wheel SATURN RELAY 2005 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................1-22
Child Restraints
.......................................1-43
Airbag System
.........................................1-64
Restraint System Check
............................1-79
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-23
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-25
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-30
Mirrors
....................................................2-41
OnStar
®System
......................................2-43
HomeLink®Wireless Control System
...........2-44
Storage Areas
.........................................2-49
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-29
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-43
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-72Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-36
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-52
Appearance Care
.....................................5-87
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-96
Electrical System
......................................5-97
Capacities and Specications
...................5-103
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Saturn RELAY Owner ManualM
ProCarManuals.com

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not 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 would not
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 is just a seat
on wheels.
1-23
ProCarManuals.com

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
1-67
ProCarManuals.com

{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag 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. Do not let seat covers block
the ination path of a side impact airbag.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags
are designed to inate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inate only
if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a
variety of desired deployment and non-deployment
events and are used to predict how severe a crash is
likely to be in time for the airbags to inate and help
restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will
or should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle is
traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the direction
of the impact and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal airbags,
which adjust the restraint according to crash severity.
For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inate at a
level less than full deployment. Your vehicle is
equipped with electronic frontal sensors, which help the
sensing system distinguish between a moderate
frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If
the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall
that does not move or deform, the threshold level for
the reduced deployment is about 12 to 18 mph
(19 to 29 km/h), and the threshold level for a full
deployment is about 18 to 25 mph (29 to 40.2 km/h).
(The threshold level can vary, however, with specic
vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above
or below this range.)
1-69
ProCarManuals.com

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both
frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inator, which inates
the airbag. The inator, the airbag and related hardware
are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal airbag modules
are located inside the steering wheel and instrument
panel. For vehicles with side impact airbags, the airbag
modules are located in the seatback closest to the
driver’s and/or right front passenger’s door.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for vehicles with a driver’s and right front
passenger’s side impact airbag.
1-71
ProCarManuals.com

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inated. Some components of the airbag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag. For vehicles with side impact airbags, the side of
the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right front
passenger’s door will be hot. The parts of the bag that
come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from the vents in the deated airbags.
Airbag ination does not prevent the driver from seeing
or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
1-72
ProCarManuals.com

In many crashes severe enough to inate an airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
your airbag system. If you do not get them,
the airbag system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual for your vehicle covers the need to
replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders on page 7-6.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
system. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
retailer for service.Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the airbag
covering on the driver’s and right front passenger’s
seatback, the airbag may not work properly. You
may have to replace the airbag module in the
steering wheel, both the airbag module and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
airbag, or both the airbag module and seatback for
the driver’s and right front passenger’s side
impact airbag. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings.
1-73
ProCarManuals.com

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-5
Doors and Locks............................................2-10
Door Locks..................................................2-10
Power Door Locks........................................2-11
Delayed Locking...........................................2-12
Automatic Door Locks...................................2-13
Programmable Automatic Door Unlock.............2-13
Lockout Protection........................................2-13
Dual Sliding Doors........................................2-13
Power Sliding Door (PSD)..............................2-16
Liftgate........................................................2-21
Windows........................................................2-23
Power Windows............................................2-24
Manual Rear Quarter Windows.......................2-24
Power Rear Quarter Windows........................2-25
Sun Visors...................................................2-25
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-25
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-26
PASS-Key
®III ..............................................2-28
PASS-Key®III Operation...............................2-28Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-30
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-30
Ignition Positions..........................................2-30
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-31
Starting the Engine.......................................2-31
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-32
Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-33
All-Wheel Drive............................................2-36
Parking Brake..............................................2-37
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-38
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-39
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-39
Engine Exhaust............................................2-40
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-40
Mirrors...........................................................2-41
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-41
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-42
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-42
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-42
OnStar
®System.............................................2-43
HomeLink®Wireless Control System...............2-44
HomeLink®Wireless Control System
Operation.................................................2-45
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1
ProCarManuals.com

{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Saturn retailer in the area where you will be
parking your vehicle. The Saturn retailer can give you
the best advice for that particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Maximum engine speed is limited when the vehicle is in
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
There are several different positions for the shift lever.
PARK (P):This gear position locks the front wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start the engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle
shift lock control system. Fully apply the regular brakes
before shifting from PARK (P) when the ignition key
is in RUN. A click from a solenoid may be heard,
indicating that the shift lock control system is operating
properly.
2-33
ProCarManuals.com

If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever — push the shift lever all the way
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the desired gear. See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-39.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 2-38. If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-38.REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transaxle.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, seeIf
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page 4-30.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the vehicle when it
is already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also,
use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
2-34
ProCarManuals.com