.

1-6
Rear Seats
The rear seats in your vehicle have seat operating
features to adjust, fold, remove and reinstall the seats.
By using the seat operating features, in the correct order,
you can easily remove the seats from your vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be sure
to follow the label on the back of the seat for proper
location.
Split Bench Seats
The seatbacks can be folded forward or reclined
individually and the sections can be flipped forward or
removed individually.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
The seatbacks on each section of the split bench seat can
be reclined or folded forward.

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To recline the seatbacks, do the following.
Lift up on the recliner lever
located on the outboard side
of the seatback.
Use the recliner lever to move the seatback to the
desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
To fold the seatback forward, do the following.
Lift up on the recliner lever and fold the seatback
forward. The seatback will lock into place.
Lift up on the lever again to raise the seatback. The
seatback will lock into place when you push it back to
the upright position.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Each section of the split bench seat can be flipped
forward or removed individually.
1. Unlatch the shoulder belt from the lap-belt.
2. Make sure the seatback is in the upright position.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever to fold the seatback
forward.

1-8
4. Pull the lever, located at the base on the outboard
side of the seat, to release the rear latches from the
floor pins and flip the seat forward.
The seat can stay in this position or it can be
removed from the vehicle by following the
next steps.
5. To release the front latches, squeeze the angled latch
release bar toward the straight crossbar.
6. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly toward the
rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.

1-9
Replacing the Split Bench Sections
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.
CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person wearing
the belt could be seriously injured. After
installing the seat, always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.
Make sure the seatback is in the folded forward position
and the safety belts are on the correct section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so they face
rearward because they won’t latch that way.
The split bench seat sections have seat position labels,
located on the back of each section, showing where the
section must go.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.

1-10
1. Squeeze the angled latch release bar toward the
straight crossbar while placing the front hooks of the
bench seat onto the front two floor pins.
2. Make sure the bench
seat is angled so that the
front hooks clear the
floor pins. If the front
legs are not attached
correctly, the rear legs
will not attach to the rear
set of floor pins.

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3. Firmly push the rear hooks onto the rear floor pins
by pushing down on the rear of the seat.
4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever and raise the seatback
until it locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked upright.
7. Attach the lap belt.

1-12
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too.
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.

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In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.

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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.