ignition PONTIAC VIBE 2004 User Guide

(A) LOCK:This is the only position from which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel,
ignition and automatic transaxle. Push in the ignition
switch as you turn the key toward you.
If you have an automatic transaxle, the ignition switch
can't be turned to LOCK unless the shift lever is in
PARK (P).
{CAUTION:
On manual transaxle vehicles, turning the key
to LOCK and removing it will lock the steering
column and result in a loss of ability to steer
the vehicle. This could cause a collision. If you
need to turn the engine off while the vehicle is
moving, turn the key only to ACC. Don't push
the key in while the vehicle is moving.
(B) ACC (ACCESSORY):This position operates some
of your electrical accessories (such as the radio, but
not the ventilation fan). It unlocks the steering wheel and
ignition. To move the key from ACC to LOCK, push in
the key and then turn it to LOCK.(C) ON:This is the position the switch returns to after
you start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in the ON position when the engine is running.
But even when the ignition is not running, you can use
ON to operate your electrical accessories (including
the ventilation fan and 115 volt power outlet) and
to display some warning and indicator lights.
(D) START:This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch
will return to ON for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and ON allow you
to operate some of your electrical accessories.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver's door
when the ignition is still in ACC or LOCK and the
key is in the ignition.
2-17

Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transaxle
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position ± that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transaxle
The shift lever should be in neutral and the parking
brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the ¯oor and
start the engine. Your vehicle won't start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down ± that's a safety feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice:Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heatcan damage your starter motor. Wait about 15
seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again to start the engine by turning the ignition
key to START. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try.
When your engine has run about 10 seconds to
warm up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don't
ªraceº your engine when it's cold.
If the weather is below freezing (32ÉF or 0ÉC), let
the engine run for a few minutes to warm up.
3. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be ¯ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
¯oor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
brie¯y but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for ®ve or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don't, your engine
might not perform properly.
2-18

Ensure that the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transaxle shift lock control system. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in ON. If you cannot
shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever, push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and
release the shift lever button as you maintain brake
application. Then press the shift lever button and move
the shift lever into the gear you wish. See
Shifting
Out of Park (P) on page 2-30.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see If
You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-28.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine doesn't
connect with the wheels. To restart when you're already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
ªracingº (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot is ®rmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects.
Don't shift into a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
Notice:Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine racing isn't
covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you're:
·Going less than about 27 mph (43 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
·Going about 29 mph (47 km/h) or more, push your
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
2-21

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
and pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light will come on.To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press
the release button. Hold the release button in as you
move the lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on
page 4-34.
2-27

Shifting Into Park (P)
{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 ®rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have 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,
use the steps that follow. If you're pulling a
trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
If you have an automatic transaxle do the following:
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake by pulling up on the parking
brake lever.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) as follows:3. Hold in the button on
the shift lever.
·Push the lever all the way toward the front of the
vehicle.
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key in your hand, your
vehicle is in PARK (P).
2-28

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
automatic transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking
pawl in the transaxle. You may ®nd 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 ®nd out how, see
Shifting Into Park
(P) on page 2-28.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
beforeyou 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).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
If your vehicle has an automatic transaxle it has an
automatic transaxle shift lock control system. You have
to fully apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in ON. See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-20.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the
shift lever ± push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P)
and release the shift lever button as you maintain brake
application. Then press the shift lever button and move
the shift lever into the gear you wish.
2-30

If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition to LOCK. Make sure the parking
brake is applied.
2. Carefully pry the
shift-lock override
small, round cover from
the ¯oor-shift console,
located to the right
of the shift lever.
3. Insert the end of a ¯at-tipped tool into the circular
slot and press down ®rmly.
4. While maintaining brake application, move the shift
lever into the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle ®xed as soon as possible.Parking Your Vehicle
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever
into REVERSE (R), and ®rmly 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
Towing a Trailer on
page 4-34.
2-31

Sunroof
If your vehicle has a sunroof, you can tilt or open it. To
tilt the sunroof, slide the sunshade rearward, then
press the switch marked UP. Press the other end of the
switch to lower the sunroof. Your ignition must be on
for the switch to work.To open the sunroof, press the SLIDE arrow that points
to the rear of the vehicle. To close it, press the other
arrow that points to the front of the vehicle. The sunroof
will close partially and stop. Once the sunroof stops
you will have to release the switch and press the button
again to completely close it. You can open the sunroof
to any position. The sunshade will open when the
sunroof is opened.
2-42

The main components of your instrument panel are the
following:
A. Air Outlets. See
Outlet Adjustment on page 3-22.
B. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-26.
C. Hazard Warning Flasher Button. See
Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-4.
D. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-41.
E. Rear Window Defogger Button. See ªRear Window
Defoggerº under
Climate Control System on
page 3-19.
F. Front Passenger Safety Belt Reminder Light. See
Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-28.
G. Climate Control System. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-19.
H. Power Remote Control Mirror Button. See
Outside
Remote Control Mirrors on page 2-36.
I. Instrument Panel Brightness Control. See
ªInstrument Panel Brightnessº under
Interior Lamps
on page 3-14.
J. Rear Liftglass Release Button. See
Liftgate/Liftglass
on page 2-9.
K. Coinholder. See
Coinholder(s) on page 2-37.
L. Content Theft-Deterrent Security Light. See
Content
Theft-Deterrent on page 2-13.M. Storage Compartment. See
Instrument Panel
Storage Area on page 2-37.
N. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-5.
O. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-10.
P. Tilt Lever. See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-5.
Q. Horn. See
Horn on page 3-5.
R. Cruise Control Lever (Option). See ªCruise Controlº
under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-5.
S. Ignition Switch. See
Ignition Positions on page 2-16.
T. Windshield Wiper Lever. See ªWindshield Wipersº
under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-5.
U. Cigarette Lighter. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
on page 3-19.
V. Shift Lever. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-28.
W. Power Outlet. See
Power Outlet 115 Volt Alternating
Current on page 3-18.
X. Parking Brake. See
Parking Brake on page 2-27.
Y. Center Console Storage Area. See
Center Console
Storage Area on page 2-37.
Z. Glove Box. See
Glove Box on page 2-37.
3-3

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 brie¯y. 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 ®nd 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. The set
speed memory is also erased when the vehicle speed is
less than 25 mph (40 km/h).
3-11