wheel PONTIAC VIBE 2003 Owner's Guide

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.

4-36
Towing a Trailer
CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
You may also damage your vehicle; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your dealer for advice
and information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in ªWeight of the Trailerº
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That's the reason for this part. In it are many
time
-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load
-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What's more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.

4-40 Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you'll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You'll need more passing distance up ahead when
you're towing a trailer. And, because you're a good deal
longer, you'll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.

4-42 Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of the engine and the transaxle overheating.
Parking on Hills
CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People can
be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) for an automatic transaxle or into gear for
a manual transaxle, yet. When parking uphill, turn
your wheels away from the curb. When parking
downhill, turn your wheels into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the chocks are in place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and shift into PARK (P) for an automatic
transaxle or REVERSE (R) for a manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.

5-18
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº while you're driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it's much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a ªblowout,º here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you'd use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.

5-19
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jack, wheel wrench, jack handle and spare tire are
stowed in the rear of the vehicle, underneath the floor of
the cargo area. To remove the spare tire and tools do the
following:
1. Turn the two lock knobs
on the floor of the cargo
area to UNLOCK.

5-20
2. Lift up the cargo area floor panel, remove the hook
attached to the bottom side of the panel and hook it
over the weatherstripping.
NOTICE:
Make sure to place the hook in the proper
location in order to avoid damaging the vehicle.
Be sure to remove the hook when finished and
place it back in its original position before closing
the liftgate.
3. Remove the jack from the tray on the right side of
the compartment and the jack handle and wheel
wrench from the top side of the compartment.

5-22
The tools you'll be using include the jack (A), jack
handle (B) and wheel wrench (C).
6. Attach the jack handle to the jack.
7. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the lift head.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.