check engine light SATURN VUE 2007 Owners Manual

Passlock®
Your vehicle is equipped with the
Passlock®theft-deterrent system.
This light will come on
for the theft-deterent
system.
Passlock
®is a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlock®enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key. If a correct key is not used
or the ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, fuel is
disabled.During normal operation, the security light will go
off approximately ve seconds after the key is
turned to RUN following an engine start.
If the engine stalls and the security light ashes,
wait until the light stops ashing before trying
to restart the engine. Remember to release the
key from START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the security light comes
on, you will be able to restart the engine if you turn
the engine off. However, your Passlock
®system
is not working properly and must be serviced by
your retailer. Your vehicle is not protected by
Passlock
®at this time. You may also want to
check the fuses, seeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 409. See your retailer for service. Also,
seeRoadside Assistance Program on page 445for
more information.
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Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages on
your vehicle. The pictures help to locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is wrong before it becomes serious enough to
cause an expensive repair or replacement. Paying
attention to the warning lights and gages could also
save you or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is
a problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As the details show on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briey when you start
the engine just to let you know they are working.
If you are familiar with this section, you should
not be alarmed when this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often
gages and warning lights work together to let you
know when there is a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and
stays on as you are driving, or when one of the
gages shows there may be a problem, check
the section that tells you what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice. Waiting to
do repairs can be costly and even dangerous.
So please get to know your vehicle’s warning
lights and gages. They can be a big help.
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Battery Warning Light
The battery warning light
will come on briey as a
check, when you turn on
the ignition. Then it
should go out when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on when you start your
vehicle, have your vehicle serviced right away. This
condition may indicate your battery warning light is
not functioning properly. If this light comes on while
you are driving, be sure to turn off accessories such
as the radio and climate control system. Have your
vehicle serviced right away.
Up-Shift Light
Your vehicle may have an up-shift light. When
this light comes on, you should shift to the
next higher gear if weather, road, and traffic
conditions allow you to.
This light is located in
your instrument panel
cluster under your
temperature gage.
SeeManual Transaxle Operation on page 117for
more information.
United States Only
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Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, the anti-lock
brake system (ABS) warning light will come
on briey, as a check, when you start your vehicle.
If it does not, have your vehicle serviced so that
the light works properly when it needs to.
The ABS light is located
in the instrument panel
cluster, to the left of
the engine coolant
temperature gage.
If the light stays on longer than a few seconds
after you start your engine, or comes on and stays
on while you are driving, try resetting the system.To reset the system, do the following:
1. If you are driving, pull over when it is safe
to do so.
2. Be sure the vehicle is in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Then restart the engine.
If the light remains on after resetting the system
or comes on again while driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the ABS light is on, but the
regular brake system warning light is not on, the
anti-lock brakes are not working properly, but
the regular brakes are still functioning. Have your
vehicle serviced right away. If both brake lights
are on, you do not have anti-lock brakes, and
there’s a problem with your regular brakes as well.
Have your vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 284.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should
come on briey when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle has
a computer which
monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition,
and emission control
systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended
to assure that emissions are at acceptable
levels for the life of the vehicle, helping to produce
a cleaner environment. The check engine light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will be
indicated by the system before any problem is
apparent. This may prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This system is also designed to
assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with
this light on, after awhile, the emission controls
might not work as well, your vehicle’s fuel
economy might not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This could lead
to costly repairs that might not be covered by
your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of your vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those of the same
Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) can affect
your vehicle’s emission controls and may
cause this light to come on. Modications to
these systems could lead to costly repairs
not covered by your warranty. This may also
result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 304.
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This light should come on, as a check to show
you it is working, when the ignition is on and
the engine is not running. If the light does
not come on, have it repaired. This light will also
come on during a malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has
been detected. A misre increases vehicle
emissions and may damage the emission
control system on your vehicle. Diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control
system malfunction has been detected on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possibleIf the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do
so, stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park
your vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine. If the light
remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On Steady”
following. If the light is still ashing, follow the
previous steps, and see your retailer for service
as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 309.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap
has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the light off.
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Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The
condition will usually be corrected when the
electrical system dries out. A few driving trips
should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 306. Poor fuel
quality will cause your engine not to run as
efficiently as designed. You may notice this as
stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration.
(These conditions may go away once the engine
is warmed up.) This will be detected by the
system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the
light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light
turn off, your retailer can check the vehicle.
Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order
to help your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
check engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that
critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle
would be considered not ready for inspection.
This can happen if you have recently replaced
your battery or if your battery has run down. The
diagnostic system is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during normal driving.
This may take several days of routine driving. If you
have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness,
your retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low
engine oil pressure
problem, this light
will stay on after you
start your engine,
or come on when you
are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving
enough oil. The engine could be low on oil,
or could have some other oil problem. Have it
xed immediately.
The oil light may also come on when the ignition
is on but the engine is not running, the light
will come on as a test to show you it is working,
but the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to START. If it does not come on with
the ignition on, you may have a problem with the
fuse or bulb. Have it xed right away.{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is
low. If you do, your engine can become so
hot that it catches re. You or others could
be burned. Check your oil as soon as
possible and have your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
may damage the engine. The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the maintenance schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people
drive in spurts — heavy acceleration followed
by heavy braking — rather than keeping pace
with traffic. This is a mistake. The brakes may
not have time to cool between hard stops.
The brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with
the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you
are driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder
to push down. If the engine stops, you will still
have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist
is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-Saturn accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 304.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle might have the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will
come on briey
when you start your
vehicle.
When you start the engine, or when you begin
to drive away, ABS will check itself. You might hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you might even notice that the
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make
certain you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer,
not to your sense of motion. After driving for any
distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think
you are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested.
If you must start when you are not fresh — such as
after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many
miles that rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable
clothing and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out.Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts at dealers/retailers all across the
United States and Canada. They are ready
and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir
full? Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you
checked all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses
clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough
for long-distance driving? Are the tires
all inated to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather
outlook along your route? Should you
delay your trip a short time to avoid a major
storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
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