tow PONTIAC VIBE 2003 Owner's Manual

3-4 Heating
For the quickest results, press the recirculate button
and move the mode knob to the floor setting. Turn the
temperature knob clockwise for warmer air and turn the
fan knob toward HI. You should switch to outside air
once in a while to avoid stale air and fogging windows.
To prevent cold air from blowing in and to increase
air flow to the floor area, you may close the outer
instrument panel vents.
You may want to use bi
-level mode on cool but sunny
days. This setting directs outside air toward your body
and warmer air toward your feet. Using outside air, turn
the mode knob to bi
-level. Turn the temperature knob
counterclockwise and the fan knob toward HI.
Defogging and Defrosting
When the mode knob is turned to either the defog or
defrost mode, outside air will be selected automatically.
Outside air will clear the windshield more quickly.
Turn the temperature knob clockwise and the fan knob
toward HI. When the windshield is clear, turn down
the fan speed.
If you wish to return to the recirculate mode, the
recirculate button can be set when the mode knob is
set on full defog or full defrost. The indicator light will
come on.

Recirculate cannot be set partway between floor and
defog, and

recirculate cannot be set partway between defog
and defrost.
When the mode knob is turned to another position,
outside air will be selected automatically. To defog the
windshield and side windows, use outside air and turn
the mode knob to defog.

3-6 Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures, when very little heating
is required, you can still direct outside air through
your vehicle.
Use outside air and turn the mode knob to vent. Turn
the temperature knob to a comfortable setting and the
fan knob toward HI.
Constant airflow through the side vents is normal in all
airflow modes. To optimize the effectiveness of your
system in the floor, defog, or defrost modes, close the
outboard vents.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the heater or the air
conditioning compressor is running and the comfort
control system is circulating outside air.
Your vehicle has air outlets
that allow you to adjust the
direction of airflow.
You can direct the airflow side
-to-side by turning the
vents. Airflow comes out of the vents on defrost, defog
and floor positions at a reduced flow.

3-7
Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, move the
fan knob toward HI for a few moments before
driving off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow
and moisture, and reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.

Close outboard instrument panel vents to keep cold
air from blowing in.Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it
first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all of its controls to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Setting the Time
Your radio may have a button marked with an
H or HR to represent hours and an M or MIN to
represent minutes.
Press and hold the hour button until the correct hour
appears on the display. AM will also appear for morning
hours. Press and hold the minute button until the correct
minute appears on the display. The time may be set with
the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station
broadcasting Radio Data System (RDS) information,
press and hold the hour and minute buttons at the same
time until TIME UPDATED appears on the display. If
the time is not available from the station, NO UPDATE
will appear on the display instead.

3-10
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance): Press and release this button until BAL
appears on the display. The SELECT indicator will light
to show that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the
SELECT knob to move the sound toward the left or the
right speakers.
FADE: Press and release this button until FADE appears
on the display. The SELECT indicator will light to show
that the speakers can be adjusted. Turn the SELECT
knob to move the sound toward the front or the
speakers.
Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for
two seconds will return all speaker settings to the
middle position.Using RDS
Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data
System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only
on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. Using
this system, the radio can do the following:

Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type
of programming,

receive announcements concerning local and
national emergencies,

display messages from radio stations, and

seek to stations with traffic announcements.
This system relies upon receiving specific information
from these stations and will only work when the
information is available. In rare cases, a radio station
may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the
radio features to work improperly. If this happens,
contact the radio station.
When you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name
or call letters will appear on the display instead of the
frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of
day, a program type (PTY) for current programming and
the name of the program being broadcast.

3-17
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO: Press the AUDIO knob until BASS, MID or
TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase
or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may
want to decrease the treble.
To adjust bass, midrange or treble to the middle
position, select BASS, MID or TREB and press and
hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep
and adjust the display level to zero.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. The radio will produce
one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press this
button to choose between bass, midrange and treble
equalization settings.
To return to the manual mode (CUSTOM), press the
AUTO EQ button until CUSTOM appears on the
display. Then you will be able to manually adjust the
bass, midrange and treble using the AUDIO knob.Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the
left speakers, press the AUDIO knob until BAL appears
on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward
the left or the right speakers.
To adjust the fade between the front and the rear
speakers, press and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD
appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound
toward the front or the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and fade to the middle position,
select balance or fade and press and hold the AUDIO
knob. The radio will beep once and will adjust the
display level to the middle position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when tone
or speaker controls are not displayed. The radio will
produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on
the display.

4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions.
We've also included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System (Option)
4
-10 Steering
4
-12 Off-Road Recovery
4
-12 Passing
4
-14 Loss of Control
4
-15 Driving at Night4
-17 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-21 City Driving
4
-22 Freeway Driving
4
-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-24 Highway Hypnosis
4
-24 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-26 Winter Driving
4
-30 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-34 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-36 Towing a Trailer

4-30
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle
-- such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly
towingº (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known
as a ªdollyº).With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See ªDinghy
Towingº and ªDolly Towing,º following.
Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:

What's the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.

How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.

Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your
dealer or trailering professional for additional advice
and equipment recommendations.

Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would
prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you'll want to
make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See
ªBefore Leaving on a Long Tripº in the Index.

4-31 Dinghy Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles with Manual Transmissions Only)
NOTICE:
Towing your vehicle this way does not eliminate
the possibility of damaging your vehicle.
For vehicles with manual transmissions, do the
following:
1. Put the shift lever in neutral.
NOTICE:
To avoid locking the steering wheel, turn the
ignition to the ACC position.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC. Make sure the audio
system is turned off and that nothing is plugged into
the power outlets.
3. Release the parking brake.
After dinghy towing, let the engine idle for more than
three minutes before driving the vehicle.

4-32
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear. Your vehicle
could be badly damaged and the repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its
wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don't tow an all
-wheel-drive vehicle
if any of its wheels will be on the ground.

4-33 Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow your vehicle with two wheels on the ground, do
the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P) for automatic
transmissions and in neutral for manual
transmissions.
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight
-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its
wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Don't tow an all
-wheel-drive vehicle
if any of its wheels will be on the ground.