2004 GMC Savana Owners Manual

If both P-TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. To use the PTY interrupt feature, press and hold the P-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you want to interrupt with. When selected, an asterisk will appear beside that PTY on the display. You may select multiple interrupts if desired. When you are

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listening to a CD, the last selected RDS station will interrupt play if that selected program type format is broadcast.

SCAN: You can scan the stations within a PTY by performing the following: 1. Press the P-TYPE button to activate program type

select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY will appear on the display.

2. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and hold

either SCAN arrow, and the radio will begin scanning the stations in the PTY.

4. Press either SCAN arrow to stop at a station. If both P-TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will scan for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements.

BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations.

To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations.

Setting Preset PTYs The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite PTYs. These buttons have factory PTY presets. You can set up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Press BAND to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press the P-TYPE button to activate program type

select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY will appear on the display.

3. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered

pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the PTY you set will return.

5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. RDS Messages

ALERT!: Alert warns of local or national emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements.

ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations.

INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc.

If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message at your own speed, press the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on the display with each press. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view an old message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to.

TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF appears on the display, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned station, press this button. Brackets will be displayed around TRAF and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it.

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If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press this button and the radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, the radio will stop and brackets will be displayed around TRAF. When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If no station is found, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display.

If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, you can then press the TRAF button to remove the brackets or use the TUNE knob or the SEEK arrows to go to a station that supports traffic announcements. If no station is found, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display.

Your radio will also interrupt the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements and the brackets are displayed. Playing a CD The CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R the sound quality may 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. You may experience an

increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD CD Z: Press the LOAD side of this button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player will hold up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and release the LOAD side of the LOAD CD

button.

3. Wait for the light, located to the right of the slot, to

turn green.

4. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot,

label side up. The player will pull the CD in.

When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the display. If you select an equalization setting for your CD, it will be activated each time you play a CD. The CD will begin to play automatically.

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As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD side of the LOAD CD

button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and the light, located to the right of the slot, will begin to flash and LOAD ALL will appear on the display.

3. Once the light stops flashing and turns green, load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the CD in. Once the CD is loaded, the light will begin flashing again. Once the light stops flashing and turns green you can load another CD. The CD player takes up to six CDs. Do not try to load more than six.

To load more than one CD but less than six, complete Steps 1 through 3. When you have finished loading CDs, with the radio on or off, press the LOAD side of the LOAD CD button to cancel the loading function. The radio will begin to play the last CD loaded. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the display. If more than one CD has been loaded, a number for each CD will be displayed. If you select an equalization setting for your CD, it will be activated each time you play a CD.

The last CD loaded will begin to play automatically. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. Playing a Specific Loaded CD For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the display. To play a specific CD, first press the CD AUX button, then press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to the CD you want to play. A small bar will appear under the CD number that is playing, and the track number will appear on the display. If an error appears on the radio display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD CD Z (Eject): Press the CD eject side of this button to eject a single CD or multiple CDs. To eject the CD that is currently playing, press and release this button. To eject multiple CDs, press and hold this button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and the light will flash to let you know when a CD is being ejected.

REMOVE CD will appear on the display. You can now remove the CD. If the CD is not removed, after 25 seconds, the CD will be automatically pulled back into the receiver. If you try to push the CD back into the receiver, before the 25 second time period is complete, the receiver will sense an error and will try to eject the CD several times before stopping.

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Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD after you have tried to push it in manually. The receivers 25-second eject timer will reset at each press of eject, which will cause the receiver to not eject the CD until the 25-second time period has elapsed.

Once the player stops and the CD is ejected, remove the CD. After removing the CD, press the PWR knob off and then on again. This will clear the CD-sensing feature and enable CDs to be loaded into the player again. { REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release the button to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. FWD | (Forward): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release the button to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display.

RPT (Repeat): With repeat, you can repeat one track or an entire CD. To use repeat, do the following:

To repeat the track you are listening to, press and release the RPT button. RPT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. To repeat the CD you are listening to, press and hold the RPT button for two seconds. RPT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play.

RDM (Random): With random, you can listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order, on one CD or on all of the CDs. To use random, do one of the following:

To play the tracks on the CD you are listening to in random order, press and release the RDM button. RANDOM ONE will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn off random play. To play the tracks on all of the CDs that are loaded in random order, press and hold RDM for more than two seconds. You will hear a beep and RANDOM ALL will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn off random play.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press AUTO EQ to select the equalization setting while playing a CD. The equalization will be automatically set whenever you play a CD. For more information on AUTO EQ, see “AUTO EQ” listed previously in this section. sSEEK t: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have passed. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you hold either arrow or press it more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD. sSCAN t: To scan one CD, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio will go to the next track, play for 10 seconds, then go on to the next track. Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning.

