warning light PONTIAC VIBE 2010 Owner's Manual

StabiliTrak System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems. This system automatically
controls the brakes and engine to
help prevent the vehicle from
skidding when cornering on a
slippery road surface or turning
the steering wheel abruptly.
This system activates when the
vehicle speed reaches or exceeds
15 km/h (9 mph), and deactivates
when the vehicle speed reduces to
below 15 km/h (9 mph).
A sound may be heard in the engine
compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just
after the vehicle begins to move.
This means that the system is in
the self-check mode, but does not
indicate a problem.If the vehicle is going to skid during
driving, the traction control system
warning light flashes and an alarm
sounds intermittently. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
To turn off both the traction control
system and StabiliTrak, press and
hold
gwhile the vehicle is stopped.
The traction control system warning
light and the VSC OFF light will come
on. To turn the systems back on,
press
gagain. If both systems are
turned off, they will not turn back on
automatically when vehicle speed
increases.
If the VSC OFF light flashes, there
is a problem in the traction control
system or StabiliTrak.
Driving and Operating 8-35

What to Use
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL®
coolant, which will not damage
aluminum parts. If this coolant
mixture is used, nothing else
needs to be added.
{CAUTION
Adding only plain water to the
cooling system can be dangerous.
Plain water, or some other liquid
such as alcohol, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, the engine could
get too hot but would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:
If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
•Gives freezing protection down to
−34°F (− 38°C).
•Gives boiling protection up to
265°F (129°C).
•Protects against rust and
corrosion.
•Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
•Lets the warning lights and gages
work as they should.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL can cause premature
engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL (silicate-free)
coolant in your vehicle.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface. When the engine is cold,
the coolant level should be at LOW,
or a little higher. When the engine
is warm, the level should be up to
FULL, or a little higher. If it is not,
there could be a leak at the pressure
cap or in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump, or
somewhere else in the cooling
system.
See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 9-6 for the location of
the coolant recovery tank.
9-20 Vehicle Care

Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{CAUTION
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
an accident. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive
with worn-out brake pads could
result in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when
the brakes are first applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specications on page 11-2 .
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer if the brake
pedal does not return to normal
height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes — for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
9-26 Vehicle Care

Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder and, on
manual transmission vehicles, the
clutch hydraulic system use the
same reservoir. The reservoir is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid as indicated
on the reservoir cap. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 9-6
for the location of the reservoir. There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
•The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
•A fluid leak in the brake and/or
clutch hydraulic system can also
cause a low fluid level. Have the
brake and/or clutch hydraulic
system fixed, since a leak means
that sooner or later the brakes
and/or clutch will not work well.
Do not top off the brake/clutch fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are installed. Add or remove brake fluid, as
necessary, only when work is done
on the brake/clutch hydraulic system.
{CAUTION
If too much brake fluid is added,
it can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work
is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 4-17.
Vehicle Care 9-27

Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warns the driver when a
low tire pressure condition exists.
TPMS sensors are mounted onto
each tire and wheel assembly,
excluding the spare tire and
wheel assembly.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the low tire pressure
warning light, located on the
instrument panel cluster, comes on.This light also comes on for a
few seconds and then goes off when
you turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
This indicates the TPMS is
functioning properly. If the low-tire
pressure warning light comes on
while driving the vehicle, the system
may have detected a low-tire
condition. You need to stop as soon
as possible and check the tires.
The low tire pressure warning
light may come on in cool weather
when the vehicle is first started, and
then turn off as you start to drive.
This could be an early indicator that
the air pressure in the tire(s) are
getting low and need to be inflated
to the proper pressure.
A Tire and Loading Information
label, attached to the vehicle, shows
the size of the vehicle’s original
equipment tires and the correct
inflation pressure for the tires when
they are cold. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 8-12, for an example
of the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location on your vehicle.
Also see Tire Pressure on
page 9-49.
The vehicle’s TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire
maintenance. See Tire Inspection
on page 9-54, Tire Rotation on
page 9-55 andTires on page 9-43.
9-52 Vehicle Care

