towing capacity PONTIAC VIBE 2010 Owners Manual

Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs”
on your vehicle’s placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400 −750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer,
see Trailer Towing on page 8-48
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules and trailering tips.
A.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 =453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
68 kg (150 lbs) ×2 =136 kg
(300 lbs).
C.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight =317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 1
Driving and Operating 8-13

Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
{CAUTION
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well — or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be seriously
injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer only
if all the steps in this section have
been followed. Ask your dealer/
retailer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle.
The vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment. To identify the
trailering capacity of the vehicle, see Trailer Towing on page 8-48
.
Trailering is different than just driving
the vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, acceleration,
braking, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering tips
and safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this
section carefully before pulling a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transmission, wheel
assemblies and tires are forced to
work harder against the drag of
the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively
higher speeds and under greater
loads, generating extra heat.
Also, the trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
•There are many different laws,
including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering. Make
sure the rig will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you
will be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or
provincial police.
•Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 1 600 km (1,000 miles)
the new vehicle is driven.
The engine, axle or other
parts could be damaged.
•Then, during the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is towed,
do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
8-44 Driving and Operating

Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
•The weight of the trailer.
•The weight of the trailer tongue.
•The total weight on your
vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
680 kg (1,500 lbs). But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipmenton the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry.
See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue”
later in this section for more
information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the tow
vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of
additional optional equipment,
passengers and cargo in the tow
vehicle must be subtracted from the
maximum trailer weight.
Ask your dealer/retailer for our
trailering information or advice, or
you can write us at our Customer
Assistance Offices. See
Customer
Assistance Offices on page 12-3
for more information.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes
the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle. If
there are a lot of options, equipment,
passengers or cargo in the vehicle, it
will reduce the tongue weight the
vehicle can carry, which will also
reduce the trailer weight the vehicle
can tow. If towing a trailer, the
tongue load must be added to the
GVW because the vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 8-12 for more
information about the vehicle’s
maximum load capacity.
8-48 Driving and Operating

Here are some important things
to consider before recreational
vehicle towing:
•What is the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read
the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
•What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
•Is the proper equipment going to
be used? See your dealer/retailer
or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment
recommendations.
•Is the vehicle ready to be towed?
Just as preparing the vehicle for a
long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed.
Dinghy Towing
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, it cannot be dinghy
towed. See “Dolly Towing” for more
information regarding towing the
vehicle.If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it can be dinghy
towed.
When dinghy towing, be sure to
follow the posted legal speed limit.
1. Put the shift lever in Neutral.
2. Turn the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY to avoid
locking the steering wheel.
Make sure the audio system
is turned off and that nothing is
plugged into the power outlets.
3. Release the parking brake. After dinghy towing, let the engine
idle for more than three minutes
before driving the vehicle.
Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear. The vehicle could be badly
damaged and the repairs would
not be covered by the warranty.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles must not
be towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on a
platform trailer with all four wheels off
of the ground.
9-74 Vehicle Care