To scan all loaded CDs, press and hold either SCAN arrow for more than four seconds until CD SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio will go to the next track, play for 10 seconds, then go on to the next track. Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning.

RCL (Recall): Press this knob to see how long the current track has been playing. To change the default on the display (track or elapsed time), press the knob until you see the display you want, then hold the knob until the display flashes. The selected display will now be the default.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD(s) is playing.

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Using Song List Mode The six-disc CD changer has a feature called song list. This feature is capable of saving 20 track selections. To save tracks into the song list feature, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on and load it with at least one CD. See “LOAD CD” listed previously in this section for more information.

2. Check to see that the CD changer is not in song list

mode. S-LIST should not appear on the display. If S-LIST is present, press the SONG LIST button to turn it off.

3. Select the desired CD by pressing the numbered

pushbutton and then use the SEEK SCAN right arrow button to locate the track that you want to save. The track will begin to play.

4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed a beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of continuously pressing SONG LIST, two beeps will sound to confirm that the track has been saved.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections. S-LIST FULL will appear on the display if you try to save more than 20 selections.

To play the song list, press the SONG LIST button. One beep will be heard and S-LIST will appear on the display. The recorded tracks will begin to play in the order that they were saved. You may seek through the song list by using the SEEK SCAN arrows. Seeking past the last saved track will return you to the first saved track. To delete tracks from the song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

3. Press either SEEK SCAN arrow to select the

desired track to be deleted.

4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for two seconds. When SONG LIST is pressed a beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps will be heard to confirm that the track has been deleted.

After a track has been deleted, the remaining tracks are moved up the list. When another track is added to the song list, the track will be added to the end of the list.

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To delete the entire song list, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the CD player on. 2. Press the SONG LIST button to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more

than four seconds. A beep will be heard, followed by two beeps after two seconds and a final beep will be heard after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY will appear on the display indicating that the song list has been deleted.

If a CD is ejected, and the song list contains saved tracks from that CD, those tracks are automatically deleted from the song list. Any tracks saved to the song list again are added to the bottom of the list. To end song list mode, press the SONG LIST button. One beep will be heard and S-LIST will be removed from the display.

CD Messages

CHECK CD: If this message appears on the display, it could be for one of the following reasons:

It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play.

(cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the

road becomes smooth, 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 may have been a problem while burning the CD. The label may be caught in the CD player.

If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Theft-Deterrent Feature (Non-RDS Radios) THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not operate and LOC will appear on the display. With THEFTLOCK® activated, your radio will not operate if stolen.

Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios) THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not operate and LOCKED will appear on the display. When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK® is armed. With THEFTLOCK® activated, your radio will not operate if stolen.

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 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.

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 may cause failure of the tape player.

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Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLEAN 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 dealer. When cleaning the cassette tape player with the recommended non-abrasive cleaning cassette, it is possible that the cassette may eject, because the cut tape detection feature on your radio may recognize it as a broken tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from being ejected, use the following steps: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Turn the radio off.

3. Press and hold the TAPE DISC button for five

seconds. READY will appear on the display and the cassette symbol will flash for five seconds. 4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette. 5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s

recommended cleaning time.

When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the cut tape detection feature is active again. 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 indicator. The radio will display --- or CLEANED 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.

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Chime Level Adjustment The radio is the vehicle chime producer. The chime is produced from the driver’s side front door speakers. To change the volume level, press and hold pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power off. The chime volume level will change from the normal level to loud, and LOUD will be displayed on the radio. To change back to the default or normal setting, press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The chime level will change from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL will be displayed. Each time the chime volume is changed, three chimes will sound to indicate the change. Removing the radio and not replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will disable vehicle chimes.

Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD 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 CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.

Care of Your CD Player 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 mechanism.

Fixed Mast Antenna The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent, you can straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, you should replace it. Check occasionally to be sure the mast is still tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.

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Section 4

Driving Your Vehicle

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2
Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving .............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-6
Braking .........................................................4-6
Locking Rear Axle ..........................................4-9
Stabilitrak® System .........................................4-9
Steering ......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-13
Passing .......................................................4-14
Loss of Control .............................................4-15
Driving at Night ............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-18

City Driving ..................................................4-21
Freeway Driving ...........................................4-22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-23
Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-24
Winter Driving ..............................................4-26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,

Ice or Snow ..............................................4-30
Towing ..........................................................4-31
Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-31
Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-31
Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-31
Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-37

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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle

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 1-9. 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.

