wheel SATURN VUE HYBRID 2009 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv Preface
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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.Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...
Seats and Restraint System 1-11
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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, see
Where Are the Airbags? on
page 1-44andLoading the
Vehicle on page 4-18.
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.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 1-45.
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.
1-42 Seats and Restraint System
ProCarManuals.com

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.The right front passenger frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger side.
The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.Driver Side shown, Passenger
Side similar
1-44 Seats and Restraint System
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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.
When Should an Airbag
Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
inate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver’s or right
front passenger’s head and chest.
However, they are only designed to
inate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
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 the 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. Driver Side shown, Passenger
Side similar
Seats and Restraint System 1-45
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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.
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 modulesin 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 1-45for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
Seats and Restraint System 1-47
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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 1-49.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 7-1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seeDifferent
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 5-53for additional
important information.
Seats and Restraint System 1-55
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Starting and
Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The 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
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for
the rst 200 miles (322 km)
or so. During this time the
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 4-26for the
trailer towing capabilities
of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.To shift out of P (Park), turn the
ignition to ON/RUN and apply
the regular brake pedal.
Notice:Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch
or break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the
way in, and turn it only with
your hand. If the key cannot be
turned by hand, see your
dealer/retailer.
LOCK/OFF:This position locks the
ignition. It also locks the steering
wheel and the transmission. The key
can only be removed in LOCK/OFF.
The shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the key
to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this doesn’t
work, the vehicle needs service.
2-14 Features and Controls
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Automatic Transmission
Operation
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are several different positions
for the automatic transmission.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 2-23. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-26.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
regular brakes rst and then pressthe shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 2-25.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-17.
2-20 Features and Controls
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N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for normal
driving with the automatic
transmission. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h),
push the accelerator all the
way down.Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “Skidding” under
Loss of Control on page 4-11.
M (Manual Mode):This position
allows you to change gears similar
to a manual transmission. If the
vehicle has this feature, see Manual
Shift Mode.
Notice:Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair
will not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping
on a hill, use the brakes to
hold the vehicle in place.
Features and Controls 2-21
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