2004 Buick Rendezvous Owners Manual

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1 through 0 (Numeric Keypad): The numeric keypad provides you with the capability of direct chapter title and track number selection. }10 (Double Digit Entries): Press this button, located on the bottom right of the numeric key pad, to select chapter, title, and track numbers greater than 9. Press this button before selecting the number. \ (Clear): Press this button, located on the bottom left of the numeric key pad, within three seconds after inputting a numeric selection, to clear all numeric inputs. P (Backlight): This button turns on backlighting on the remote. y (Main Menu): Press this button to view the media menu. The media menu is different on every disc. Use the up, down, right, and left arrow buttons to move the cursor around the media menu. After making a selection, press the enter button. r (Enter): Press this button to select choices highlighted in any menu. q (Return): Press this button to take you back one step in any menu. Press this button to exit the current menu and to move to the previous menu. This button will operate only when a DVD is playing and/or a menu is active. | (Camera): This button changes camera angles on DVDs that have this feature. Press this button to call-up a menu that will operate only when a DVD is being played. The format and content of this function will vary from disc to disc. { (Subtitles): This button turns on subtitles and moves through subtitle options (English, Spanish, French, etc., if available). Press this button to call-up a menu that will operate only when a DVD is being played. The format and content of this function will vary from disc to disc. [ (Fast Forward): Press this button to fast forward the DVD. To stop fast forwarding, press this button again. This button may not work when the DVD is playing the copyright information or the previews. s (Play/Pause): Press this button to start play of a DVD or CD. Press this button while a DVD is playing to pause it. Press it again to continue playing the DVD or CD. u (Next Chapter/Track): Press this button to go to the beginning of the next chapter or track. This button may not work when the DVD is playing the copyright information or the previews. 3-121 Setup Menu To access the setup menu, ensure that a DVD is in the player and the video is stopped. Press the main menu button. Once the menu is activated, use the directional arrows and the enter button to navigate the screen. The setup menu allows the user to select default preferences for Menu Language, Subtitle Language, Audio Language, TV Aspect, TV Mode, and Dynamic Range Compression. Not all DVDs support all the feature defaults in the setup menus. In the event a particular feature is not supported, defaults will be provided by the DVD media. Exit the setup menu by pressing the return button on the remote control or the DVD player. If you make changes to the system setup defaults, the disc will resume play from its beginning and not where it previously left off. Battery Replacement To change the remote control batteries, do the following: 1. Unclip the battery door located on the back of the remote control. 2. Replace the two AA batteries in the compartment. Make sure that they are installed correctly, using the diagram on the inside of the battery compartment. If the remote control is to be stored for a long period of time, remove the batteries and keep them in a cool, dry place. 3-122 Tips and Trouble Problem No power. Disc will not play. Recommended Action The ignition may not be in run, accessory or RAP. The parental control button might have been pressed. (The power indicator light will ﬂash). The system might be off. The parental control button might have been pressed. (The power indicator light will ﬂash). The system might be in auxiliary source mode. Press the SRCE button to toggle between the DVD player and the auxiliary source. The disc is upside down or is not compatible. Problem No sound. The picture is distorted during fast forward or reverse. The picture does not ﬁll the screen. There are black borders on the top and bottom or on both sides or it looks stretched out. I ejected the disc and tried to take it out, but it was pulled back into the slot. Recommended Action The volume on the headphones could be too low. Adjust the volume on the right earpiece on the cordless headphones. If the DVD system is being heard through the vehicle speakers, adjust the volume from the radio. The radio must have the RSE channel enabled by using the CD/AUX or the TAPE/CD button. This is normal for this operation. Quickly press and release the display control button on the remote control or the DVD player and choose Display Mode. Then select Full. This will ﬁll the screen. If there are borders on the top and bottom, the movie may have been made that way for a standard screen. Eject the disc again. 3-123 Problem The DVD is playing but there is no picture or sound. The auxiliary source is running but there is no picture or sound. The audio or video skips or jumps. When I return to the DVD from the system menu, sometimes it plays from the beginning and sometimes from where it left off. Recommended Action Press and release the SRCE button on the remote control or the DVD player to get to auxiliary input. Check to make sure that the auxiliary source is connected to the inputs properly. The DVD could be dirty or scratched. Try cleaning the DVD. If the stop button was pressed once, it resumes play from where it left off. If the stop button was pressed twice, it will start at the beginning of the DVD. However, if a change was made to the menu the DVD will start from where it left off, even if the stop button was only pressed once. Problem The language in the audio or on the screen is wrong. The remote control does not work. How do I get subtitles on or off? After stopping the player, I push the play button but sometimes the DVD starts where I left off, and sometimes at the beginning. Recommended Action Press the main menu button on the DVD player or the remote control and change the audio or language selection on the DVD menu. Point the remote control directly at the transmitter window. The batteries could be weak or put in wrong. The parental control button might have been pressed. (The power indicator light will ﬂash.) Press the subtitle button on the remote control to go to the DVDs main menu. Then follow the screen prompts. Press the stop button on the remote control to resume where the DVD left off. Press the stop button twice to start the DVD at the beginning. If the power is off and the DVD is still in the player, press the play button. 