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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.

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(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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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 Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine and 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. This is normal.

If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-29.

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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 front wheel and at both rear wheels.

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As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

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 the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking.

Locking Rear Axle If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.

Stabilitrak® System If your vehicle has Stabilitrak®, it 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 insure 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). In some cases, it may take approximately two miles of driving before the system initializes.

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The following chart describes the Stabilitrak® Not Ready Light and the Stabilitrak® Indicator Light.

Stabilitrak® Not Ready Light

Stabilitrak® Indicator Light

Meaning

Off Off On

On/Off

Off

Flashing

Off On

Stabilitrak® is enabled, but not active.

Stabilitrak® is enabled and active.

Stabilitrak® is disabled.

Vehicle needs to be serviced.

For more information, see Stabilitrak® Not Ready Light on page 3-33 and Stabilitrak® Indicator Light on page 3-33.

Stabilitrak® and part of the traction control system can be turned off or back on by pressing the Stabilitrak® button located on the instrument panel.

When the Stabilitrak® system has been turned off you may still hear system noises as a result of the brake-traction control coming on.

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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. Traction Control Operation The traction control system is part of the Stabilitrak® system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing engine power to the wheels (engine speed management) and by applying brakes to each individual wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary. Notice: Allowing the wheel of one axle to spin excessively while the STABILITRAK NOT READY light is on due to heavy braking and/or because the traction control system has been continuously active, may cause damage to the transfer case. This could lead to costly repairs not covered by your warranty. Do not allow the wheel of one axle to spin excessively while the STABILITRAK NOT READY light is on.

If the brake-traction control system activates constantly or if the brakes have heated up due to high speed braking, the brake-traction control will be automatically disabled. The system will come back on after the brakes have cooled. This can take up to two minutes or longer depending on brake usage. If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin Notice: excessively while the traction off, ABS, STABILITRAK NOT READY and brake warning lights are displayed, you could damage the transfer case. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights are displayed. The traction control system may activate on dry or rough roads or under conditions such as heavy acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the transmission. When this happens you may notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration. This is normal. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system activates, a Stabilitrak® indicator light will appear on the instrument panel 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” under Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8.

Stabilitrak® may also turn off automatically if it determines that a problem exists with the system. If the problem does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.

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.

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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 4-6. 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.

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 accelerate. Both control systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the 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.

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Off-Road Recovery You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving.

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.

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.

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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.

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(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) (cid:127) (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.

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.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) 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. 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. Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.

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Driving at Night

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.

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.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads

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. 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.

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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.

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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 if 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. 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 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 5-51.

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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 4-22. 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.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) 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.

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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. 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?

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(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) 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.

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Hill and Mountain Roads

Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling terrain. 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) (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. 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 transmission, 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.

(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.

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Winter Driving

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 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. 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 will have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very careful.

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.

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Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow — drive with caution. 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. Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See Braking on page 4-6. (cid:127) 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 is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can not 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 are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.

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What is 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 is 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.

If You Are Caught in a Blizzard

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow.

(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.

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.

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) {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 (or batteries) charged. You will need a well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. 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.

4-29

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 do not want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as “rocking” can help you get out when you are 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 transmission 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 transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-66. Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around your front wheels. 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 transmission 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 does not 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 on page 4-31.

4-30

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.

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 known as a “dolly”). 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.

Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed, it should be placed on a platform trailer.

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.

4-31

Tire and Loading Information Label

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 5-51
and Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-59. 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.

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.

4-32

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 of your vehicle. See Towing a Trailer on page 4-37 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and trailering tips.

Example 1

Loading Your Vehicle

Item

Description

Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight =

Total

1,000 lbs (453 kg)

300 lbs (136 kg)

700 lbs. (317 kg)

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Example 2

Example 3

Loading Your Vehicle

Loading Your Vehicle

Item

Description

Total

Item

Description

Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight =

1,000 lbs (453 kg)

750 lbs (136 kg)

250 lbs. (113 kg)

Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight =

Total

1,000 lbs (453 kg)

1000 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.

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Certification/Tire Label

The Certification/Tire label is found on the rear edge of the driver’s door. 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 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 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.

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{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) Do not leave an unsecured child restraint

in your vehicle.

(cid:127) When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it whenever you can.

(cid:127) Do not leave a seat folded down unless

you need to.

Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the GAWR for either the front or rear axle. And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.

{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.

