steering SATURN VUE 2005 Owners Manual

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.
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{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.
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.
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 moderate frontal impacts, these airbags
inate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
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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, airbag, and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger. For vehicles with side impact
airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of
the vehicle, near the side windows.
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.
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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 ceiling
of your vehicle near the side windows 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.
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Your vehicle may have a feature that will automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior dome lamp on
and ash the daytime running lights on and off when the
airbags inate (if battery power is available). You can
lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off
by using the door lock and interior lamp controls. You
must rst, however, turn your ignition key to the following
ignition switch positions:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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 7-7.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
system. Improper service can mean that your
airbag system will not work properly. See your
Saturn retailer for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the side
impact airbag covering on the ceiling near the side
windows, 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 side impact airbag module and ceiling
covering for roof-mounted side impact airbags. Do
not open or break the airbag coverings.
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Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
Do not drive at any one speed, fast or slow, for
the rst 500 miles (805 km). Do not make
full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new
brake linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear
and earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake
linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. SeeTowing
a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition switch, you can turn it to four
different positions.
LOCK
q:This position locks your steering column in a
vehicle with a manual transaxle. It is a theft-deterrent
feature. You will only be able to remove your key when
the ignition is turned to LOCK.
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If you have an automatic transaxle, the ignition switch
cannot be turned to LOCK unless the shift lever is
in PARK (P).
Notice:Using a tool to force the key from the
ignition switch could cause damage or break the
key. Use the correct key and turn the key only with
your hand. Make sure the key is all the way in. If
it is, turn the steering wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. If none of this works, then
your vehicle needs service.
{CAUTION:
If you have a manual transaxle removing the
key from the ignition switch will lock the
steering column and result in a loss of ability
to steer the vehicle. This could cause a
collision. If you need to turn the engine off
while the vehicle is moving, turn the key
to ACC.ACC (Accessory):This position operates some of your
electrical accessories. It unlocks the steering wheel
and ignition.
RUN:This is the position the switch returns to after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in RUN when the engine is running. But even
when the ignition is not running, you can use RUN to
operate your electrical accessories and to display some
warning and indicator lights.
rSTART:This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch
will return to RUN for normal driving.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver’s door
when the key has not been removed from the ignition.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located in
the center of the
instrument panel.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on your steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
Your vehicle has a tilt wheel which allows you to adjust
the steering wheel before you drive. You can raise it
to the highest level to give your legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
The lever that allows you
to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side
of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the wheel and push the lever down.
Then, move the wheel to a comfortable position and pull
the lever up rmly to lock the column in place.
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Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
GTurn and Lane-Change Signals. SeeTurn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-7.
5Headlamps. SeeHeadlamps on page 3-13.
3Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
Flash-to-Pass Feature. SeeFlash-to-Pass on
page 3-8.
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has one upward (for right) and one
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is nished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, raise or lower the lever until
the arrow starts to ash. Hold it there until you complete
the lane change. The lever will return by itself when
you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
ash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows do not go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse, seeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-93and for burned-out bulbs. Base Level Shown
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The lever on the right side of the steering column
operates the windshield wipers. Push up or pull down
on the lever to place it in one of the following positions.
MIST or
8(Mist):Pull the lever down and release
it for a single wiping cycle. The lever will return to
its original position. For more cycles, hold the lever down
before releasing it.
OFF or
9(Off):Move the lever to this position to
turn off the wipers.
INT or
&(Intermittent):Move the lever to this
position to set a delay between wipes. Turn the band on
the lever to set the length of the delay (1, 2, or 3).
For the most frequent wipes, select 3, for the least
frequent, select 1.LO or
OO(Low):Move the lever to this position for
slow, steady wiping cycles.
HI or
OOOO(High):Move the lever to this
position for rapid wiping cycles.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
There is a band on the wiper lever to operate the rear
wiper/washer.
9(Off):Turn the band to this position to turn off the
rear wiper.
Z(Rear Wiper):Turn the band to this position to turn
on the rear wiper. In this position the wiping cycles
will be slow and steady.
Y(Wash):Turn and hold the band in this position to
spray washer uid on the rear window. The rear
wiper will also come on. Release the band when enough
uid has been sprayed on the window. The rear wiper
will stay on until you turn the band to OFF. Canada
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