seats PONTIAC VIBE 2008 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-27
Airbag System
.........................................1-50
Restraint System Check
............................1-66
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-18
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
®System
......................................2-35
Storage Areas
.........................................2-39
Sunroof
..................................................2-43
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-25
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-42Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-25
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-42
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-43
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-48
Tires
......................................................5-49
Appearance Care
.....................................5-82
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-90
Electrical System
......................................5-90
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-95
Maintenance Replacement Parts
.................5-96
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-16
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Pontiac Vibe Owner ManualM

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC,
the PONTIAC Emblem and the name VIBE are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles rst
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
This manual describes features that may be available in
this model, but your vehicle may not have all of them.
For example, more than one entertainment system may
be offered or your vehicle may have been ordered
without a front passenger or rear seats.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 15863403 A First Printing
©2007 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster.......................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-3
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Passenger Folding Seatback............................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-8
Safety Belts...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-10
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-15
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-23
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-26
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-26
Child Restraints.............................................1-27
Older Children..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children............................1-30
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-36Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-37
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position....................................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position............................1-46
Airbag System...............................................1-50
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-52
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-55
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-57
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-57
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?.....1-58
Passenger Sensing System............................1-59
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-64
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-65
Restraint System Check..................................1-66
Checking the Restraint Systems
......................1-66
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-67
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock it.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1-2

Seat Height Adjuster
The driver seat height adjuster is located on the
outboard side of the seat. To raise the seat, pull up
on the lever repeatedly until the seat is at the desired
height. To lower the seat, push down on the lever
repeatedly until the seat is at the desired height.
It is easier to use the adjuster when the seat is
unoccupied.
Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the seatback to be
sure it is locked.
The seats have manual reclining seatbacks. The lever
used to operate them is located on the outboard side
of the seats.
1-3

Pull the head restraint up
to raise it. To lower the
head restraint, press
the button, located on
the top of the seatback,
and push the head
restraint down.
The rear seats may have head restraints that can be
adjusted in height like the front head restraints.Passenger Folding Seatback
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inating
airbag might force that object toward a person.
This could cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area in which an
airbag would inate. For more information, see
Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-52and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-19.
{CAUTION:
Things you put on this seatback can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash. Remove or secure all items
before driving.
1-6

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
You can fold either side of the seatback down for more
cargo space. The rear right side seatback can also
be used as a temporary table while the vehicle is
stopped. Make sure the front seatback is not reclined
or in the rearward most position. If it is, the rear
seatback will not fold down all the way.
{CAUTION:
A rear seatback folded forward, or any other
object contacting or pressing the front
seatback may affect the proper functioning of
the passenger sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-59.To fold either seatback down, do the following:
1. Pull up on the lock
release knob, located
on the top outboard
side of the seatbacks.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or
the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
2. Fold the seatback down. Each seatback can be
folded separately.
1-8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected
from it and be seriously injured or killed.
In the same crash, you might not be, if you
are buckled up. Always fasten your safety
belt, and check that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to
be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow
people to ride in any area of your vehicle that
is not equipped with seats and safety belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat
and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-28.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter... a lot!
1-10

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you
can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in
the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the
belt across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-26.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
1-23

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt,
and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is
more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash.
For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to
making safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
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/retailer
will order you an extender. When you go in to order it,
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.” SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 3-30. 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. SeeAirbag System on page 1-50for
important safety information about your airbags.
1-26