2009 Chevrolet Impala Owners Manual

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2. Press either of the two buttons below the desired category tab to immediately tune to the ﬁrst XM station associated with that category. 3. Turn the f knob, press the buttons below the right or left arrows displayed, or press the SEEK arrows to go to the previous or to the next XM station within the selected category. 4. To exit the category search mode, press the FAV button or BAND button to display favorites again. To return to the manual mode, press until Manual displays or start to manually adjust the bass and depending on the radio, midrange, or treble by pressing the f knob. Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) ` BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To adjust balance or fade, press the ` if the radio has this symbol, or the f knob until the speaker control tabs display. Continue pressing to highlight the desired tab, or press the pushbutton positioned under the desired tab. Turn the f knob clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the setting. The setting can also be adjusted by pressing either SEEK arrow, \ FWD, or s REV until the desired levels are obtained. The radio may be capable of adjusting balance or fade to the middle position by pressing the pushbutton positioned under the BAL or FADE tab for more than two seconds. The radio beeps once and the level adjusts to the middle position. The radio may also be capable of adjusting all speaker and tone controls to the middle position by pressing the f knob for more than two seconds until the radio beeps once. 3-70 Undesired XM categories can be removed through the setup menu. To remove an undesired category: 1. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu. 2. Press the pushbutton located below the XM CAT tab. 3. Turn the f knob to display the category to be removed. 4. Press the pushbutton located under the Remove tab until the category name along with the word Removed displays. 5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories. Removed categories can be restored by pressing the pushbutton under the Add tab when a removed category displays or by pressing the pushbutton under the Restore All tab. Categories cannot be removed or added while the vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h). Radio Messages Calibration Error: The audio system has been calibrated for the vehicle from the factory. If Calibration Error displays, it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for the vehicle and it must be returned to your dealer/retailer for service. Loc or Locked: If Loc or Locked displays, it means the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up. Take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer/retailer. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM is a satellite radio service that is based in the 48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces. XM Satellite Radio has a wide variety of programming and commercial-free music, coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited access to XM Radio Online for when you are not in the vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the XM service. For more information, contact XM at xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada. 3-71 Radio Messages for XM™ Only See XM Radio Messages on page 3-81 later in this section for further detail. Playing a CD Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in and the CD should begin playing. If the ignition or radio is turned off while a CD in the player it stays in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD starts to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When the CD is inserted, the CD symbol displays. As each new track starts to play, the track number displays. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. For vehicles that have a Radio with a Six-Disc CD player: LOAD ^ : Press to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player holds up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. Press and release the load button. 2. Wait for the message to insert the disc. 3. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. To insert multiple CDs: 1. Press and hold the load button for two seconds. A beep sounds and Load All Discs displays. 2. Follow the displayed instruction on when to insert the discs. The CD player takes up to six CDs. 3. Press this button again to cancel loading more CDs. If the ignition or radio is turned off, while a CD is in the player, it stays in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD starts playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. 3-72 Z EJECT: For the Radio with a Single CD player, press to eject the CD. If the CD is not removed, after several seconds, the CD automatically pulls back into the player. For the Radio with a Six-Disc CD player, press and release to eject the CD that is currently playing. The radio beeps once and Ejecting Disc displays. Once the disc is ejected, Remove Disc displays. The CD can be removed. If the CD is not removed, after several seconds, the CD automatically pulls back into the player and begins playing. Press and hold for two seconds to eject all discs. f (Tune): Turn to select tracks on the CD currently playing. ©SEEK ¨: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If either arrow is held, or pressed multiple times, the player continues moving backward or forward through the tracks on the CD. s REV (Fast Reverse): Press and hold to reverse playback quickly within a track. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track displays. \ FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold to advance playback quickly within a track. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track displays. RDM (Random): Tracks can be listened to in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD or all CDs in a Six-disc CD player. To use random on the base radio with Single CD player, press the RDM button to play tracks from a CD in random order. The random icon displays. Press again to turn off random play. The random icon disappears from the display. To use random on an Uplevel Radio with a Single CD player: 1. Press the CD/AUX button, insert a disc partway into the slot of the CD player. A RDM tab displays. 2. To play the tracks in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM tab until Random Current Disc displays. Press the pushbutton again to turn off random play. 3-73 To use random on a radio with a Six-Disc CD player: 1. Press the CD/AUX button, press and hold ^ . A beep sounds and Load All Discs displays. Insert one or more discs partway into the slot of the CD player. 2. To play tracks from all CDs loaded in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM tab until Randomize All Discs displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. RPT (Repeat): With repeat, one track or an entire CD can be repeated. To use repeat on the base radio with a Single CD player: (cid:129) Press and release the RPT button to repeat the current track. An arrow symbol displays. Press again to turn off repeat play. (cid:129) Press and hold the RPT button for a few seconds to repeat the CD. An arrow symbol displays. Press again to turn off repeat play. When repeat is off, the symbol no longer displays. BAND: Press to listen to the radio while a CD is playing. The CD remains inside the radio for future listening. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to play a CD while listening to the radio. The CD icon and a message showing disc and/or track number displays when a CD is in the player. Press this button again and the system automatically searches for an auxiliary input device, such as a portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, No Aux Input Device Found may display. Care of CDs If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. Handle them carefully. Store CD-R(s) in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD does not play properly or not at all. Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process starts from the center to the edge. 3-74 Care of the CD Player Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a marking pen. The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD player mechanism. Notice: If a label is added to a CD, or more than one CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error displays, see “CD Messages” later in this section. Playing an MP3 CD-R or CD-RW Disc The radio may have MP3 CD-R or CD-RW disc capability. For more information, see Using an MP3 on page 3-77 later in this section. CD Messages CHECK DISC: If an error message displays and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. The road is very rough. