weight PONTIAC VIBE 2007 Owners Manual

Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should
take into consideration not only the child’s
weight, height, and age but also whether or not
the restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there
are many different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is
designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is,
the restraint will have a label saying that it
meets federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the restraint state the weight and
height limitations for a particular child restraint.
In addition, there are many kinds of restraints
available for children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn
infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs
so much compared with the rest of its
body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing
seat settles into the restraint, so the crash
forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant’s body, the
back and shoulders. Infants always
should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
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Your vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information
after a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and
Event Data Recorders on page 411.
Let only qualied technicians work on the
airbag system. Improper service can mean that
the airbag system will not work properly. See
your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system. A
passenger airbag status indicator on the
instrument panel will be visible when you turn your
ignition key to ON.
The words ON and OFF
will be visible in the
passenger airbag status
indicator during the
system check.When the system check is complete, either the
word ON or the word OFF will be visible depending
on whether the seat is occupied and/or the
weight of the occupant. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 163. The passenger
sensing system will turn off the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag, seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped), and the safety
belt pretensioner under certain conditions. The
driver’s airbags are not part of the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors
that are part of the right front passenger’s seat
assembly and safety belt assembly. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag, seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped), and the safety belt
pretensioner should be enabled (may inate) or not.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag,
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
and the safety belt pretensioner if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that a small child
is present in a child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off
of the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by
a smaller person, such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag,
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
and the safety belt pretensioner, the OFF indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the
airbag is off.If a child restraint has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint with the ignition key in the ACC or
LOCK position, following the child restraint
manufacturer’s directions and refer toSecuring a
Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
on page 58.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the ON indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If
this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
If the ON indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the
vehicle and check with your dealer.
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transaxle)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle
with the engine running. Your vehicle
could move suddenly if the shift lever is
not fully in PARK (P) with the parking
brake rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch re. You or
others could be injured. Do not leave your
vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your automatic transaxle
vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in PARK (P) and your parking brake is
rmly set before you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without rst pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
was not fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift into
PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle
may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transaxle. You may nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque
lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly before
you leave the driver’s seat. To nd out how, see
Shifting Into Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle)
on page 115.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever
out of PARK (P) before you release the parking
brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to
take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
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Your vehicle also has a safety belt reminder light
for the right front passenger position.
This light is located on
the center of the
instrument panel, above
the audio system.
When the key is turned to ON or START, this light
will come on as a reminder for the right front
passenger to fasten their safety belt. This light will
ash until the right front passenger’s safety belt
is buckled. The passenger’s safety belt reminder
light will not come on if the right front passenger’s
belt is already buckled or if a sensor does not
detect the weight of a passenger in that seat.
If something is placed on the right front passenger
seat, the sensors in the seat may detect that
object and cause the right front passenger safety
belt reminder light to come on. If this happens,
remove the object.Airbag Readiness Light
There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol. The
system checks the airbag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. The system monitors the airbag
sensor assembly, front airbag sensors,
seat-mounted side impact and roof-mounted airbag
sensors, driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat
belt buckle switch, right front occupant sensing
system and indicator light, front passenger’s seat
belt buckle switch, seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inators, interconnecting wiring and
power sources. For more information on the airbag
system, seeAirbag System on page 63.
This light will come on
briey when you start
your vehicle, then
it should go out. This
means the system
is ready.
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If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving,
your airbag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on or
keeps ashing after you start your
vehicle, it means the airbag system and
safety belt pretension system may not be
working properly. The airbags in your
vehicle may not inate in a crash, or they
could even inate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have
your vehicle serviced right away if the
airbag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle.
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your vehicle has a passenger airbag status
indicator in the instrument panel.
The indicator next to the
passenger airbag status
indicator lights is the
passenger safety
belt reminder light.
SeeSafety Belt Reminder Light on page 161for
more information on that indicator.
When the ignition key is turned to ON, the
passenger airbag status indicator will light ON and
OFF as a system check.
Then, after several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF if there is weight
on the seat or if the safety belt is buckled, to let you
know the status of the right front passenger’s frontal
and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped).
163

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and
driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one
contributor to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to
drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most
cases, these deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. In recent years, more
than 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths
have been associated with the use of alcohol, with
more than 300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the
adult population — choose never to drink alcohol,
so they never drive after drinking. For persons
under 21, it is against the law in every U.S. state to
drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink
alcohol and then drive. But what if people do?
How much is “too much” if someone plans
to drive? It is a lot less than many might think.
Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before
and during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
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According to the American Medical Association, a
180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with
a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would
reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce
(120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if
each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like
whiskey, gin, or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For
example, if the same person drank three double
martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each)
within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close
to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food
just before or during drinking will have a somewhat
lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women
generally have a lower relative percentage of body
water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body
water, this means that a woman generally will
reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same
body weight will when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout
Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In
some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and
Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers
in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have
seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the
drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
224

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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 272.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 166.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.Average reaction time is about three-fourths of
a second. But that is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
226

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R)
and a forward gear, or with a manual transaxle,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions,
you will cause a rocking motion that may free your
vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out
after a few tries, it may need to be towed out. Or,
you can use the recovery hook. If your vehicle
does need to be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 259.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle
show how much weight it may properly carry, the
Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
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