ECU PONTIAC VIBE 2007 Owner's Manual

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.
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6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child
restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt
to tighten the lap portion of the belt, and
feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor.
If you are using a forward-facing child
restraint, you may nd it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint
as you tighten the belt. You should not be able
to pull more of the belt from the retractor
once the lock has been set.7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
8. If the passenger sensing system has turned
off the airbags and safety belt pretensioner,
the OFF indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will be lit and stay lit when the
key is turned to ON.
If a child restraint has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint with the ignition key in the ACC
(Accessory) or LOCK position.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the ON indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If
this happens, slightly recline the seatback and
adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure
the child restraint is not trapped under the
vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the
head restraint.
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If the ON indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the
vehicle and check with your dealer.
If the airbag readiness light and the OFF light in
the passenger airbag status indicator come
on together, it may mean there is a malfunction in
the passenger sensing system. Secure the
child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle and check with your dealer.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the
vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way.
The safety belt will move freely again and be
ready to work for an adult or larger child
passenger.Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
Your vehicle may also have the following airbags:
A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the
driver.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the
right front passenger.
A roof-mounted side impact airbag for the
driver and the passenger seated directly
behind the driver.
A roof-mounted side impact airbag for the
right front passenger and the passenger
seated directly behind that passenger.
If your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact
airbags, it will say SRS-SIDE AIRBAG on a label
on the side of the driver’s and right front
passenger’s seat closest to the door.
If your vehicle has roof-mounted side impact
airbags, it will say SRS CURTAIN AIRBAG on the
trim on the side of the windshield.
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{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact airbags
inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you are too close to an
inating airbag, as you would be if you
were leaning forward, it could seriously
injure you. Safety belts help keep you in
position for airbag ination before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt even with frontal airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while
still maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep
against the door.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close
to, any airbag when it inates can be
seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer the best
protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children and
infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, seeOlder Children on
page 37orInfants and Young Children on
page 40.
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If your vehicle has a roof-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front passenger and the
passenger seated directly behind that passenger,
it is in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and
an airbag, the airbag might not inate
properly or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury or even
death. The path of an inating airbag must
be kept clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an airbag, and
do not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering. If your vehicle has
roof-mounted side impact airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your
vehicle by routing the rope or tie-down
through any door or window opening. If
you do, the path of an inating airbag will
be blocked. Do not let seat covers block
the ination path of a side impact airbag.
The path of an inating airbag must be
kept clear.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in
a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat and an older child riding
in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun
visor 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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
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.
75

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag,
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
and the safety belt pretensioner if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that a small child
is present in a child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off
of the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by
a smaller person, such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
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
will light and stay lit to remind you that the
airbag is off.If a child restraint has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint with the ignition key in the ACC or
LOCK position, following the child restraint
manufacturer’s directions and refer toSecuring a
Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
on page 58.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the ON indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If
this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
If the ON indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the
vehicle and check with your dealer.
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If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the OFF indicator is lit, it
could be because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens, turn the vehicle off
and ask the person to place the seatback in
the fully upright position, then sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the
person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the
vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for about two minutes. This will allow the system
to detect that person and then enable the
passenger’s airbags.
If the airbag readiness light and the OFF light in
the passenger airbag status indicator come
on together, it may mean there is a malfunction in
the passenger sensing system. Secure the
child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle and check with your dealer.
78

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.
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