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. There could have been a problem while burning the CD. The label could be caught in the CD player. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer/retailer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer/retailer while reporting the problem. 3-75 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Using the Auxiliary Input Jack The radio system has an auxiliary input jack located on the lower right side of the faceplate. This is not an audio output; do not plug the headphone set into the front auxiliary input jack. However, an external audio device such as an iPod, laptop computer, MP3 player, CD changer, or cassette tape player, etc. can be connected to the auxiliary input jack for use as another source for audio listening. Drivers are encouraged to set up any auxiliary device while the vehicle is in P (Park). See Defensive Driving on page 4-2 for more information on driver distraction. To use a portable audio player, connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) cable to the radio’s front auxiliary input jack. While a device is connected, press the radio CD/AUX button to begin playing audio from the device over the vehicle speakers. O (Power/Volume): Turn to increase or decrease the volume of the portable player. Additional volume adjustments might need to be made from the portable device. BAND: Press to listen to the radio while a portable audio device is playing. The portable audio device continues playing until it is stopped or turned off. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to play a CD while a portable audio device is playing. Press again and the system begins playing audio from the connected portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, No Aux Input Device Found may display. 3-76 Using an MP3 MP3 CD-R or CD-RW Disc The radio may have MP3 capability. With this feature, the radio plays MP3 ﬁles that were recorded on a CD-R or CD-RW disc. Song title, artist name, and album can display when ﬁles are recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2. Compressed Audio The radio also plays discs that contain both uncompressed CD audio (.CDA ﬁles) and MP3 ﬁles. By default the radio reads only the uncompressed audio and ignore the MP3 ﬁles. Pressing the CAT button toggles between compressed and uncompressed audio format. MP3 Format If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer: (cid:129) Make sure the MP3 ﬁles are recorded on a CD-R or CD-RW disc. (cid:129) Do not mix standard audio and MP3 ﬁles on one disc. The CD player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, and 255 ﬁles. (cid:129) Create a folder structure that makes it easy to ﬁnd songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less. (cid:129) Avoid subfolders. The system can support up to 8 subfolders deep, however, keep the total number of folders to a minimum in order to reduce the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. 3-77 (cid:129) (cid:129) Make sure playlists have a .mp3 or .wpl extension (other ﬁle extensions might not work). (cid:129) Minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder or playlist names. Long ﬁle, folder, or playlist names, or a combination of a large number of ﬁles and folders, or playlists can cause the player to be unable to play up to the maximum number of ﬁles, folders, playlists, or sessions. If you wish to play a large number of ﬁles, folders, playlists, or sessions, minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder, or playlist name. Long names also take up more space on the display, potentially getting cut off. Finalize the audio disc before burning it. Trying to add music to an existing disc can cause the disc not to function in the player. Playlists can be changed by using the previous and next folder buttons, the f knob, or the seek buttons. An MP3 CD-R or CD-RW that was recorded using no ﬁle folders can also be played. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, and 255 ﬁles, the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum cannot be accessed. 3-78 Root Directory The root directory of the CD is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio ﬁles, the directory displays as F1 ROOT. All ﬁles contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always accessed before root folders or ﬁles. Empty Directory or Folder If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the ﬁle structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed ﬁles directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the ﬁle structure that contains compressed audio ﬁles. The empty folder does not display. No Folder When the CD contains only compressed ﬁles, the ﬁles are located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions do not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. When the CD contains only playlists and compressed audio ﬁles, but no folders, all ﬁles are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons searches playlists (Px) ﬁrst and then goes to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. (cid:129) Order of Play Tracks recorded to the CD-R or CD-RW are played in the following order: (cid:129) Play begins from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst playlist. (cid:129) Play begins from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst folder and continues sequentially through all tracks in each folder. When the last track of the last folder has played, play continues from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst folder. When play enters a new folder, the display does not automatically show the new folder name unless the folder mode has been chosen as the default display. The new track name displays. File System and Naming The song name that displays is the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the ﬁle name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name. Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages are shortened. The display does not show parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the ﬁlename is not displayed. Preprogrammed Playlists Preprogrammed playlists that were created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software can be accessed, however, you do not have playlist editing capability using the radio. These playlists are treated as special folders containing compressed audio song ﬁles. Playing an MP3 Insert a CD partway into the slot (Single CD Player), or press the load button and wait for the message to insert disc (Six-Disc CD Player), label side up. The player pulls it in, and the CD should begin playing. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select MP3 ﬁles on the CD currently playing. ©SEEK ¨: Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the start of the current MP3 ﬁle, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next MP3 ﬁle. If either SEEK arrow is held or pressed multiple times, the player continues moving backward or forward through MP3 ﬁles on the CD. S c (Previous Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder tab to go to the ﬁrst track in the previous folder. 3-79 c T (Next Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder tab to go to the ﬁrst track in the next folder. s REV (Reverse): Press and hold to reverse playback quickly within an MP3 ﬁle. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the ﬁle. The elapsed time of the ﬁle displays. \ FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold to advance playback quickly within an MP3 ﬁle. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the ﬁle. The elapsed time of the ﬁle displays. RDM (Random): MP3 ﬁles can be listened to on a CD in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD or all discs in a Six-Disc CD player. To use random, do one of the following: 1. To play MP3 ﬁles in random order from the CD that is currently playing, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM tab until Random Current Disc displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. 2. To play songs from all CDs loaded in a Six-Disc CD player in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM tab until Randomize All Discs displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. 