seats PONTIAC VIBE 2007 User Guide

Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners.
Although you cannot see them, they are located on
the retractor part of the safety belts for the driver
and right front passenger. They help the safety
belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a
moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash.
If the passenger sensing system detects that there
is not a passenger in the right front passenger
position, the safety belt pretensioner for that
position will not activate. SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 74.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and
probably other new parts for your safety belt
system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 83.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you,
you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer
will order you an extender. When you go in to orderit, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and
use it only for the seat it is made to t. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child seats. To wear it, just attach it to the
regular safety belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Always disconnect the extender from the safety belt
after you use it so that the airbag will work properly
the next time someone uses that seat.
When you use a safety belt extender in the right
front passenger’s seat, make sure the passenger
airbag status indicator shows “ON.” See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 163.If
the indicator shows “OFF,” disconnect the
extender’s latch from the buckle then reconnect
the safety belt. Make sure the indicator light shows
“ON”, then reconnect the safety belt extender. If
you use the safety belt extender while the indicator
light shows “OFF,” the right front passenger’s
frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped) may not activate correctly. See
Airbag System on page 63for important safety
information about your airbags.
36

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety
belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional
restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The
shoulder belt should not cross the face
or neck. The lap belt should t snugly below
the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. It
should never be worn over the abdomen,
which could cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can
strike other people who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use safety belts properly.
37

A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed
to improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt
system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt
positioner, and some high-back booster seats
have a ve-point harness. A booster seat can also
help a child to see out the window.
Q:How Should I Use a Child Restraint?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed
for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or
position children. A built-in child restraint
system is a permanent part of the motor
vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a
portable one, which is purchased by the
vehicle’s owner. To help reduce injuries, an
add-on child restraint must be secured in
the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child
restraints, the child has to be secured within
the child restraint.
When choosing an add-on child restraint, be
sure the child restraint is designed to be
used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label
saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards. Then follow the instructions
for the restraint. You may nd these
instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both.
45

Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in
a crash if the child restraint is not properly
secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child
restraint is properly installed in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH
system, following the instructions that
came with that restraint, and also the
instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child
restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child
restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats
by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder
belt, or by the LATCH system.SeeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 49for more information. A child
can be endangered in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle.
When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to
the instructions that come with the restraint
which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet,
or both, and to this manual. The child restraint
instructions are important, so if they are not
available, obtain a replacement copy from the
manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and
injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly
secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even
when no child is in it.
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Your vehicle has a label on the sun visor that
says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag inates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if
equipped) under certain conditions, no
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend
that rear-facing child restraints be secured
in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat position, move the
seat as far back as it will go before securing
the forward-facing child restraint. SeeManual
Seats on page 8.
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If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 49.
There is no top tether anchor at the right front
seating position. Do not secure a child seat in this
position if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be anchored or if the instructions
that come with the child restraint say that the top
tether must be anchored. SeeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 49if
the child restraint has a top tether.
You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure
the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow
the instructions that came with the child restraint.Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has airbags. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 74. We recommend
that rear-facing child restraints be secured
in a rear seat, even if the airbags are
off. If your child restraint is forward-facing,
move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the child restraint in this seat.
SeeManual Seats on page 8.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag, seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped), and the safety belt pretensioner,
the OFF indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay lit when
you turn the ignition to ON. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 163.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and
shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show you how.
60

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front
or sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your
vehicle’s frame, bumper system, height,
front end or side sheet metal, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work properly
if you relocate any of the airbag sensors. If
you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 400.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modied. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my airbag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the
front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, ceiling headliner, ceiling and
pillar garnish trim, roof-mounted airbag
modules, or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system. If you have
questions, call Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on
page 400.
81

Storage Areas
Glove Box
Open the glove box by pulling up on the bottom of
the handle.
Cupholder(s)
There are two xed cupholders located in the
console area between the two front seats. There
are also two cupholders that fold out of the rear of
the console storage unit.
Coinholder(s)
Your instrument panel may have a coinholder
located to the left of the steering wheel and on the
center console near the parking brake.
Instrument Panel Storage Area
There are storage compartments located on the
instrument panel in two places. They are below the
interior/instrument panel brightness dial and
below the shift lever. Pull the top of the door
toward you to open it or for the compartment below
the shift lever, push the button to open it.
Center Console Storage Area
A storage area is located in the console between
the seats.
To access the storage area, pull up the lock
release lever while raising the lid.
Floor Mats
The driver’s side oor mat is held in place by
two locator hooks.
Be sure the driver’s side oor mat is properly
placed on the oor so that it does not block the
movement of the accelerator pedal.
127

The rear window defogger will turn off
automatically approximately 15 minutes after the
button is pressed. The defogger can also be turned
off by pressing the button again or by turning off
the engine.
Notice:Do not use a razor blade or sharp
object to clear the inside rear window. Do not
adhere anything to the defogger grid lines
in the rear glass. These actions may damage
the rear defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the air outlets located in the center and
outboard sides of the instrument panel, to change
the direction of the air owing through the vents.
Operation Tips
Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the
air inlets at the base of the windshield that
may block the ow of air into your vehicle.
Use of non-GM approved hood deectors may
adversely affect the performance of the system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear of
objects to help circulate the air inside of your
vehicle more effectively.
If the airow seems low when the fan is at the
highest setting, the passenger compartment air
lter may need to be replaced. For more
information, see “Passenger Compartment Air
Filter” following andScheduled Maintenance on
page 377.
155

If you put things inside your vehicle — like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else — they
will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to
stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will
keep going.
{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can
strike and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in a crash.
Put things in the rear area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight
evenly. If you have fold-down rear
seats, you will nd four anchors on
the back wall of your trunk. You can
use these anchors to tie down lighter
loads. They are not strong enough for
heavy things, however, so put them as
far forward as you can in the trunk or
rear area.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above the tops of
the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
258