TPMS Malfunction Light
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays
on for the remainder of the ignition
cycle. The low tire warning light
comes on at each ignition cycle until
the problem is corrected. Some of
the conditions that can cause the
malfunction light to come on are:
•One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire.
The spare tire does not have
a TPMS sensor. The TPMS
malfunction light and DIC
message should go off once
you re-install the road tire
containing the TPMS sensor.
•The initialization (reset) procedure
failed. See “TPMS Reset” later in
this section.
•One or more TPMS sensors
are missing or damaged.
The TPMS malfunction light
should go off when the TPMS
sensors are installed and the
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
your dealer/retailer for service.
•Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the vehicle’s original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 9-56.
•Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
•If tire chains are installed on the
vehicle.
•If there is a lot of snow or ice
around the wheels or wheel
housings.
•If a window tint that affects the
radio wave signals is installed.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer/retailer for
service if the TPMS malfunction light
comes on and stays on.
Vehicle Care 9-53

TPMS Reset
The TPMS sensors and transmitters
have unique identification codes.
Anytime you replace a TPMS sensor
or transmitter the identification codes
need to be registered and the TPMS
needs to be reset (initialized). When
the system is initialized, the current
air pressure in the tires is set as the
tire pressure benchmark. The tire
pressure warning system determines
decreased air pressure by comparing
tire pressure to the benchmark
pressure stored in the TPMS.
Do not reset the TPMS without first
correcting the cause of a low-tire
condition.
To reset the system:
1. Park the vehicle at a safe placeand apply the parking brake.
Turn the engine off.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF. 3. Adjust the tire pressure of all the
installed tires to the specified
cold tire inflation pressure level
indicated on the Tire and Loading
Information label attached to
the vehicle.
4. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
5. Press and hold the tire pressure warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light flashes
slowly on/off three times.
Wait for a few minutes with the
ignition in ON/RUN, and then turn
the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY
or LOCK/OFF. If the low-tire pressure warning
light does not flash three times
while you press and hold the
reset button, the reset has failed.
Repeat the reset process. If the
reset cannot be performed, see
your dealer/retailer for service.
If you press the tire pressure reset
switch while the vehicle is moving,
the reset is not performed. If you
press the tire pressure reset switch
accidentally and initialization is
performed, adjust the tire pressure to
the specified level and perform the
reset procedure again.
Tire Inspection
We recommend that you
regularly inspect your vehicle’s
tires, including the spare tire, if
the vehicle has one, for signs of
wear or damage. See When It Is
Time for New Tires on page 9-56
for more information.
9-54 Vehicle Care

A
Accessories andModifications ...................... 9-3
Accessory Power .................8-18
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....2-35
Add-On Electrical Equipment ....................... 8-50
Adjustments Seat, Front ........................ 2-4
Seat, Initial Drive ................ 2-3
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine .......9-16
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment ..................... 7-4
Air Vents .............................. 7-4
Airbag System Check ............................. 2-36
How Does an Airbag Restrain? ..................... 2-28
Passenger Sensing System ........................ 2-29
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? ........................ 2-27Airbag System (cont.)
What Will You See Afteran Airbag Inflates? ........2-28
When Should an Airbag Inflate? ........................ 2-26
Where Are the Airbags? .....2-24
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle ........................ 2-35
Passenger Status Indicator ....................... 4-13
Readiness Light ................4-12
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles ....................... 2-34
System Check ..................2-23
Alarm System Anti-Theft .......................... 1-7
All-Wheel Drive ............8-31, 9-29
All-Wheel-Drive Service Light ............................... 4-18
AM-FM Radio ........................ 6-4
Antenna Satellite Radio ................... 6-9
Antilock Brake System (ABS) ..................8-32
Warning Light ................... 4-17Anti-Theft
Alarm System .................... 1-7
Appearance Care Exterior ........................... 9-75
Interior ............................ 9-80
Ashtrays ...............................

