Pontiac 2003 Vibe User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-27
Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) ...................................... 1-48
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-58
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-16
Mirrors .................................................... 2-34
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-36
Sunroof .................................................. 2-42
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-27
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-42
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-33
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-53
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-62
Tires ...................................................... 5-63
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-87
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-96
Electrical System ...................................... 5-97
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-102
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-104
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index ................................................................ 1
2003 Pontiac Vibe Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC,
the PONTIAC Emblem are registered trademarks
and the name VIBE is a trademark 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.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 22683297 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 01/07/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
ii

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 will find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what
is in the manual, and the page number where you will
find it.
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.
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.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will 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 has 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:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

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

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Driver Seat Height Adjuster ..............................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-3
Head Restraints .............................................1-5
Passenger Folding Seatback ............................1-6
Rear Seats .......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-7
Safety Belts .....................................................1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-14
Driver Position ..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-22
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-23
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-23
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-27
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-27
Child Restraints .............................................1-27
Older Children ..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children ............................1-30
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-36
Top Strap ....................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-38
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System) ......................1-39
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System ...............................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position ....................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-45
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ..............1-48
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-51
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-54
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-54
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-55
What Will You See After an Air
Bag Inflates? ............................................1-55
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-57
Restraint System Check ..................................1-58
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-58
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-59
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar located under the front seat to unlock it.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body, to make sure
the seat is locked into place.
Don’t put anything under the front seats. Items under
the seats could keep the seats from locking into
place properly.
1-2

Driver Seat Height Adjuster
Turn the knob located on
the outboard side of the
driver’s seat cushion
to adjust the height of the
driver’s seat.
It is easier to use the adjuster when the seat is
unoccupied. Make sure the ignition is off and the vehicle
is in PARK (P) before adjusting the seat.
Reclining Seatbacks
1-3

To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat. Release the lever to lock the
seatback where you want it. Push on the seat to
make sure it’s locked into position. Pull up on the lever
without pushing on the seatback, and the seat will
go to its original upright position.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
{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.
1-4

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.
Press the release button near the base of the restraint
to lower and raise the restraint to a comfortable
position.
1-5

Passenger 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 air bag. In a crash, an inflating
air bag might force that object toward a
person. This could cause severe injury or even
death. Secure objects away from the area in
which an air bag would inflate. For more
information, see “Where Are the Air Bags?”
and “Loading Your Vehicle,” in the Index.
You can also fold the front passenger’s seatback down
to allow for more cargo space or as a temporary
table while the vehicle is stopped.
To fold the seatback down, do the following:
1. Lower the head restraint to the lowest position and
make sure the seatback is at the most upright
position and locked. 2. Pull up on one of the
levers located on either
side of the back of
the passenger’s
seatback.
1-6

3. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it into
place. Make sure the safety belt is not twisted or
caught in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it
is locked into position.
3. Use the reclining front seatback lever to adjust the
seatback to a comfortable position.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
You can fold either side of the seatback down for more
cargo space. The rear right side seatback can also
be used as a temporary table while the vehicle is
stopped. Make sure the front seatback isn’t reclined or
in the rearward most position. If it is, the rear seatback
won’t fold down all the way.
{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.
1-7

{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 raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To fold either seatback down, do the following:
1. Pull up on the lock
release knob, located
on the top of the
seatbacks.
2. Fold the seatback down. Each seatback can be
folded separately.
To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock it into
place. Make sure the safety belts are not twisted or
caught in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it
is locked into position.
1-8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are 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.
{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 on page 3-30.
1-9

In most states and in all 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.
1-10

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-11

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-12

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that
has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.
1-13

Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-27
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-30. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
1-14