Engine PONTIAC VIBE 2004 Owner's Manual

Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on brie¯y when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly- and even dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights and gages.
They're a big help.
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Tachometer
The tachometer shows
engine speed in
thousands of revolutions
per minute (rpm).
Notice:Do not operate the engine with the
tachometer in the red area, or engine damage
may occur.
Temperature Display
The outside air temperature is displayed on the center
of the instrument panel, within the speedometer.
The display will show the outside air temperature in
Fahrenheit with a range from -22ÉF to 122É F
(-30ÉC to 50ÉC).
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to ON or START, a chime will
come on for several seconds to remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver's safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also ¯ash until the driver's
belt is buckled. If the
driver's belt is already
buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.
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Charging System Light
This light will come on
brie¯y when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as a check to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out when
the engine starts.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you may
have a problem with the electrical charging system. It
could indicate that you have a loose generator drive belt
or another electrical problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the charging
system light on, be certain to turn off all your
accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this light should
come on when you turn the key to START. If it doesn't
come on then, have it ®xed so it will be ready to
warn you if there's a problem.
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.
United StatesCanada
3-31

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
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light on page 3-32andTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-30.
{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
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.United States
Canada
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If the light stays on, turn the ignition to LOCK. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning light
isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don't have anti-lock brakes
and there's a problem with your regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-31.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. This is
normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area, your engine is
too hot! It means that your engine has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating on page 5-30. United States
Canada
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty. United StatesCanada
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Notice:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or replacement tires that do not match your
vehicle's original tires can affect your vehicle's
emission controls and may cause this light to come
on. Modi®cations to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
This may also result in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light doesn't come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
·Light FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
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 ¯ashing and remains on steady, see
ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, 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
¯ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You also 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
Filling Your Tank on page 5-7. 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.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, mis®ring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ®x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
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Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine or come on when
you are driving.
This indicates that there is not enough oil pressure to
keep your engine properly lubricated and cool.
The engine could be low on oil, or have some other oil
related problem. Have it ®xed right away.
The oil light could also come on in three other situations.
·When the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a test to show you
it is working, but the light will go out when you
turn the ignition to START. If it doesn't come on with
the ignition on, you may have a problem with the
fuse or bulb. Have it ®xed right away.
·Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and off. This is normal.
·If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for
a moment. This is normal.
{CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches ®re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
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