3-80 h (Music Navigator): If the radio has the MP3 feature, it has the music navigator feature to play MP3 ﬁles on the CD-R or CD-RW in order by artist or album. Press the pushbutton located below the music navigator tab. The player scans the disc to sort the ﬁles by artist and album ID3 tag information. It can take several minutes to scan the disc depending on the number of MP3 ﬁles recorded to the CD-R or CD-RW. The radio might begin playing while it is scanning the disc in the background. When the scan is ﬁnished, the CD begins playing again. Once the disc has scanned, the player defaults to playing MP3 ﬁles in order by artist. The current artist playing is shown on the second line of the display between the arrows. Once all songs by that artist are played, the player moves to the next artist in alphabetical order on the CD and begins playing MP3 ﬁles by that artist. If you want to listen to MP3 ﬁles by another artist, press the pushbutton located below either arrow button. The CD goes to the next or previous artist in alphabetical order. Continue pressing either button until the desired artist displays. To change from playback by artist to playback by album, press the pushbutton located below the Sort By tab. From the sort screen, push one of the buttons below the album button. Press the pushbutton below the back tab to return to the main music navigator screen. Now the album name displays on the second line between the arrows and songs from the current album begins to play. Once all songs from that album have played, the player moves to the next album in alphabetical order on the CD and begins playing MP3 ﬁles from that album. Channel Unavail: This previously assigned channel is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station was one of the presets, choose another station for that preset button. To exit music navigator mode, press the pushbutton below the Back tab to return to normal MP3 playback. No Artist Info: No artist information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. XM Radio Messages XL (Explicit Language Channels): These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). XM Updating: The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. No XM Signal: The system is functioning correctly, but the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™ signal. When the vehicle is moved into an open area, the signal should return. Loading XM: The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. Channel Off Air: This channel is not currently in service. Tune in to another channel. Channel Unauth: This channel is blocked or cannot be received with your XM Subscription package. No Title Info: No song title information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No CAT Info: No category information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No Information: No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. CAT Not Found: There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. XM Theftlocked: The XM receiver in the vehicle could have previously been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this message is received after having the vehicle serviced, check with your dealer/retailer. 3-81 Voice Recognition The Bluetooth system uses voice recognition to interpret voice commands to dial phone numbers and name tags. Noise: Keep interior noise levels to a minimum. The system may not recognize voice commands if there is too much background noise. When to Speak: A short tone sounds after the system responds indicating when it is waiting for a voice command. Wait until the tone and then speak. How to Speak: Speak clearly in a calm and natural voice. Audio System When using the in-vehicle Bluetooth system, sound comes through the vehicle’s front audio system speakers and overrides the audio system. Use the audio system volume knob, during a call, to change the volume level. The adjusted volume level remains in memory for later calls. To prevent missed calls, a minimum volume level is used if the volume is turned down too low. XM Radio ID: If tuned to channel 0, this message alternates with the XM™ Radio 8 digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. Unknown: If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there could be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. Check XM Receivr: If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver could have a fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. XM Not Available: If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver could have a fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. Bluetooth® Vehicles with a Bluetooth system can use a Bluetooth capable cell phone with a Hands Free Proﬁle to make and receive phone calls. The system can be used while the key is in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY position. The range of the Bluetooth system can be up to 30 ft. (9.1 m). Not all phones support all functions, and not all phones are guaranteed to work with the in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See gm.com/bluetooth for more information on compatible phones. 3-82 Bluetooth Controls Use the buttons located on the steering wheel to operate the in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-94 for more information. b g (Push To Talk): Press to answer incoming calls, to conﬁrm system information, and to start speech recognition. c x (Phone On Hook): Press to end a call, reject a call, or to cancel an operation. Pairing A Bluetooth enabled cell phone must be paired to the in-vehicle Bluetooth system ﬁrst and then connected to the vehicle before it can be used. See the cell phone manufacturers user guide for Bluetooth functions before pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone is not connected, calls will be made using OnStar® Hands-Free Calling, if available. Refer to the OnStar owner’s guide for more information. Pairing Information: (cid:129) Up to ﬁve cell phones can be paired to the in-vehicle Bluetooth system. The pairing process is disabled when the vehicle is moving. The in-vehicle Bluetooth system automatically links with the ﬁrst available paired cell phone in the order the phone was paired. (cid:129) Only one paired cell phone can be connected to the in-vehicle Bluetooth system at a time. (cid:129) Pairing should only need to be completed once, unless changes to the pairing information have been made or the phone is deleted. To link to a different paired phone, see Linking to a Different Phone later in this section. 3-83 (cid:129) (cid:129) Pairing a Phone 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system responds with “Bluetooth ready” followed by a tone. 3. Say “Pair”. The system responds with instructions and a four digit PIN number. The PIN number will be used in Step 4. 4. Start the Pairing process on the cell phone that will be paired to the vehicle. Reference the cell phone manufacturers user guide for information on this process. Locate the device named “General Motors” in the list on the cellular phone and follow the instructions on the cell phone to enter the four digit PIN number that was provided in Step 3. 5. The system prompts for a name for the phone. Use a name that best describes the phone. This name will be used to indicate which phone is connected. The system then conﬁrms the name provided. 6. The system responds with “ has been successfully paired” after the pairing process is complete. 7. Repeat Steps 1 through 7 for additional phones to be paired. 3-84 Listing All Paired and Connected Phones 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system responds with “Bluetooth ready” followed by a tone. 3. Say “List”. The system lists all the paired Bluetooth devices. If a phone is connected to the vehicle, the system will say “Is connected” after the connected phone. Deleting a Paired Phone 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system responds with “Bluetooth ready” followed by a tone. 3. Say “Delete”. The system asks which phone to delete followed by a tone. 4. Say the name of the phone to be deleted. If the phone name is unknown, use the “List” command for a list of all paired phones. The system responds with “Would you like to delete ? Yes or No” followed by a tone. 5. Say “Yes” to delete the phone. The system responds with “OK, deleting ”. Linking to a Different Phone 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system responds with “Bluetooth ready” followed by a tone. Using the Store Command The store command allows a phone number to be stored without entering the digits individually. 