3-124 Problem The fast forward, reverse, previous and next functions do not work. My disc is stuck in the player. The eject button does not work. I lost the remote control and/or the headphones. What is the best way to clean the screen? Recommended Action Some commands that do one thing for DVDs will not always work or perform the same function for audio, CDs or games. These functions may also be disabled when the DVD is playing the copyright information or previews. Press the eject button on the DVD player. Turn the power off, then on again, then press the eject button on the DVD player. Do not attempt to force or remove the disc from the player. If the problem persists, return to your dealer for further assistance. Contact your dealer for assistance. Wipe the video screen with a soft cloth that is slightly damp with water. Problem Sometimes the cordless headphone audio cuts out or buzzes for a moment, then it comes back. DVD System inoperable. The cordless headphones have audio distortion. In auxiliary mode, the picture moves or scrolls. Recommended Action This could be caused by interference from cell towers or by using your cellular telephone or other radio transmitter device in the vehicle. In severe or extreme temperatures your DVD system might not be operable. Temperatures below −4°F (−20°C) or above 140°F (60°C) could damage your DVD system. Operate your DVD system under normal or comfortable cabin temperature ranges. Verify that the headphones are facing to the front of the vehicle (left and right sides are indicated on the headphones to ensure that the signal is received properly. Check the signal coming from the auxiliary device and make sure that the connection and the signal are good. 3-125 Rear Seat Audio (RSA) This feature allows rear seat passengers to listen to and control any of the music sources: radio, cassette tapes, and CDs. However, the rear seat passengers can only control the music sources that the front seat passengers are not listening to. For example, rear seat passengers may listen to a cassette tape or CD through headphones, while the driver listens to the radio through the front speakers. The rear seat passengers have control of the volume for each set of headphones. Thefront seat audio controls always have priority over the RSA controls. If the front seat passengers switch the source for the main radio to a remote source, the RSA will play the same remote source. The rear speakers will be muted when the RSA power is turned on. You may operate the RSA functions even when the main radio is off. If your vehicle has the rear seat entertainment (RSE) system and the system is on, the rear seat passengers can listen to the DVDs through the wired headphone jacks on the RSA system. The RSE system cannot be controlled with the RSA system. Primary Radio Controls The following function is controlled by the knob on the main radio: PWR (Power): Push this knob twice to turn RSA off. 3-126 Rear Seat Audio (RSA) Controls The following functions are controlled by the RSA system buttons: PWR (Power): Press this button to turn RSA on or off. VOL (Volume): Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the knob to increase or to decrease volume. Push the knob back into its stored position when you’re not using it. The upper VOL knob controls the upper headphone and the lower VOL knob controls the lower headphone. BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, or AM, or XM1 or XM2 (48 contiguous US states, if equipped). If the front passengers are already listening to the radio, the RSA controller will not switch between the bands or change the frequency. Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or a CD is playing. The inactive cassette or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. w SEEK x: While listening to the radio, press the up or the down arrow to tune to the next or the previous station and stay there. The SEEK button is inactive if the front radio is in use. While listening to a cassette tape, press the up or the down arrow to hear the next or the previous selection. The SEEK button is inactive if the tape mode on the front radio is in use. While listening to a CD, press the up arrow to hear the next track on the CD. Press the down arrow to go to the start of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. The SEEK button is inactive if the CD mode on the front radio is in use. To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow until the radio goes into scan mode. The radio will scan to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. The scan function is inactive if the front radio is in use. 3-127 P.SET PROG (Preset Program): The front passengers must be listening to something different for each of these functions to work: (cid:127) Press this button to scan through the preset radio stations set on the pushbuttons on the main radio. The radio will go to a preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press this button again to stop scanning presets. (cid:127) When a cassette tape is playing, press this button to go to the other side of the tape. (cid:127) When a CD is playing, press this button to select a disc. TAPE CD: Press this button to switch between playing a cassette tape, a CD, or a DVD (if equipped) when listening to the radio. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your radio. It works by using a secret code to disable all radio functions whenever battery power is removed and the radio is placed in a different vehicle. This feature requires no user input to be activated. It is automatically armed when it is put into the vehicle for the ﬁrst time. When the ignition is turned off, the blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK® is armed. If THEFTLOCK® is activated, your radio will not operate if stolen. The radio will display LOCKED and a red LED indicator light will come on above the key symbol to indicate a locked condition. If this occurs, the radio will need to be returned to the dealer. 3-128 Audio Steering Wheel Controls If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel. SOURCE: Press this button to play a cassette tape, CD, or a DVD (if equipped) when listening to the radio. If a cassette tape, and CD, and/or DVD are loaded, the system will go to the tape play ﬁrst. MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it again, or any other radio button, to turn on the sound. Q VOL R (Volume): Press the up or down arrow to increase or decrease volume. Q SEEK R: Press the up arrow to seek to the next station and the down arrow to seek to the previous station. The sound will mute while seeking. When playing a cassette tape or a CD, press the up arrow to hear the next selection. BAND: Press this button to choose FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (48 contiguous US states, if equipped). SCAN: Press this button to scan your radio preset stations. The radio will scan to the ﬁrst preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. The radio will scan preset stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal. Press this button again to stop scanning. DVD Distortion You may experience video distortion when operating cellular phones, scanners, CB radios, Global Position Systems (GPS)*, two-way radios, mobile fax, or walkie talkies. It may be necessary to turn off the DVD player when operating one of these devices in or near the vehicle. *Excludes the OnStar® System. 3-129 Understanding Radio Reception AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise. FM Stereo FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to come and go. XM™ Satellite Radio Service (48 Contiguous US States) XM™ Satellite Radio gives you digital radio reception from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to come and go. Your radio may display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference. Care of Your Cassette Tape Player A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate properly or they may cause failure of the tape player. Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLEAN PLAYER to indicate that you have used your tape player for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears on the display, your cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player. For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The recommended cleaning cassette is available through your dealership. 