tow PONTIAC VIBE 2004 Owner's Manual

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
3-32

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.
3-35

Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance):Press and release this button until
BAL appears on the display. The SELECT LED 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 LED indicator will
light to show that the speakers can be adjusted.
Turn the SELECT knob to move the sound toward the
front or the rear speakers.
Pressing and holding the BAL FADE button for two
seconds will return all speaker settings to the middle
position.
Finding a PTY Station (RDS and XMŸ)
To select and ®nd a desired PTY perform the following:
1. Press PROG TYPE. The PTY symbol will be
displayed on the screen.
2. Select a category by turning the SELECT knob.
3. Once the desired category is displayed, press either
SEEK arrow to select the category and take you to
the category's ®rst station.4. If you want to go to another station within that
category and the category is displayed, press
either SEEK arrow once. If the category is not
displayed, press either SEEK arrow twice to display
the category and then to go to another station.
5. Press PROG TYPE to exit program type mode.
SCAN:You can also scan through the channels within
a category by performing the following:
1. Press PROG TYPE. The PTY symbol will be
displayed on the screen.
2. Select a category by turning the SELECT knob.
3. Once the desired category is displayed, press and
hold either SCAN arrow, and the radio will begin
scanning within your chosen category.
4. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop at a
particular station.
BAND (Alternate Frequency):Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same programming. Press and hold BAND for two
seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger
stations. Press and hold BAND again for two seconds to
turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations.
This function does not apply for XMŸ Satellite Radio
Service.
3-45

Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO:Push 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 push 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, push 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 designed for country, jazz, talk,
pop, rock, and classical program types.
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, push 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 rear speakers,
push 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 the fade to the middle
position, select balance or fade and push 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, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or
speaker controls are displayed. The radio will produce
one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.
3-54

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.........................4-9
Steering........................................................4-9
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
City Driving..................................................4-19Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow...................................................4-28
Towing..........................................................4-30
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-30
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-30
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-32
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-34
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-75.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you
will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle.
If that doesn't get you out after a few tries, you may
need to be towed out. Or, you can use your recovery
hook. If you do need to be towed out, see
Towing Your
Vehicle on page 4-30.
4-28

Using the Recovery Hook
Your vehicle is equipped with a recovery hook. The
recovery hook is provided at the front of your vehicle.
It can only be used for pulling your vehicle out.{CAUTION:
The recovery hook, when used, is under a lot
of force. Always pull the vehicle straight out.
Never pull on the hook at a sideways angle.
The hook could break off and you or others
could be injured from the chain or cable
snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery hook to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by warranty.
4-29

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº following.
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
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-21.
4-30

Dinghy Towing
For front-wheel-drive vehicles with manual transaxles
only do the following:
When dinghy towing, be sure to follow the posted legal
speed limit.
1. Put the shift lever in neutral.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC to avoid locking the
steering wheel. 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.
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. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
4-31

Dolly Towing
If your vehicle is a front-wheel drive vehicle it can be
towed using a dolly. To tow your vehicle using a dolly,
follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P) for automatic transaxles
and in neutral for manual transaxles.
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. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
Loading Your Vehicle
4-32