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 3. Say “Change phone”. The system responds with “Please wait while I search for other phones”. 2. Say “Store”. The system responds with “Store, number please” followed by a tone. If another phone is found, the response will be “ is now connected”. If another phone is not found, the original phone remains connected. Storing Name Tags The system can store up to thirty phone numbers as name tags that are shared between the Bluetooth and OnStar systems. The system uses the following commands to store and retrieve phone numbers: (cid:129) Store (cid:129) Digit Store (cid:129) Directory 3. Say the complete phone number to be stored at once with no pauses. If the system recognizes the number it responds with “OK, Storing” and repeats the phone number. If the system is unsure it recognizes the phone number, it responds with “Store” and repeats the number followed by “Please say yes or no”. If the number is correct, say “Yes”. If the number is not correct, say “No”. The system will ask for the number to be re-entered. 4. After the system stores the phone number, it responds with “Please say the name tag” followed by a tone. 3-85 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) 5. Say a name tag for the phone number. The name tag is recorded and the system responds with “About to store . Does that sound OK?”. 4. After the complete number has been entered, say “Store”. The system responds with “Please say the name tag” followed by a tone. 5. Say a name tag for the phone number. The name tag is recorded and the system responds with “About to store . Does that sound OK?”. If the name tag does not sound correct, say “No” and repeat Step 5. If the name tag sounds correct, say “Yes” and the name tag is stored. After the number is stored the system returns to the main menu. Using the Directory Command The directory command lists all of the name tags stored by the system. To use the directory command: 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Directory”. The system responds with “Directory” and then plays back all of the stored name tags. When the list is complete, the system returns to the main menu. If the name tag does not sound correct, say “No” and repeat Step 5. If the name tag sounds correct, say “Yes” and the name tag is stored. After the number is stored the system returns to the main menu. Using the Digit Store Command The digit store command allows a phone number to be stored by entering the digits individually. 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Digit Store”. The system responds with “Please say the ﬁrst digit to store” followed by a tone. 3. Say the ﬁrst digit to be stored. The system will repeat back the digit it heard followed by a tone. Continue entering digits until the number to be stored is complete. If an unwanted number is recognized by the system, say “Clear” at any time to clear the last number. To hear all of the numbers recognized by the system, say “Verify” at any time and the system will repeat them. 3-86 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Deleting Name Tags The system uses the following commands to delete name tags: (cid:129) Delete (cid:129) Delete all name tags Using the Delete Command The delete command allows speciﬁc name tags to be deleted. To use the delete command: 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Delete”. The system responds with “Delete, please say the name tag” followed by a tone. 3. Say the name tag to be deleted. The system responds with “Would you like to delete, ? Please say yes or no”. If the name tag is correct, say “Yes” to delete the name tag. The system responds with “OK, deleting , returning to the main menu.” If the name tag is incorrect, say “No”. The system responds with “No. OK, let’s try again, please say the name tag.” Using the Delete All Name Tags Command The delete all name tags command deletes all stored phone book name tags and route name tags for OnStar (if present). To use the delete all name tags command: 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Delete all name tags”. The system responds with “You are about to delete all name tags stored in your phone directory and your route destination directory. Are you sure you want to do this? Please say yes or no.” (cid:129) Say “Yes” to delete all name tags. (cid:129) Say “No” to cancel the function and return to the main menu. 3-87 (cid:129) (cid:129) Using the Digit Dial Command 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Digit Dial”. The system responds with “Digit dial using , please say the ﬁrst digit to dial” followed by a tone. 3. Say the digit to be dialed one at a time. Following each digit, the system will repeat back the digit it heard followed by a tone. 4. Continue entering digits until the number to be dialed is complete. After the whole number has been entered, say “Dial”. The system responds with “OK, Dialing” and dials the number. If an unwanted number is recognized by the system, say “Clear” at any time to clear the last number. To hear all of the numbers recognized by the system, say “Verify” at any time and the system will repeat them. Making a Call Calls can be made using the following commands: (cid:129) Dial (cid:129) Digit Dial (cid:129) Call (cid:129) Re-dial Using the Dial Command 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Dial”. The system responds with “Dial using . “Number please” followed by a tone. 3. Say the entire number without pausing. If the system recognizes the number, it responds with “OK, Dialing” and dials the number. If the system does not recognize the number, it conﬁrms the numbers followed by a tone. If the number is correct, say “Yes”. The system responds with “OK, Dialing” and dials the number. If the number is not correct, say “No”. The system will ask for the number to be re-entered. 3-88 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Using the Call Command 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. Using the Re-dial Command 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Call”. The system responds with “Call using . Please say the name tag” followed by a tone. 3. Say the name tag of the person to call. If the system clearly recognizes the name tag it responds with “OK, calling, ” and dials the number. If the system is unsure it recognizes the right name tag, it conﬁrms the name tag followed by a tone. If the name tag is correct, say “Yes”. The system responds with “OK, calling, ” and dials the number. If the name tag is not correct, say “No”. The system will ask for the name tag to be re-entered. Once connected, the person called will be heard through the audio speakers. 2. After the tone, say “Re-dial”. The system responds with “Re-dial using ” and dials the last number called from the connected Bluetooth phone. Once connected, the person called will be heard through the audio speakers. Receiving a Call When an incoming call is received, the audio system mutes and a ring tone is heard in the vehicle. (cid:129) Press b g and begin speaking to answer the call. (cid:129) Press c x to ignore a call. 3-89 (cid:129) (cid:129) Ending a Call Press c x to end a call. Muting a Call During a call, all sounds from inside the vehicle can be muted so that the person on the other end of the call cannot hear them. To Mute a call 1. Press b g . The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Mute Call”. The system responds with “Call muted”. To Cancel Mute 1. Press b g . The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. After the tone, say “Mute Call”. The system responds with “Resuming call”. Call Waiting Call waiting must be supported on the Bluetooth phone and enabled by the wireless service carrier to work. (cid:129) Press b g to answer an incoming call when another call is active. The original call is placed on hold. (cid:129) Press b g again to return to the original call. To ignore the incoming call, continue with the original call with no action. (cid:129) Press c x to disconnect the current call and switch to the call on hold. Three-Way Calling Three-Way Calling must be supported on the Bluetooth phone and enabled by the wireless service carrier to work. 1. While on a call press b g . The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Three-way call”. The system responds with “Three-way call, please say dial or call”. 