2009 Pontiac Vibe Owner's Manual - Page 142

8-10 Driving and Operating The number displayed in the instrument cluster is the highest gear that the transmission will be allowed to operate in. However, your vehicle can automatically shift to lower gears as required by various driving conditions. This means that all gears below that number are available. The display in the instrument cluster will change from the currently displayed message to 4 (Fourth) when you enter S (Shift Control), and change to indicate the requested gear range when moving the shift lever forward or rearward. While using the DSC feature the transmission will have firmer shifting and sportier performance. You can use this for sport driving or when climbing hills to stay in gear longer or to downshift for more power or engine braking. The transmission will only allow shifting into gears appropriate for the vehicles speed and engine revolutions per minute (RPM): Driver Shift Control (DSC) DSC mode allows you to choose the top gear limit of the vehicle's transmission and the vehicle's speed while driving down hill or towing a trailer. To use this feature, do the following: 1. Move the shift lever from D (Drive) left to S (Shift Control). While driving in this mode, the transmission will remain in the driver selected range. When coming to a stop, the vehicle will automatically shift into 1 (First) gear. 2. Move the shift lever forward to increase the gear range, or rearward to decrease the gear range available based upon your current driving conditions and needs. • The transmission will not automatically shift to the next higher gear if the vehicle speed or engine RPM is too high. • The transmission will not allow shifting to the next lower gear if the vehicle speed or engine RPM is too high. An audible warning will sound and the downshift will not be allowed. The downshift request will have to be made again once the vehicle reaches an acceptable speed. Downshift Requested (Fourth) to (Third) (Third) to (Second) (Second) to (First) Required Vehicle Speed Below 95 mph (153 km/h) Below 60 mph (97 km/h) Below 30 mph (48 km/h) 4 3 3 2 2 1