roof SATURN VUE 2009 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint
System............................... 1-1
Head Restraints
.............. 1-2
Front Seats
.................... 1-3
Rear Seats
.................... 1-9
Safety Belts
..................1-10
Child Restraints
.............1-23
Airbag System
..............1-42
Restraint System
Check
......................1-58
Features and Controls...... 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-7
Windows
......................2-10
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-12
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
.............2-15
Mirrors
.........................2-29
Object Detection
Systems
...................2-31
OnStar
®System
............2-33Universal Home Remote
System
.....................2-37
Storage Areas
...............2-41
Sunroof
........................2-45
Instrument Panel............... 3-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 3-4
Climate Controls
............3-17
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............3-26
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............3-42
Audio System(s)
............3-64
Driving Your Vehicle......... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
........... 4-1
Towing
........................4-32
Service and
Appearance Care............... 5-1
Service
.......................... 5-3
Fuel
.............................. 5-5
Checking Things Under
the Hood
..................5-10All-Wheel Drive
.............5-35
Headlamp Aiming
..........5-36
Bulb Replacement
.........5-39
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
.............5-42
Tires
...........................5-43
Appearance Care
..........5-72
Vehicle Identication
......5-79
Electrical System
...........5-79
Capacities and
Specications
............5-86
Maintenance Schedule...... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
..... 6-1
Customer Assistance
Information........................ 7-1
Customer Assistance and
Information
................. 7-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
.....................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
................. 16
Index....................................i-1
2009 Saturn VUE Owner ManualM
ProCarManuals.com

Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the
passenger seated directly behind
the right front passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed in
the trim or on an attached label near
the deployment opening.For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for
the driver and on the instrument
panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Even if you do not have a right front
passenger seat in the vehicle
there is still an active frontal airbag
in the right side of the instrument
panel. Do not place cargo in front of
this airbag.
{CAUTION
Be sure that cargo is not near an
airbag. In a crash, an inating
airbag might force that object
toward a person. This could
cause severe injury or even
death. Secure objects away from
the area in which an airbag would
inate. For more information,
seeWhere Are the Airbags?
on page 1-45andLoading the
Vehicle on page 4-28.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of
an inating bag, all airbags must
inate very quickly to do their job.
1-42 Seats and Restraint System
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Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{CAUTION
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-47.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{CAUTION
Airbags inate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inates can be seriously injured or
killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
be if you were sitting on the edge
of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
Seats and Restraint System 1-43
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The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{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.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not use seat accessories that
block the ination path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger
Side similar
1-46 Seats and Restraint System
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The vehicle has seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-42.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are intended
to inate in moderate to severe side
crashes. In addition, these roof-rail
airbags are intended to inate during
a rollover or in a severe frontal
impact. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags will inate if
the crash severity is above the
system’s designed threshold level.
The threshold level can vary
with specic vehicle design.Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not intended to inate in
frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts. Roof-rail
airbags are not intended to inate
in rear impacts. A seat-mounted
side impact airbag is intended
to deploy on the side of the vehicle
that is struck. Both roof-rail
airbags will deploy when either side
of the vehicle is struck, or if the
sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over,
or in a severe frontal impact.In any particular crash, no one
can say whether an airbag should
have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, ination is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.
1-48 Seats and Restraint System
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What Makes an Airbag
Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls
the airbag causing the bag to
break out of the cover and deploy.
The inator, the airbag, and
related hardware are all part
of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules
in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
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.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
rst and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant’s motion
is not toward those airbags.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
on page 1-47for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
Seats and Restraint System 1-49
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What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time
after they deploy. Some components
of the airbag module may be hot
for several minutes. For location of
the airbag modules, seeWhat
Makes an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-49.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deated
airbags. Airbag ination does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION
When an airbag inates, there
may be 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.The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors,
turn the interior lamps on, and turn
the hazard warning ashers on
when the airbags inate. You can
lock the doors, turn the interior
lamps off, and turn the hazard
warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features. You
must rst, however, turn the ignition
key to the following ignition switch
positions:
1. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
2. Turn the ignition key to ON/RUN.
1-50 Seats and Restraint System
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The passenger sensing system
turns off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbags
and the roof-rail airbags are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the right front passenger seat and
safety belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence
of a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag should be enabled
(may inate) or not.According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in a correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are
large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the 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 airbag inates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
1-52 Seats and Restraint System
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Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the
vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working
properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, front sensors,
side impact sensors, rollover
sensor module, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of
the airbag system.In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position,
which includes sensors that
are part of the passenger seat.
The passenger sensing system
may not operate properly if the
original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery
or trim, or with GM covers,
upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such
as an aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the
seat fabric, could also interfere
with the operation of the
passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the passenger
airbag(s). SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-51.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. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 7-1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seeDifferent
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 5-59for additional
important information.
Seats and Restraint System 1-57
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Luggage Carrier..................2-43
Rear Seat Armrest...............2-44
Convenience Net.................2-44
Cargo Cover.......................2-44
Cargo Tie Downs................2-44
Cargo Management
System.............................2-44
SunroofSunroof..............................2-45
Keys
{CAUTION
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons, children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.The two keys can be used for the
ignition and all locks.
The key code is stamped on the
key number plate and can be used
to make new keys at any dealer/
retailer. Store this information in
a safe place outside the vehicle.
Notice:If you ever lock your
keys in the vehicle, you may have
to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
If you are locked out of the vehicle,
contact Roadside Assistance.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program
on page 7-6for more information.
2-2 Features and Controls
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