3. Use the dial or call command to dial the number of the third party to be called. 4. Once the call is connected, press b g to link all the callers together. 3-90 (cid:129) Transferring a Call Audio can be transferred between the in-vehicle Bluetooth system and the cell phone. To Transfer Audio to the Cell Phone During a call with the audio in the vehicle: 1. Press b g . The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Transfer Call.” The system responds with “Transferring call” and the audio will switch from the vehicle to the cell phone. To Transfer Audio to the In-Vehicle Bluetooth System The cellular phone must be paired and connected with the Bluetooth system before a call can be transferred. The connection process can take up to two minutes after the key is turned to the ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY position. During a call with the audio on the cell phone, press b g for more than two seconds. The audio switches from the cell phone to the vehicle. Voice Pass-Thru Voice Pass-Thru allows access to the voice recognition commands on the cell phone. See the cell phone manufacturers user guide to see if the cell phone supports this feature. This feature can be used to verbally access contacts stored in the cell phone. 1. Press and hold b g for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system responds with “Bluetooth ready” followed by a tone. 3. Say “Voice”. The system responds with “OK, accessing ”. The cell phone’s normal prompt messages will go through its cycle according to the phone’s operating instructions. Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) Tones The in-vehicle Bluetooth system can send numbers and numbers stored as name tags during a call. This is used when calling a menu driven phone system. Account numbers can be programmed into the phonebook for retrieval during menu driven calls. 3-91 (cid:129) Sending a Number During a Call 1. Press b g . The system responds with “Ready” Sending a Stored Name Tag During a Call 1. Press b g . The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. followed by a tone. 2. Say “Dial”. The system responds with “Say a number to send tones” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Send name tag.” The system responds with “Say a name tag to send tones” followed by a tone. 3. Say the number to send. 3. Say the name tag to send. If the system clearly recognizes the number it responds with “OK, Sending Number” and the dial tones are sent and the call continues. If the system is not sure it recognized the number properly, it responds “Dial Number, Please say yes or no?” followed by a tone. If the number is correct, say “Yes”. The system responds with “OK, Sending Number” and the dial tones are sent and the call continues. If the system clearly recognizes the name tag it responds with “OK, Sending ” and the dial tones are sent and the call continues. If the system is not sure it recognized the name tag properly, it responds “Dial , Please say yes or no?” followed by a tone. If the name tag is correct, say “Yes”. The system responds with “OK, Sending ” and the dial tones are sent and the call continues. 3-92 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Clearing the System Unless information is deleted out of the in-vehicle Bluetooth system, it will be retained indeﬁnitely. This includes all saved name tags in the phonebook and phone pairing information. For information on how to delete this information, see the above sections on Deleting a Paired Phone and Deleting Name Tags. Other Information The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth® SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by General Motors is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause interference. 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. Changes or modiﬁcations to this system by other than an authorized service facility could void authorization to use this equipment. Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of the vehicle’s radio by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN). The radio does not operate if it is stolen or moved to a different vehicle. 3-93 Audio Steering Wheel Controls Vehicles with audio steering wheel controls could differ depending on the vehicle’s options. Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel. w (Next): Press to go to the next radio station stored as a favorite, or the next track if a CD is playing. c x (Previous/End): Press to go to the previous radio station stored as a favorite, the next track if a CD is playing, to reject an incoming call, or end a current call. b g (Mute/Push to Talk): Press to silence the vehicle speakers only. Press again to turn the sound on. For vehicles with OnStar® or Bluetooth® systems, press and hold b g for longer than two seconds to interact with those systems. See OnStar® System on page 2-33 and Bluetooth® on page 3-82 for more information. SRCE (Source): Press to switch between the radio (AM, FM, XM), CD, and auxiliary input jack. + e − e (Volume): Press to increase or to decrease the radio volume. ¨ (Seek): Press to go to the next radio station while in AM, FM, or XM™. Press ¨to go to the next track or chapter while sourced to the CD. Press the ¨if multiple discs are loaded to go to the next disc while sourced to a CD player. 3-94 Radio Reception Frequency interference and static can occur during normal radio reception if items such as cell phone chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external electronic devices are plugged into the accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the item from the accessory power outlet. AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause station frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during the night. Static can also occur when things like storms and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this happens, try reducing the treble on the radio. FM Stereo FM signals only reach about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Although the radio has a built-in electronic circuit that automatically works to reduce interference, some static can occur, especially around tall buildings or hills, causing the sound to fade in and out. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of the XM signal for a period of time. Cellular Phone Usage Cellular phone usage may cause interference with the vehicle’s radio. This interference may occur when making or receiving phone calls, charging the phone’s battery, or simply having the phone on. This interference causes an increased level of static while listening to the radio. If static is received while listening to the radio, unplug the cellular phone and turn it off. 3-95 Backglass Antenna The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and that the lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio reception. For proper radio reception, the antenna connector needs to be properly attached to the post on the glass. If a cellular telephone antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make sure that the grid lines for the AM-FM antenna are not damaged. There is enough space between the grid lines to attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering with radio reception. Notice: Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear the inside rear window can damage the rear window antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not clear the inside rear window with sharp objects. Notice: Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with metallic ﬁlm. The metallic ﬁlm in some tinting materials will interfere with or distort the incoming radio reception. Any damage caused to your backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials will not be covered by the vehicle warranty. XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System The XM Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof of the vehicle. Keep the antenna clear of obstructions for clear radio reception. If the vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the XM system may be affected if the sunroof is open. 3-96 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle ............4-2 Driving for Better Fuel Economy .......................4-2 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2 Drunk Driving .................................................4-3 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-3 Braking .........................................................4-4 Antilock Brake System (ABS) ...........................4-5 Braking in Emergencies ...................................4-6 Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ......................4-6 Traction Control System (TCS) .........................4-8 Steering ........................................................4-9 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-11 Passing .......................................................4-11 Loss of Control .............................................4-11 Driving at Night ............................................4-13 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-14 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-15 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-15 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-16 Winter Driving ..............................................4-17 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow ...................................................4-19 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................4-20 Loading the Vehicle ......................................4-20 Towing ..........................................................4-26 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-26 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-26 Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-28 4-1 Defensive Driving Defensive driving means “always expect the unexpected.” The ﬁrst step in driving defensively is to wear your safety belt — See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-13. { CAUTION: Assume that other road users (pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do and be ready. In addition: (cid:129) Allow enough following distance between you and the driver in front of you. (cid:129) Focus on the task of driving. Driver distraction can cause collisions resulting in injury or possible death. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle Driving for Better Fuel Economy Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here are some driving tips to get the best fuel economy possible. (cid:129) Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly. (cid:129) Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops. (cid:129) Avoid idling the engine for long periods of time. (cid:129) When road and weather conditions are appropriate, use cruise control, if equipped. (cid:129) Always follow posted speed limits or drive more slowly when conditions require. (cid:129) Keep vehicle tires properly inﬂated. (cid:129) Combine several trips into a single trip. (cid:129) Replace the vehicle’s tires with the same TPC Spec number molded into the tire’s sidewall near the size. Follow recommended scheduled maintenance. 4-2 (cid:129) Drunk Driving { CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking. Do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a group, designate a driver who will not drink. Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a global tragedy. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and attentiveness. Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking and driving. In recent years, more than 17,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with about 250,000 people injured. For persons under 21, it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical, psychological, and developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the person had not been drinking. Control of a Vehicle The following three systems help to control the vehicle while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator. At times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of the vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect vehicle performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 4-3 Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 3-30. Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is reaction time. Average reaction time is about three-fourths 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 three-fourths 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 the 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, whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied. 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. The brakes might not have time to cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster with a lot of heavy braking. Keeping pace with the traffic and allowing realistic following distances eliminates a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If the brakes are pumped, the pedal could get harder to push down. If the engine stops, there will still be some power brake assist but it will be used when the brake is applied. Once the power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect vehicle performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 4-4 ABS can change the brake pressure to each wheel, as required, faster than any driver could. This can help the driver steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As the brakes are applied, the computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: ABS does not change the time needed to get a foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, there will not be enough time to apply the brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even with ABS. Using ABS Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let antilock work. A slight brake pedal pulsation might be felt or some noise might be heard, but this is normal. Antilock Brake System (ABS) The vehicle might have the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent a braking skid. If the vehicle has ABS, this warning light on the instrument panel cluster comes on brieﬂy when the vehicle is started. When the engine is started, or when the vehicle begins to drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor or clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on, and it might even be noticed that the brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal. 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 the wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at both rear wheels. 4-5 Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Your vehicle may have an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system which combines antilock brake, traction and stability control systems and helps the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle in most driving conditions. When you ﬁrst start your vehicle and begin to drive away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to ensure there are no problems. You may hear or feel the system working. This is normal and does not mean there is a problem with your vehicle. The system should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h). If the system fails to turn on or activate, the ESC/TCS light will be on solid, and the SERVICE STABILITRAK message will be displayed. For more information, see Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-42. Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. If the vehicle has ABS, it allows the driver to steer and brake at the same time. However, if the vehicle does not have ABS, the ﬁrst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down — might be the wrong thing to do. The wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to the driver’s 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 the driver was trying to avoid, or into traffic. If the vehicle does not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This gives maximum braking while maintaining steering control. 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 helps retain steering control. With ABS, it is different. See Antilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5. In many emergencies, steering can help more than even the very best braking. 4-6 This light will ﬂash on the instrument panel cluster when the ESC system is both on and activated. The ESC/TCS button is located on the instrument panel. You may also feel or hear the system working; this is normal. When the light is on solid and the SERVICE STABILITRAK message is displayed, the system will not assist the driver in maintaining directional control of the vehicle. Adjust your driving accordingly. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system is automatically enabled whenever you start your vehicle. To assist the driver with vehicle directional control, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But, you can turn ESC off if you ever need to. If the vehicle is in cruise control when the system begins to assist the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle, the ESC/TCS light will ﬂash and the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to use cruise again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control on page 3-9. The traction control system can be turned off or back on by pressing the ESC/TCS button. To disable both traction control and ESC, press and hold the button brieﬂy. When the ESC system is turned off, the TRACTION CONTROL OFF message will appear, and the ESC/TCS light will be on solid to warn the driver that both traction control and ESC are disabled. It is recommended to leave the system on for normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your vehicle to attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions where high wheel spin is required. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-19. ESC may also turn off automatically if it determines that a problem exists with the system. The SERVICE STABILITRAK message and the ESC/TCS light will be on solid to warn the driver that ESC is disabled and requires service. 4-7 If the problem does not clear after restarting the vehicle, you should see your dealer/retailer for service. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49 for more information. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3 for more information. Traction Control System (TCS) The vehicle may have a Traction Control System (TCS) 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 reduces engine power and may also upshift the transmission and apply the front brakes to limit wheel spin. This light will ﬂash when the TCS is limiting wheel spin. The system may be heard or felt while it is working, but this is normal. 4-8 If cruise control is being used when TCS begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may be reengaged when road conditions allow. See Cruise Control on page 3-9. The TCS operates in all transmission shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the transmission only as high as the shift lever position chosen, so use the lower gears only when necessary. See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-24. When the system is on, this warning light comes on and stays on if there is a problem. A SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL message also appears on the DIC. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49 for more information. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, TCS should always be left on. But the system can be turned off if needed. Turn the system off if the vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-20 and If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-19 for more information. To turn the system on or off, press the Traction Control button located on the instrument panel. When the system is turned off, the traction control warning light comes on and TRACTION CONTROL OFF appears on the DIC. If the traction control system is limiting wheel spin when the button is pressed to turn the system off, the warning light comes on and the system will turn off right away. Press the Traction Control button again to turn the system back on. The Traction Control warning light should go off. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect the vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3 for more information. Steering Power Steering If power steering assist is lost because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, the vehicle can be steered but it will take more effort. Steering Tips It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. Traction in a curve depends on the condition of the tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and vehicle speed. While in a curve, speed is the one factor that can be controlled. If there is a need to reduce speed, do it before entering the curve, while the front wheels are straight. Try to adjust the speed so you can drive through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. 4-9 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. These problems can be avoided by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot stop in time because there is no room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. The vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply the brakes — but, unless the vehicle has antilock brakes, not enough to lock the wheels. See Braking on page 4-4. It is better to remove as much speed as possible from a collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. 4-10 An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, it can be turned 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 The vehicle’s right wheels can drop off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while 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 the vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. Turn the steering wheel 3 to 5 inches, 8 to 13 cm, (about one-eighth turn) until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing Passing another vehicle on a two-lane road can be dangerous. To reduce the risk of danger while passing: Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect a successful pass. If in doubt, wait. (cid:129) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines that could indicate a turn or an intersection. Never cross a solid or double-solid line on your side of the lane. (cid:129) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass. Doing so can reduce your visibility. (cid:129) Wait your turn to pass a slow vehicle. (cid:129) When you are being passed, ease to the right. 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. 4-11 (cid:129) While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down when you have any doubt. If the vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If the vehicle does not have ABS, 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. 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 the vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, the wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. If the vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, the vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. 4-12 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving because some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Night driving tips include: (cid:129) Drive defensively. (cid:129) Do not drink and drive. (cid:129) Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside rearview mirror. (cid:129) Slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles because headlamps can only light up so much road ahead. (cid:129) Watch for animals. (cid:129) When tired, pull off the road. (cid:129) Do not wear sunglasses. (cid:129) Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps. (cid:129) Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. (cid:129) Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or curves. 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 might need at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. 4-13 Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under your vehicle’s tires so they 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. There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet. Other Rainy Weather Tips Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips include: (cid:129) Allow extra following distance. (cid:129) Pass with caution. (cid:129) Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape. (cid:129) Keep the windshield washer ﬂuid reservoir ﬁlled. (cid:129) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-53. Turn off cruise control. Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep-standing or ﬂowing water. { CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not work as well in a quick stop and could cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until the brakes work normally. Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. Driving through ﬂowing water could cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warnings and be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. 4-14 (cid:129) Before Leaving on a Long Trip To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having it serviced by your dealer/retailer before departing. Things to check on your own include: (cid:129) Windshield Washer Fluid: Reservoir full? Windows clean — inside and outside? (cid:129) Wiper Blades: In good shape? Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked? Lamps: Do they all work and are lenses clean? Tires: Are treads good? Are tires inﬂated to recommended pressure? (cid:129) Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Have up-to-date maps? Highway Hypnosis Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, ﬁnd a safe place to park your vehicle and rest. Other driving tips include: (cid:129) Keep the vehicle well ventilated. (cid:129) Keep interior temperature cool. (cid:129) Keep your eyes moving — scan the road ahead and to the sides. (cid:129) Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments often. 4-15 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different than driving on ﬂat or rolling terrain. Tips for driving in these conditions include: (cid:129) Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape. (cid:129) Check all ﬂuid levels and brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. (cid:129) Going down steep or long hills, shift to a lower gear. { CAUTION: If you do not shift down, the 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 the engine assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope. { CAUTION: Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down and 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 the engine running and the vehicle in gear when going downhill. (cid:129) Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your lane (stalled car, accident). (cid:129) Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks area, winding roads, long grades, passing or no-passing zones) and take appropriate action. 4-16 (cid:129) Winter Driving Driving on Snow or Ice Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between the tires and the road, creating less traction or grip. Wet ice can occur at about 32°F (0°C) when freezing rain begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be treated with salt or sand. Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under the tires slick, so there is even less traction. 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. If the vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8, it improves the ability to accelerate on slippery roads, but slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. When driving through deep snow, turn off the traction control system to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5 improves vehicle stability during hard stops on a slippery roads, but apply the brakes sooner than when on dry pavement. Allow greater following distance on any slippery road and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering maneuvers and braking while on ice. Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces. 4-17 Blizzard Conditions Being stuck in snow can be in a serious situation. Stay with the vehicle unless there is help nearby. If possible, use the Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-8. To get help and keep everyone in the vehicle safe: Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6. Tie a red cloth to an outside mirror. { CAUTION: Snow can trap engine exhaust under the vehicle. This may cause exhaust gases to get inside. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause unconsciousness and even death. If the vehicle is stuck in the snow: (cid:129) Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking the exhaust pipe. (cid:129) Check again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. CAUTION: (Continued) 4-18 CAUTION: (Continued) (cid:129) Open a window about two inches (5 cm) on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind to bring in fresh air. (cid:129) Fully open the air outlets on or under the instrument panel. (cid:129) Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting that circulates the air inside the vehicle and set the fan speed to the highest setting. See Climate Control System in the Index. For more information about carbon monoxide, see Engine Exhaust on page 2-30. Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking the exhaust. Run the engine for short periods only as needed to keep warm, but be careful. To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine off and close the window most of the way to save heat. (cid:129) (cid:129) Repeat this until help arrives but only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to keep warm also helps. If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then when you run the engine, push the accelerator pedal slightly so the engine runs faster than the idle speed. This keeps the battery charged to restart the vehicle and to signal for help with the headlamps. Do this as little as possible to save fuel. If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-20. If the vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to free a stuck vehicle. Refer to the vehicle’s traction system in the Index. If stuck too severely for the traction system to free the vehicle, turn the traction system off and use the rocking method. { CAUTION: If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. The vehicle can overheat, causing an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible and avoid going above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. For information about using tire chains on the vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-74. 4-19 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area around the front wheels. Turn off any traction system. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does not get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to be towed out. If the vehicle does need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-26. Loading the Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Vehicle Certiﬁcation label. { CAUTION: Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on the 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 the vehicle. 4-20 Tire and Loading Information Label The Tire and Loading Information label also lists the tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inﬂation pressures (D). For more information on tires and inﬂation, see Tires on page 5-53 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 5-60. There is also important loading information on the Certiﬁcation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle, see “Certiﬁcation Label” later in this section. Label Example A vehicle speciﬁc Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s door open, you will ﬁnd the label attached below the door lock post (striker). The Tire and Loading Information label lists the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. The vehicle capacity weight includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed options. 4-21 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 for your vehicle. If your vehicle can tow a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on page 4-28 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and trailering tips. 4-22 Example 1 Example 2 Item Description Maximum Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = Total Item 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs (317 kg) Description Maximum Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = Total 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (340 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) 4-23 driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s maximum vehicle capacity weight. Certiﬁcation Label Example 3 Item Description Maximum 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 maximum vehicle capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the 4-24 A vehicle speciﬁc Certiﬁcation label is found on the rear edge of the driver’s door. The label shows the gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo. Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. If the vehicle is going to carry a heavy load, spread it out. See “Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit” earlier in this section. { CAUTION: Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on the 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 the vehicle. Notice: Overloading your vehicle may cause damage. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not overload your vehicle. If things like suitcases, tools, packages, or

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2009 Chevrolet Impala Owners Manual