4-8
Assistance Program, Roadside ......................... 12-6
Audio Players ........................ 6-9
CD ................................... 6-9
MP3 ............................... 6-11
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna ............ 6-8
Audio Systems Radio Reception ................. 6-8
Automatic Headlamp System .............. 5-3
Automatic Transmission ............8-24, 8-27
Fluid ............................... 9-12
Manual Mode ................... 8-28
Auxiliary Devices ..................6-14
INDEX i-1

B
Battery............................... 9-28
Jump Starting ................... 9-69
Power Protection ................ 5-5
Blade Replacement, Wiper ....9-30
Brakes ............................... 9-26
Antilock ........................... 8-32
Fluid ............................... 9-27
Parking ........................... 8-33
Braking ................................ 8-4
Break-In, New Vehicle ..........8-16
Bulb Replacement ................9-37
Fog Lamps ........................ 5-4
Halogen Bulbs ..................9-33
Headlamp Aiming ..............9-32
Headlamps ...................... 9-33
Headlamps and Parking Lamps ......................... 9-33
License Plate Lamps .........9-36
Taillamps ......................... 9-35
Buying New Tires .................9-56
C
California
Fuel Requirements ............8-39
Perchlorate Materials Requirements ................. 9-3
Warning ............................ 9-2
Canadian Vehicle Owners .......... ii
Capacities and Specifications ................... 11-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust ................8-23
Liftgate ............................. 1-6
Winter Driving .................... 8-9
Cargo Cover ............................... 3-2
Management System .......... 3-4
Tie Downs ......................... 3-4
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings ............................. iii
CD Player ............................ 6-9
Center Console Storage ......... 3-2
Chains, Tire ........................ 9-61
Charging System Light ..........4-14
Check Engine Lamp .............4-14Child Restraints
Infants and YoungChildren ....................... 2-38
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children .................. 2-45
Older Children ..................2-37
Securing .................. 2-51, 2-53
Systems .......................... 2-41
Where to Put the Restraint ...................... 2-43
Cigarette Lighter .................... 4-8
Circuit Breakers ...................9-38
Climate Control Systems ......... 7-1
Cluster, IP ............................ 4-9
Clutch, Hydraulic ..................9-15
Collision Damage Repair .....12-10
Compact Spare Tire .............9-68
Control of a Vehicle ............... 8-3
Coolant Engine ............................ 9-19
Engine Temperature Gage . . . 4-11
Cooling System ...................9-19
Courtesy Transportation Program .......................... 12-8
i-2 INDEX

CoversCargo ............................... 3-2
Cruise Control ..................... 8-36
Light ............................... 4-21
Cupholders ........................... 3-1
Customer Assistance ............12-4
Offices ............................ 12-3
Text Telephone (TTY) Users .......................... 12-4
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information .....12-12
Customer Satisfaction Procedure ........................ 12-1
D
Damage Repair, Collision ....12-10
Danger, Warnings, and Cautions .............................. iii
Data Recorders Event ............................ 12-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) ..................... 5-2 Defensive Driving
................... 8-2
Devices, Auxiliary .................6-14
Dome Lamps ........................ 5-4
Door Ajar Light ........................ 4-21
Locks ............................... 1-5
Power Locks ...................... 1-6
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive ........8-31, 9-29
Driving Better Fuel Economy .......... 8-2
Characteristics and Towing Tips .................. 8-44
Defensive .......................... 8-2
Drunk ............................... 8-3
Highway Hypnosis .............. 8-8
Hill and Mountain Roads ..... 8-8
If the Vehicle is Stuck .......8-11
Loss of Control .................. 8-6
Off-Road Recovery ............. 8-6
Vehicle Load Limits ...........8-12
Winter .............................. 8-9
E
Electrical Equipment
Add-On Equipment ............8-50
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock ........................... 9-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ...................... 9-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block ........................... 9-41
Overload ......................... 9-37
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ...............9-16
Check and Service Engine Soon Lamp .................. 4-14
Compartment Overview ....... 9-6
Coolant ........................... 9-19
Coolant Temperature Gage .........4-11
Cooling System ................9-19
Drive Belt Routing .............11-4
Exhaust ........................... 8-23
Oil ................................... 9-9
Overheating ..................... 9-23
INDEX i-3