3-130 The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape player may identify the cleaning cassette tape as a damaged tape, in error. If the cleaning cassette ejects, insert the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough cleaning. You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning cassette is not recommended. After you clean the player, press and hold the eject button for ﬁve seconds to reset the CLEAN PLAYER indicator. The radio will display --- to show the indicator was reset. Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is in good condition before you have your tape player serviced. Care of Your CDs and DVDs Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge. Be sure never to touch the side without writing when handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. Care of Your CD and DVD Player The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Cleaning Your DVD Player When cleaning the outside DVD cabinet face and buttons, use only a clean cloth dampened with clean water. 3-131 Integrated Windshield Antenna The antenna in your vehicle is a very thin, metal layer in the windshield. If you look near the edges of the windshield, you can see the outline of the antenna. The connector is at the top of the windshield, where the headliner ends. If you experience difficulty with remote transmitters, such as a garage door opener, try pointing the device through the very top of the windshield. XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System (48 Contiguous US States) Your XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build up for clear radio reception. The performance of your XM™ system may be affected if your sunroof is open. Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere with the performance of your XM™ system. Make sure that the XM™ satellite antenna is not obstructed. 3-132 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2 Driver Behavior ..............................................4-2 Driving Environment ........................................4-2 Vehicle Design ...............................................4-3 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-3 Drunken Driving .............................................4-4 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-7 Braking .........................................................4-7 Traction Control System (TCS) .......................4-11 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System .......................4-12 Steering ......................................................4-13 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-15 Passing .......................................................4-15 Loss of Control .............................................4-17 Driving at Night ............................................4-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-20 City Driving ..................................................4-23 Freeway Driving ...........................................4-24 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-25 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-26 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-26 Winter Driving ..............................................4-28 If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ...4-32 Towing ..........................................................4-33 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-33 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-34 Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-36 Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-42 4-1 drunken or aggressive driving can help make trips safer and avoid the possibility of a crash, especially a rollover crash. This section provides many useful tips to help you drive more safely. Driving Environment You can also help avoid a rollover or other type of crash by being prepared for driving in inclement weather, at night, or during other times where visibility or traction may be limited (such as on curves, slippery roads or hilly terrain). Unfamiliar surroundings can also have hidden hazards. To help you learn more about driving in different conditions, this section contains information about city, freeway and off-road driving, as well as other hints for driving in various weather conditions. Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Whenever we drive, we are taking on an important responsibility. This is true for any motor vehicle — passenger car, van, truck, sport utility. Driver behavior, the driving environment, and the vehicle’s design all affect how well a vehicle performs. But statistics show that the most important factor, by far, is how we drive. Knowing how these three factors work together can help you understand how your vehicle handles and what you can do to avoid many types of crashes, including a rollover crash. Driver Behavior The single most important thing is this: everyone in the vehicle, including the driver, should buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-22. In fact, most serious injuries and fatalities to unbelted occupants can be reduced or prevented by the use of safety belts. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signiﬁcantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. In addition, avoiding excessive speed, sudden or abrupt turns and 4-2 Vehicle Design According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, utility vehicles have a signiﬁcantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. Utility vehicles do have higher ground clearance and a narrower track or shorter wheelbase than passenger cars, to make them more capable for off-road driving. Speciﬁc design characteristics like these give the driver a better view of the road, but also give utility vehicles a higher center of gravity than other types of vehicles. This means that you should not expect a utility vehicle to handle the same way a vehicle with a lower center of gravity, like a car, would in similar situations. But driver behavior factors are far more often the cause of a utility vehicle rollover than are environmental or vehicle factors. Safe driver behavior and understanding the environment in which you will be driving can help avoid a rollover crash in any type of vehicle, including utility vehicles. Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-22. Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the ﬂoor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. 4-3 Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: Judgment (cid:127) Muscular Coordination (cid:127) Vision (cid:127) Attentiveness. Police records show that almost half 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 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. 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. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: The amount of alcohol consumed The drinker’s body weight The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol. 4-4 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin or vodka. It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. 4-5 But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. 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. {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. Please 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. 4-6 Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. Also see Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-11. Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time. Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that is only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied. 4-7 Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. United States Canada If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on the instrument panel will come on brieﬂy when you start your vehicle. When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal. 4-8 The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard. Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what happens with ABS: A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. 4-9 Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your ﬁrst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic. If you do not have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This will help you retain steering control. If you do have anti-lock, it is different. See “Anti-Lock Brake System” in this section. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. 4-10 Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle may have 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 front 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. The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. See Traction Active Message on page 3-51. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See “Cruise Control” under Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8. United States Canada If this message comes on and stays on or comes on while you are driving, there’s a problem with your traction control system. See Service Traction System Warning Message on page 3-50. When this warning message is on, the TRAC OFF light will come on to remind you that the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control system off if you ever need to. You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-32. 4-11 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD system operates automatically without any action required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive the vehicle as required. There may be a slight engagement noise during hard use but this is normal. During heavy AWD applications, the engine torque may be reduced to protect AWD system components. If the vehicle is exposed to extended heavy AWD usage, the AWD system will shut itself off to protect the system from overheating. When the system cools down, the AWD system will activate itself again automatically; this cool-down can take up to 20 minutes depending on outside temperature and vehicle use. See All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning Message on page 3-55. To turn the system off, press the TRAC OFF button located on the instrument panel switchbank. If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the button, the message will go off, but the system will not turn off until there is no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. The TRAC OFF light will come on to remind you the system is off. You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing the button again. The traction control system warning message should go off. 4-12 Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort. Steering Tips Driving on Curves It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control systems — steering and braking — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. The same thing can happen if you are steering through a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems — steering and acceleration — can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-11. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. 4-13 Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can not; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. See Braking on page 4-7. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. 4-14 An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. (cid:127) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. 4-15 (cid:127) (cid:127) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. (cid:127) When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a “running start” that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. (cid:127) Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is.) Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. (cid:127) Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. 4-16 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your 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. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If you have the Traction Control System, remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have this system, or if the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If your 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, your 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, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. 4-17 Driving at Night While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your 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. If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. 4-18 Here are some tips on night driving. (cid:127) Drive defensively. (cid:127) Do not drink and drive. (cid:127) Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. (cid:127) Since you can not see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. (cid:127) Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. In remote areas, watch for animals. If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. 4-19 (cid:127) (cid:127) Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road and even people walking. It is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you can not stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. 4-20 Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you can not, try to slow down before you hit them. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or it the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. 4-21 Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you can not avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. Driving Through Flowing Water {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Some Other Rainy Weather Tips (cid:127) Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. (cid:127) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-57. 4-22 City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: (cid:127) Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 4-24. Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. 4-23 (cid:127) (cid:127) The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your “blind” spot. Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. 4-24 Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. Here are some things you can check before a trip: (cid:127) Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? (cid:127) Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? (cid:127) Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? (cid:127) Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? 4-25 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: (cid:127) Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your instruments frequently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. 4-26 (cid:127) If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. (cid:127) Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (cid:127) Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better. (cid:127) Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. 