steering PONTIAC VIBE 2004 User Guide

Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open the glove box door, lift the latch. Always keep
the glove box door closed while driving.
Cupholder(s)
There are two ®xed cupholders located in the console
area between the two front seats. There are also
two cupholders that fold out of the rear of the console
storage unit.
Coinholder(s)
Your instrument panel has a coinholder located to the
left of the steering wheel.
Instrument Panel Storage Area
There are storage compartments located on the
instrument panel in two places. They are below the
interior/instrument panel brightness dial and below the
shift lever. Pull the top of the door toward you to open it
or for the compartment below the shift lever, push the
button to open it.
Center Console Storage Area
A storage area is located in the console between the
seats which can hold CDs, cassettes or a cell phone.
There is also an accessory power outlet located in
the storage area.
To access the upper tray of the storage area, raise the
console box lid without touching the lock release
lever. To access the lower storage area, pull up the lock
release lever while raising the lid.
Floor Mats
Your vehicle's ¯oor mat is specially designed to remain
in position under your feet and out of reach of the
accelerator pedal. The driver's side ¯oor mat is held in
place by two locator hooks.
Be sure the driver's side ¯oor mat is properly placed on
the ¯oor so that it does not block the movement of
the accelerator pedal.
2-37

Horn
To sound the horn, press anywhere on the horn pad on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering column allows you to adjust the steering
column before you drive. You can also raise it to
the highest level to give your legs more room when you
exit and enter the vehicle.
The tilt lever is located
underneath the steering
wheel column.
To tilt the column, move the lever downward. Adjust the
steering wheel to a comfortable position, then move
the lever upward to lock the column in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The turn signal/multifunction lever is located on the left
side of the steering column.
This lever operates the following:
·Turn and Lane-Change Signals
·Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
·Flash-to-Pass
For more information on the exterior lamps, see
Exterior
Lamps on page 3-12.
3-5

Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of the steering column
controls the windshield wipers and washer.
The available positions are the following:
OFF:The wipers are off.
INT (Intermittent):Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. In light rain or snow, you might
want to use this position rather than continuous wiping.
You can change the time between wipes by turning
the INT TIME band. Turn the band forward or rearward
for longer or shorter delay interval.LO (Low):Move the lever to LO for steady wiping at
low speed.
HI (High):Move the lever to HI for steady wiping at
high speed.
MIST:For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go. The
wipers will stop after one wipe.
REAR:To turn on the rear window wiper, twist the end
of the lever upward. The wiper does not work with
the rear liftglass open.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
3-7

Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you to spray washer ¯uid on the
windshield. The spray will continue until you release the
lever. The wipers will run a few times. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-39.
To squirt washer ¯uid on the rear window, twist the knob
upward and downward as far as it will go. The knob
automatically returns from these positions after you
release it. You can twist the lever downward to create a
large ¯ow of water on the rear window, then twist the
lever back up to wipe the window. This feature is helpful
to quickly clear the rear liftglass when very dirty.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lever is located on the right side of
the steering wheel.
3-8

Exterior Lamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
O(Exterior Lamps):Turn the outside part of the
lever with the symbol on it, to operate the lamps.The exterior lamp switch has three positions:
OFF:Turning the switch to this position turns off all
lamps, except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
O(Parking Lamps):Turning the switch to this position
turns on the parking lamps together with the following:
·Sidemarker Lamps
·Taillamps
·License Plate Lamp
·Instrument Panel Lights
3(Headlamps):Turning the switch to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Turn the switch to OFF to turn off the lamps.
-(Fog Lamps):You can also use the control lever
to turn on the fog lamps. They will come on only
when the headlamps are on low beam.
3-12

When it begins to get dark, the headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL to the regular headlamps.
See ªAutomatic Headlamp Systemº earlier in this section.
When you turn the exterior lamp switch off, the regular
lamps will go off and your headlamps will change to the
reduced brightness of DRL provided it is not dark
outside. DRL also comes on if only the parking lamps
are being used.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, do the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Turn the ignition back on.
The DRL will stay off until you release the parking
brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The instrument panel
brightness control is
located to the left of the
steering wheel on the
instrument panel.
3-14

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.........................4-9
Steering........................................................4-9
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
City Driving..................................................4-19Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow...................................................4-28
Towing..........................................................4-30
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-30
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-30
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-32
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-34
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person's system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking Ð driver or passenger Ð is in a crash,
that person's chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your re¯exes, perceptions, attentiveness
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious Ð or even fatal Ð collision if you
drive after drinking. Please do not drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with
a group, designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering and the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work at the places where the tires meet
the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
4-5

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your
®rst reaction Ð to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down Ð may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it
in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this by
pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.This will help you retain steering control. If you
dohave
anti-lock, it is different. See ªAnti-Lock Brake Systemº
in this section.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD
system operates automatically without any action
required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to
slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive
the vehicle as required. There may be a slight
engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
4-9

Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems Ð steering and braking Ð have to do their workwhere the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose
control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems Ð steering and acceleration Ð can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-10