ESP PONTIAC VIBE 2010 Owners Manual

Door Locks
{CAUTION
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
•Passengers, especially
children, can easily open
the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door
is locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in
a crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
•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 the
vehicle whenever leaving 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.
To lock and unlock your vehicle
from the outside, use your key or the
Remote Keyless Entry transmitter,
if equipped. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation
on page 1-3 for more information. Open the driver door, on vehicles
with power door locks, by turning the
key in the lock toward the rear of
the vehicle.
Turn the key back toward the center
and toward the rear again, within
three seconds, to unlock all of the
doors. Use the key in the passenger
door to also unlock all of the doors.
Lock a door by turning the key
toward the front of the vehicle.
If you have power door locks,
all the doors will lock.
To manually lock or unlock the door
from the inside, move the lever
on the door forward or rearward.
The driver and front passenger door
open from the inside while locked.
With manual locks, the key must
be used to lock and unlock the
liftgate.
Keys, Doors and Windows 1-5

CAUTION (Continued)
•Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air
and set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
•If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 8-23 .
Unlock and open the liftgate by
inserting the key, turning it
counterclockwise and raise it
by hand. Close the liftgate by using the
handle to pull it down.
Lock the liftgate by inserting the
key and turning it clockwise to the
first position.
See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 1-3
for more information.
Vehicle Security
Vehicle theft is big business,
especially in some cities. This
vehicle has theft-deterrent features,
however, they do not make it
impossible to steal.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
This vehicle may have a
theft-deterrent system that activates
an alarm if attempts are made to
damage or break into the vehicle.
The alarm sounds and the lights
flash.
Keys, Doors and Windows 1-7

Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Adjust the inside rearview mirror
to see clearly behind the vehicle.
Hold the mirror in the center to
move it up, down, and side to
side. The day/night lever lets you
adjust the mirror to avoid glare from
headlamps behind your vehicle.
Move the lever to the right for
nighttime use and back to the
center for daytime use.
Vehicles with OnStar have three
additional control buttons located at
the bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer/retailer for more information
on the system and how to subscribe
to OnStar. SeeOnStar
®System on
page 4-23 for more information on
the services OnStar provides.
Windows
{CAUTION
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by
the extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
Manual Windows
Turn the crank on the door to open
and close a manual window.
Keys, Doors and Windows 1-11

or the instrument panel...or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as
the vehicle does. You get more time
to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the
forces. That is why safety belts make
such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:
Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A:You could be — whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so
you canunbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you are upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only
in frontal collisions, but especially
in side and other collisions.
Seats and Restraints 2-11

When the Virtual Advisor feature of
OnStar Hands-Free Calling is used,
the vehicle also sends OnStar the
vehicles GPS location so they can
provide services where it is located.
OnStar service cannot work unless
the vehicle is in a place where
OnStar has an agreement with a
wireless service provider for service
in that area. OnStar service also
cannot work unless the vehicle is in
a place where the wireless service
provider OnStar has hired for that
area has coverage, network capacity
and reception when the service is
needed, and technology that is
compatible with the OnStar service.
Not all services are available
everywhere, particularly in remote
or enclosed areas, or at all times.
Location information about the
vehicle is only available if the GPS
satellite signals are unobstructed
and available.The vehicle must have a working
electrical system, including adequate
battery power, for the OnStar
equipment to operate. There are
other problems OnStar cannot
control that may prevent OnStar
from providing OnStar service at
any particular time or place. Some
examples are damage to important
parts of the vehicle in a crash, hills,
tall buildings, tunnels, weather or
wireless phone network congestion.
Your Responsibility
Increase the volume of the radio if
the OnStar advisor cannot be heard.
If the light next to the OnStar buttons
is red, the system may not be
functioning properly. If the light
appears clear (no light is appearing),
your OnStar subscription has
expired and all services have been
deactivated. Press the OnStar button
to confirm that the OnStar equipment
is active.
Instruments and Controls 4-25

Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static
can occur during normal radio
reception if items such as cell phone
chargers, vehicle convenience
accessories, and external electronic
devices are plugged into the
accessory power outlet. If there is
interference or static, unplug the item
from the accessory power outlet.
FM
FM signals only reach about 10 to
40 miles (16 to 65 km). Although the
radio has a built-in electronic circuit
that automatically works to reduce
interference, some static can occur,
especially around tall buildings or
hills, causing the sound to fade in
and out.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at
night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere
with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations
boost the power levels during the
day, and then reduce these levels
during the night. Static can also
occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio
reception. When this happens, try
reducing the treble on the radio.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service
gives digital radio reception from
coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada. Just
as with FM, tall buildings or hills can
interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out.
In addition, traveling or standing
under heavy foliage, bridges,
garages, or tunnels may cause loss
of the XM signal for a period of time.
Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause
interference with the vehicle’s radio.
This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls,
charging the phone’s battery,
or simply having the phone on.
This interference can cause an
increased level of static while
listening to the radio. If static is
received while listening to the radio,
unplug the cellular phone and turn
it off.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can
withstand most car washes without
being damaged as long as it is
securely attached to the base.
If the mast becomes slightly bent,
straighten it out by hand. If the mast
is badly bent, replace it.
Occasionally check to make sure
the antenna is tightened to its base.
If tightening is required, tighten
by hand.
6-8 Infotainment System

Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. 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.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness. Police records show that
almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these deaths
are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years,
more than 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol,
with about 250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
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 — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving — brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See
Accessories
and Modications on page 9-3 .
Driving and Operating 8-3

The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle’s three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the steering
or cornering skid, too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires to
slip and lose cornering force. And in
the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, the vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear.
Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You might not
realize the surface is slippery until
the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your ability
to stop and accelerate. Always drive
slower in these types of driving
conditions and avoid driving through
large puddles and deep-standing or
flowing water.
{CAUTION
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in
a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake pedal
until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to
drive through flowing water.
Driving and Operating 8-7

Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program on page 12-6 .
To get help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
•Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
•Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{CAUTION
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
•Clear away snow from
around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust pipe.
•Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
•Open a window about 5 cm
(two inches) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
•Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
•Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 8-23 .
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome
you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow
from around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only
as needed to keep warm, but be
careful.
8-10 Driving and Operating

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light
will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you canpress the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
lever all the way down.
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature wear
or damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer, see
Driving Characteristics and Towing
Tips on page 8-44.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control
system that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates
only if it senses that one or both of
the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system works the front
brakes and reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal. Leave the
system on during ordinary driving so
that it can operate when needed.
Driving and Operating 8-33