4-27 (cid:127) You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 4-28 Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to very careful. What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition – smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow – drive with caution. If you have traction control, keep the system on. It will improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. But you can turn the traction system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-32. Even though your vehicle has a traction system, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-11. If you don’t have a traction system, accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even more. 4-29 Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to brake very gently, too. (If you do have anti-lock, see Braking on page 4-7. This system improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking system or not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can. Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. (cid:127) Whatever your braking system, allow greater following distance on any slippery road. (cid:127) Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ﬁne until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. 4-30 If You’re Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve been stopped by the snow. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, ﬂoor mats – anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. {CAUTION: 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 can not 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 your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. 4-31 Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but you don’t want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as “rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must use caution. {CAUTION: If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.” For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-74. 4-32 Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle has traction control, you should turn your traction control system off. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-11. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle” following. Towing Towing Your Vehicle Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6. If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following. 4-33 Recreational Vehicle Towing Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome. The two most common types of recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a device know as a “dolly”). With the proper preparation and equipment, many vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following. Here are some important things to consider before you do recreational vehicle towing: (cid:127) What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. (cid:127) How far will you tow? Some vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long they can tow. (cid:127) Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your dealer or trailering professional for additional advice and equipment recommendations. Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See Before Leaving on a Long Trip on page 4-25. Dinghy Towing Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all of its wheels on the ground. If you have a two-wheel-drive vehicle, it can be towed with two of its wheels on the ground. See “Dolly Towing” following. If you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, it cannot be towed with any of its wheels on the ground. It can be towed with car carrier equipment. Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if any of its wheels will be on the ground. 4-34 (cid:127) Dolly Towing If you have a two-wheel-drive vehicle, it can be towed with two of its wheels on the ground. To dolly tow your vehicle, do the following: 1. Put the front wheels on a dolly. 2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P). 3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key. 4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a clamping device designed for towing. 5. Release the parking brake. If you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, it cannot be towed with any of its wheels on the ground. It can be towed with car carrier equipment. Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if any of its wheels will be on the ground. 4-35 Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Certiﬁcation/Tire label. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. 4-36 Tire and Loading Information Label A. Vehicle Capacity Weight The Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the center pillar, near the driver’s door latch. Vehicles without a center pillar will have the Tire and Loading Information label attached to the driver’s door edge. This label lists the number of people that can be in your vehicle and the total weight it can carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight. The Tire and Loading Information label also tells you the size and recommended inﬂation pressure for the original equipment tires on your vehicle. For more information on tires and inﬂation, see Tires on page 5-57 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 5-64. If your vehicle does not have the Tire and Loading Information label, the Certiﬁcation/Tire label shows the tire size and recommended inﬂation pressures needed to obtain the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axles. See “Certiﬁcation/Tire Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds” on your vehicle 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 kilograms or XXX pounds. 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 for your vehicle. See Towing a Trailer on page 4-42 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and trailering tips. 4-37 Example 1 Example 2 Loading Your Vehicle Loading Your Vehicle Item Description Total Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs. (317 kg) Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (340 kg) 250 lbs. (113 kg) 4-38 Example 3 Loading Your Vehicle Item Description Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = Total 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 0 lbs (0 kg) Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information label for speciﬁc information about your vehicle’s capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight. 4-39 Certiﬁcation/Tire Label The label shows the size of your original tires and the inﬂation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo. The Certiﬁcation/Tire Label also tells you the maximum weights for the front and rear axles, called the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To ﬁnd out the actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help you with this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on both sides of the centerline. The Certiﬁcation/Tire Label is found on the rear edge of the driver’s door. 4-40 Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the GAWR for either the front or rear axle. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Notice: Loading objects that weigh over 400 lbs (181 kg) onto the sliding rear convenience tray may cause damage. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not load heavy objects on the sliding rear convenience tray. If you put things inside your vehicle – like suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else – they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going. {CAUTION: Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. (cid:127) Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly. (cid:127) Never stack heavier things, like suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some of them are above the tops of the seats. (cid:127) Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in your vehicle. (cid:127) When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it whenever you can. (cid:127) Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you need to. 4-41 Automatic Level Control On vehicles equipped with automatic level control, the rear of the vehicle is automatically kept level as you load or unload your vehicle. However, you should still not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-36. You may hear the compressor operating when you load or unload your vehicle, and periodically as the system self-adjusts. This is normal. The compressor should operate for brief periods of time. If the sound continues for an extended period of time, your vehicle needs service. Using heavier suspension components to get added durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way. Towing a Trailer {CAUTION: If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive properly, you can lose control when you pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well — or even at all. You and your passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the steps in this section. Ask your dealer for advice and information about towing a trailer with your vehicle. Notice: Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result in costly repairs that would not be covered by your warranty. Always follow the instructions in this section and check with your dealer for more information about towing a trailer with your vehicle. 4-42 Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this section. But trailering is different than just driving your 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. That is the reason for this section. In it are 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 you pull a trailer. Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, 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. The trailer also adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements. If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer If you do, here are some important points: There are many different laws, including speed limit restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure your 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. (cid:127) Consider using a sway control. See “Hitches” later in this section. (cid:127) Do not tow a trailer at all during the ﬁrst 500 miles (800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged. Then, during the ﬁrst 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and do not make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads. (cid:127) You can use THIRD (3) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in THIRD (3) when towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life of your transaxle. Three important considerations have to do with weight: (cid:127) Weight of the trailer. (cid:127) Weight of the trailer tongue. (cid:127) Weight on your vehicle’s tires. Weight of the Trailer How heavy can a trailer safely be? It should never weigh more than 1,400 lbs. (630 kg) with up to ﬁve occupants in the vehicle or more than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg) with up to two occupants. If you have the optional trailer towing package, your vehicle 4-43 (cid:127) (cid:127) can tow up to 2,900 lbs. (1 300 kg) with up to ﬁve occupants or up to 3,500 lbs. (1 575 kg) with up to two occupants. But even that can be too heavy. It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle. You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or you can write us at: Buick Customer Assistance Center P.O. Box 33136 Detroit, MI 48232-5136 In Canada, write to: General Motors of Canada Limited Customer Communication Centre, 163-005 1908 Colonel Sam Drive Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7 4-44 Weight of the Trailer Tongue The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total or gross weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment, passengers, or cargo in the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-36 for more information about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity. If you are using a weight-carrying or weight distributing hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B). Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight for your vehicle. After you have loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they are not, you may be able to get them right simply by moving some items around in the trailer. 4-45 Safety Chains You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer to help prevent the tongue from contacting the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always leave just enough slack so you can turn with your rig. Never allow safety chains to drag on the ground. Trailer Brakes If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg) loaded, then it needs its own brakes – and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain them properly. Because your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake systems will not work well, or at all. Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inﬂated to the upper limit for cold tires. You will ﬁnd these numbers on the Certiﬁcation/Tire Label at the rear edge of the driver’s door, or see Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-36. Do not go over the GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue. Hitches It is important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are a few reasons why you will need the right hitch. Here are some rules to follow: If you will be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg), use a properly mounted, weight-carrying hitch and sway control of the proper size. This equipment is very important for proper vehicle loading and good handling while driving. (cid:127) Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do, remember to seal the holes when you remove the hitch. If you do not seal them, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle. See Engine Exhaust on page 2-30. Dirt and water can, too. 4-46 (cid:127) Driving with a Trailer {CAUTION: If you have a rear-most window open and you pull a trailer with your vehicle, carbon monoxide (CO) could come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness or death. See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index. To maximize your safety when towing a trailer: (cid:127) Have your exhaust system inspected for leaks, and make necessary repairs before starting on your trip. (cid:127) Keep the rear-most windows closed. If exhaust does come into your vehicle through a window in the rear or another opening, drive with your front, main heating or cooling system on and with the fan on any speed. This will bring fresh, outside air into your vehicle. Do not use the climate control setting for maximum air because it only recirculates the air inside your vehicle. See “Climate Controls” in the Index. Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out for the open road, you will want to get to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as responsive as your vehicle is by itself. Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and attachments, safety chains, electrical connector, lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your electrical connection at the same time. During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes are still working. 4-47 (cid:127) Following Distance Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking and sudden turns. Passing You will need more passing distance up ahead when you are towing a trailer. And, because you are a good deal longer, you will need to go much farther beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your

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2004 Buick Rendezvous Owners Manual