ESP PONTIAC VIBE 2004 Owners Manual

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe ± whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you
canunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts ± not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that
has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most protection. That's true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
Q:If I'm a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you're in an
accident ± even one that isn't your fault ± you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn't protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-13

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
·Passengers Ð especially children Ð can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors aren't locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
·Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
·Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or the remote keyless
entry transmitter, if equipped. See
Remote Keyless Entry
System Operation on page 2-5for more information.
To manually lock the door from the inside, press the
knob on the door forward. To unlock the door, press the
knob rearward. If you have manual locks, you must
use the key to lock and unlock the liftgate.
2-7

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the windows
closed is dangerous. A child can be overcome
by the extreme heat and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from heat stroke. Never
leave a child alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or hot weather.
Manual Windows
Use the window crank to open and close each window.
2-11

Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them to the side.
The visors can also be extended for more coverage.
Swing the visor down and to the side and then slide the
visor out to extend it. Do not extend the visor when it
is in the forward position, only when it is at the side
of the vehicle.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Swing down the driver's sun visor and lift the cover to
expose the vanity mirror. The passenger side of
the vehicle also has a vanity mirror. Swing down the
visor to expose the mirror.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Content Theft-Deterrent
If your vehicle has this feature, the theft-deterrent
system is designed to activate an alarm if any of the
side doors or the liftgate is forcibly unlocked or if
the battery terminal is disconnected and then
reconnected while the system is set.
The alarm will sound the horn intermittently and ¯ash
the headlamps, turn signal lamps and interior lights.
If the driver's or front passenger's side doors are
unlocked forcibly, the other side doors and the liftgate
will be locked automatically.
2-13

Automatic Headlamp System
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor
on the top left corner of the instrument panel, so be
sure it is not covered or the headlamps will be on
continuously.
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your low-beam headlamps
at the normal brightness along with other lamps such
as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and
instrument panel lights. The parking brake must be
released for the automatic headlamp system to work.
This is indicated by the headlamp symbol on your
instrument panel cluster.
If you are driving through a parking garage, overcast
weather, or a tunnel, the automatic headlamp system
may turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal
brightness along with the taillamps, sidemarker, parking
lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will be dimmer, and the instrument panel cluster lights
may dim. There will be a delay of several seconds before
the lights will turn on when starting the car at night.
Headlamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition to LOCK or ACC and leave
the lamps on, you'll hear a tone when you open the
driver's door.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when the following conditions
are met:
·The ignition is on with the engine running,
·the exterior lamps switch is off and
·the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your headlamps will be on
at a reduced brightness. The taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel
won't be lit up either.
When you turn the exterior lamp switch to the headlamp
position, your DRL will go off and your headlamps will
come on. The other lamps that come on with your
headlamps will also come on.
3-13

Playing a Speci®c Loaded
Compact Disc
For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the radio
display. To play a speci®c CD, ®rst press the CD AUX
button to start playing a CD. Then press the numbered
pushbutton that corresponds to the CD you want to
play. A small bar will appear under the CD number that
is playing, and the track number will appear.
If an error appears on the radio display, see ªCompact
Disc Messagesº later in this section.
LOAD CD
Z(Eject):Pressing the CD eject side of
this button will eject a single disc or multiple discs.
To eject the disc that is currently playing, press
and release this button. To eject multiple discs, press
and hold this button for two seconds. You will hear
a beep and the light will ¯ash to let you know when a
disc is being ejected.
REMOVE CD will be displayed. You can now remove
the disc. If the disc is not removed, after 25 seconds, the
disc will be automatically pulled back into the receiver.
If you try to push the disc back into the receiver,
before the 25 second time period is complete, the
receiver will sense an error and will try to eject the disc
several times before stopping.Do not repeatedly press the CD eject side of the
LOAD CD eject button to eject a disc after you have tried
to push it in manually. The receiver's 25-second eject
timer will reset at each press of eject, which will cause the
receiver to not eject the disc until the 25-second time
period has elapsed.
Once the player stops and the disc is ejected, remove the
disc. After removing the disc, press the PWR knob off and
then on again. This will clear the disc-sensing feature and
enable discs to be loaded into the player again.
{REV (Reverse):Press and hold this button to
reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release it to play the passage.
The display will show elapsed time.
FWD
|(Forward):Press and hold this button to
advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The
display will show elapsed time.
RPT (Repeat):With repeat, you can repeat one track
or an entire disc. To use repeat, do the following:
·To repeat the track you are listening to, press and
release the RPT button. RPT will appear on the
display. Press RPT again to turn it off.
·To repeat the disc you are listening to, press and
hold the RPT button for two seconds. RPT will
appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn it off.
3-59

Navigation/Radio System
The display screen is located in the center of the
instrument panel.Your vehicle may have an AM-FM navigation radio
system that includes a Radio Data System (RDS) with
program type selections (PTY) that will seek out the kind
of music you want to listen to. The radio system can
also communicate with your navigation system to
broadcast announcements on traffic and emergency
alert communications. For information on how to use this
system, see the ªNavigation/Radio Systemº supplement.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go. Navigation/Radio Display and Controls
3-63

There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person's system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking Ð driver or passenger Ð is in a crash,
that person's chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your re¯exes, perceptions, attentiveness
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious Ð or even fatal Ð collision if you
drive after drinking. Please do not drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with
a group, designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering and the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work at the places where the tires meet
the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
4-5

Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
4-6

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your
®rst reaction Ð to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down Ð may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it
in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this by
pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.This will help you retain steering control. If you
dohave
anti-lock, it is different. See ªAnti-Lock Brake Systemº
in this section.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD
system operates automatically without any action
required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to
slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive
the vehicle as required. There may be a slight
engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
4-9