2009 Pontiac Vibe Owner's Manual - Page 244

9-72 Vehicle Service and Care CAUTION (Continued) Be sure the battery has enough water. You do not need to add water to the battery installed in your new vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care of that first. If you don't, explosive gas could be present. Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you. Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it in your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with water and get medical help immediately. 5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged too. Before you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one. Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you will get a short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts too. And do not connect the negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal on the dead battery because this can cause sparks. 4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (+) and negative (−) terminal locations on each vehicle. See Engine Compartment Overview on page 9-6 for more information on location. { CAUTION An electric fan can start up even when the engine is not running and can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any underhood electric fan. { CAUTION Using a match near a battery can cause battery gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this, and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if you need more light. (Continued) { CAUTION Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts once the engine is running.