tow PONTIAC VIBE 2003 User Guide

2-31 Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transaxle Only)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-33
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever
into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the
ignition key to OFF, remove the key and release
the clutch.
If you are towing a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-35
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
To sound the horn, press anywhere on the horn pad on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering column allows you to adjust the steering
column before you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
The tilt lever is located
underneath the steering
wheel column.
To tilt the column, move the lever downward. Adjust the
steering wheel to a comfortable position, then move the
lever upward to lock the column in place.

2-37 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
The headlamps must be on for this feature to work. For
high beams, push the turn signal lever away from you.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel
cluster also will be on.
It will go off when you switch to the low beams. To
switch back to low beams, pull the lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
With the lever in the low-beam position, pull the lever
toward you to momentarily switch to high beams (to
signal that you are going to pass). If you have the
headlamps on when you release the lever, they will
return to the low beams.
Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of the steering column
controls the windshield wipers and washer.
The available positions are the following:
OFF: The wipers are off.
INT (Intermittent): Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. In light rain or snow, you might
want to use this position rather than continuous wiping.
You can change the time between wipes by turning the
INT TIME band. Turn the band forward or rearward for
longer or shorter delay interval. This position works the
same for the rear wiper.

2-38
LO (Low): Move the lever to LO for steady wiping at
low speed.
HI (High): Move the lever to HI for steady wiping at
high speed.
MIST: For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to
MIST. Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one wipe.
REAR: To turn on the rear window wiper, twist the end
of the lever upward. The wiper does not work with the
rear liftglass open.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you to spray washer fluid on the
windshield. The spray will continue until you release the
lever. The wipers will run a few times. See ªWindshield
Washer Fluidº in the Index.
To squirt washer fluid on the rear window, twist the knob
upward and downward as far as it will go. The knob
automatically returns from these positions after you
release it. You can twist the lever downward to create a
large flow of water on the rear window, then twist the
lever back up to wipe the window. This feature is helpful
to quickly clear the rear liftglass when very dirty.
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.

2-41
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Push and hold the lever to SET/COAST until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, push the lever
down briefly. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift
to a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake or downshifting to SECOND (2) or
LOW (L) takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers
find this to be too much trouble and don't use cruise
control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transaxle.

Press the CRUISE ON
-OFF button again.

Pull the cruise control lever toward you.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.

2-48 Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
To open the glove box door, lift the latch. Always keep
the glove box door closed while driving.
Door Storage Compartments
The driver's door has a map/storage compartment.
There is also a storage compartment located on the
front passenger's door.
Instrument Panel Storage Compartment
There are storage compartments located on the
instrument panel in two places. They are below the
interior/instrument panel brightness dial and below the
shift lever. Pull the top of the door toward you to open it
or for the compartment below the shift lever, push the
button to open it.

2-66
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº and ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
With the anti
-lock brake system, the light will come on
when your engine is started and may stay on for several
seconds. That's normal.

2-70
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 possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, 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 ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.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. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. 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.
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.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.

3-2
Comfort Controls
With this system, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle.
Your vehicle also has the flow
-through ventilation
system described later in this section.
Climate Control System
Mode Knob
(Vent): This position directs the airflow though the
upper instrument panel outlets.
(Bi-Level): This position directs the airflow
through the upper instrument panel vents and toward
the floor.
(Floor): This position directs the airflow toward
the floor and through the right and left side vents. The
side vents can be shut off to allow for more air to be
directed toward the floor.
(Defog): This position directs the airflow
toward the floor, the windshield and the side windows.
The air also comes from both vents at the ends of the
instrument panel.
(Defrost): This position directs the airflow to the
windshield and side windows. The air also comes from
both vents at the ends of the instrument panel.
For maximum defrosting and defogging, adjust the
temperature knob to hot, use outside air mode and shut
off airflow to the outside instrument panel vents to
increase air through the side defroster vents.
Fan Knob
Turn the knob away from OFF to turn the system on.
Turn the knob toward HI to increase fan speed.