ECU SATURN ION 2006 Owner's Manual

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
seeOlder Children on page 1-32orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-34.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-30
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-56
ProCarManuals.com

If your vehicle has a roof-mounted side impact airbag
for the right front passenger and the person seated
directly behind that passenger, it is in the ceiling above
the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the bag might not inate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear.
Do not put anything between an occupant and
an airbag, and do not attach or put anything
on the steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering. And, if your vehicle
has roof-mounted side impact airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle
by routing the rope or tiedown through any
door or window opening. If you do, the path
of an inating side impact airbag will be
blocked. The path of an inating airbag
must be kept clear.
1-58
ProCarManuals.com

The passenger sensing system works with sensors
that are part of the right front passenger’s seat.
The sensors are designed to detect the presence
of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may
inate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. General Motors recommends that child restraints
be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding
in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat, and an older child riding
in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor
says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.”
This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is
so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal
airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in the
rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back as it will
go. It is better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
1-63
ProCarManuals.com

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if:
the right front passenger seat is unoccupied
the system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat
the system determines that a small child is present
in a forward-facing 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, the off indicator
on the instrument panel 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
following the child restraint manufacturer’s directions
and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position on page 1-51.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.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inate) the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s
seat. When the passenger sensing system has allowed
the airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is active.
For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag, depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
1-64
ProCarManuals.com

If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person to
place the seatback in the fully upright position, then sit
upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the
person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle
and have the person remain in this position for about
two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that
person and then enable the passenger’s airbag.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. If this ever happens, have
the vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the frontal airbag. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 3-30for more on this, including
important safety information.
A thick layer of additional material such as a blanket,
or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers, seat
heaters, and seat massagers, can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates. Remove any
additional material from the seat cushion before
reinstalling or securing the child restraint and before a
small occupant, including a small adult, sits in the
right front passenger position. You may want to consider
not using seat covers or other aftermarket equipment
if your vehicle has the passenger sensing system.
SeeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 1-67for more information about modications
that can affect how the system operates.
1-65
ProCarManuals.com

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Also, the airbag system may
not work properly if you relocate any of the airbag
sensors. If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Customer Assistance before
you modify your vehicle. The phone numbers
and addresses for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure
in this manual. SeeCustomer Satisfaction
Procedure on page 7-2.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modied. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and diagnostic
module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
ceiling headliner, ceiling and pillar garnish trim,
roof-mounted airbag modules, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the airbag system.
If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
1-67
ProCarManuals.com

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Delayed Locking.............................................2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-9
Lockout Protection........................................2-10
Rear Doors (Coupe)......................................2-10
Trunk..........................................................2-11
Windows........................................................2-13
Manual Windows..........................................2-13
Power Windows............................................2-14
Sun Visors...................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-16
Passlock
®....................................................2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-17
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-17
Ignition Positions..........................................2-18
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-20
Starting the Engine.......................................2-20
Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-22
Manual Transaxle Operation...........................2-25Parking Brake..............................................2-27
Shifting Into Park (P) (Automatic Transaxle)......2-28
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-29
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transaxle).........2-29
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-30
Engine Exhaust............................................2-30
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-31
Mirrors...........................................................2-32
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-32
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®..............2-32
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
®, Compass and Temperature
Display....................................................2-32
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Compass and Temperature Display..............2-35
Outside Remote Control Mirror.......................2-37
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-37
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-38
OnStar
®System.............................................2-38
Storage Areas................................................2-40
Glove Box...................................................2-40
Cupholder(s)................................................2-40
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-40
Roof Rack System........................................2-40
Convenience Net..........................................2-41
Sunroof.........................................................2-41
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Door Security Locks
Your vehicle has rear door security locks. These
prevent passengers from opening the rear doors
from the inside.
The rear door security
locks are located on the
inside edge of each
rear door. You must open
the rear doors to access
them. The label depicting
lock and unlock positions
is located near the lock.To set the locks, do the following:
1. Insert the key into the security lock slot and turn
it so the slot is in the horizontal position.
2. Close the door.
When you want to open a rear door when the security
lock is on, do the following:
1. Unlock the door using the remote keyless entry
transmitter, if the vehicle has one, the power door
lock switch, or by lifting the rear door manual lock.
2. Open the door from the outside.
To cancel the rear door security lock, do the following:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Insert the key into the security lock slot and turn it
so the slot is in the vertical position.
Security Lock Label
shown
2-9
ProCarManuals.com

Remote Trunk Release Lockout
Your remote trunk release is equipped with a lockout
feature. The switch is located on the inside of the trunk
lid, mounted to the trunk lid latch.
To turn the lockout on,
slide the switch to the
lock symbol. To turn the
lockout off, slide the switch
to the unlock symbol.
When the lockout is on, the remote trunk release button
will not release the trunk lid. However, the trunk lid
can still be opened with the key, but not with the keyless
entry transmitter.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release handle is only
intended to aid a person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk from the inside.
There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located on the inside of the trunk lid. This handle
will glow following exposure to light. Pull the release
handle and push the trunk lid open from the inside
to open the trunk.
2-12
ProCarManuals.com

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
The remote keyless entry transmitter is used to
arm/disarm the theft-deterrent system. Your vehicle’s
theft-deterrent system can be programmed to
three different modes.
Active Arming:The system will arm when the lock
button on the remote keyless entry transmitter is
pressed. The system will disarm when the unlock
button is pressed.
Passive Arming:The system will arm itself one minute
after the ignition is turned off and the driver’s door
has been opened and closed. If the lock button on the
transmitter is pressed before the minute has passed,
the system will arm immediately. The system will disarm
when the unlock button is pressed.Security System Disable:The system will not arm.
To change the mode that your vehicle is programmed to,
do the following:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN or ACC.
2. Press the panic alarm button on the transmitter
slowly four times within ve seconds.
3. You must complete one of the following within
three seconds to change the mode.To select the active arming mode, press the
lock button on the transmitter.
To select the passive arming mode, press the
lock button on the transmitter twice within
3 seconds.
To select the security system disable mode,
press the unlock button on the transmitter.
A chime will sound once the mode has been selected.
If you accidentally set off the alarm when entering/exiting
the vehicle, you can shut it off by pressing any button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter other than
the panic alarm button.
If you hear three horn chirps when you press the unlock
button on the transmitter, that means the vehicle’s
alarm was triggered while you were away.
2-16
ProCarManuals.com