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Payload The Payload Capacity is shown on the Certification/Tire label. This is the maximum load capacity that your vehicle can carry. Be sure to include the weight of the people inside as part of your load. If you added any accessories or equipment after your vehicle left the factory, remember to subtract the weight of these things from the payload. Your dealer can help you with this. Add-On Equipment When you carry removable items, you may need to put a limit on how many people you carry inside your vehicle. Be sure to weigh your vehicle before you buy and install the new equipment.

Towing a Trailer

{CAUTION:

If you do not 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. To identify the trailering capacity of your vehicle, you should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this section.

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If yours was built with trailering options, as many are, it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in handling, durability and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be used properly. That’s the reason for this part. 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. 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’ll 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) Don’t 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, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.

(cid:127) See also “Driving on Grades” later in this section. Three important considerations have to do with weight:

the weight of the trailer, the weight of the trailer tongue and the weight on your vehicle’s tires.

Tow/Haul Mode Tow/haul is designed to assist while your vehicle is pulling a large or heavy load or trailer. Tow/haul is most useful while pulling such a load in rolling terrain, in stop-and-go traffic, or when you need improved low-speed control, such as when parking. The purpose of the tow/haul mode is to: (cid:127) Reduce the frequency and improve the predictability

of transmission shifts, provide the same solid shift feel when pulling a heavy load as when the vehicle is unloaded, and improve control of vehicle speed while requiring less throttle pedal activity.

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(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Press this button located to the right of the steering wheel on the instrument panel to turn tow/haul mode on and off.

While activated, the indicator light on the instrument panel will be on.

Tow/haul mode will turn off automatically when the ignition is turned off. See Tow/Haul Mode Light on page 3-36. Tow/haul is most effective when the vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least 75% of the vehicle’s Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). See “Weight of the Trailer” later in this section. Driving with tow/haul activated without a heavy load will cause reduced fuel economy and unpleasant engine and transmission driving characteristics, but will not cause damage. Weight of the Trailer How heavy can a trailer safely be? 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.

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The following chart shows how much your trailer can weigh, based upon vehicle model and options.

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

4300 V6

5300 V8

3.42
3.42
3.73

Maximum Trailer Weight G1500 Cargo Van 2WD 4,400 lbs. (1 996 kg)

6,600 lbs. (2 994 kg)

GCWR

9,500 lbs. (4 309 kg)

12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

5300 V8

3.42
3.73

Maximum Trailer Weight H1500 Cargo Van AWD

GCWR

6,600 lbs. (2 994 kg)

12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

4300 V6

5300 V8

3.42
3.42
3.73

Maximum Trailer Weight G1500 Passenger Van 2WD

4,000 lbs. (1 814 kg)

6,400 lbs. (2 903 kg)

GCWR

9,500 lbs. (4 309 kg)

12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight H1500 Passenger Van AWD

GCWR

5300 V8

3.42
3.73

6,200 lbs. (2 812 kg)

12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg)

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Vehicle

Axle Ratio

4300 V6

4800 V8

5300 V8

6000 V8

3.73
3.73
4.10
3.73
3.73
4.10

Maximum Trailer Weight G2500 Cargo Van 2WD 4,700 lbs. (2 132 kg) 6,400 lbs. (2 903 kg) 7,400 lbs. (3 357 kg) 6,600 lbs. (2 994 kg) 8,400 lbs. (3 810 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

5300 V8

3.73

Maximum Trailer Weight H2500 Cargo Van AWD 6,400 lbs. (2 903 kg)

GCWR

9,500 lbs. (4 309 kg) 12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg) 13,000 lbs. (5 897 kg) 12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg) 14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

GCWR

12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G2500 Cargo Van 2WD Long Wheelbase

4300 V6

4800 V8

5300 V8

6000 V8

3.73
3.73
4.10
3.73
3.73
4.10

4,500 lbs. (2 041 kg) 6,300 lbs. (2 858 kg) 7,300 lbs. (3 311 kg) 6,500 lbs. (2 948 kg) 8,200 lbs. (3 719 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)

10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg) 12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg) 13,000 lbs. (5 897 kg) 12,000 lbs. (5 443 kg) 14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

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Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G2500 Passenger Van 2WD Short Wheelbase

6000 V8

3.73
4.10

7,900 lbs. (3 583 kg) 9,900 lbs. (4 491 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G2500 Passenger Van 2WD Long Wheelbase

6000 V8

3.73
4.10

7,500 lbs. (3 402 kg) 9,500 lbs. (4 309 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G3500 Cargo Van 2WD Short Wheelbase

6000 V8

3.73
4.10

8,300 lbs. (3 765 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

6000 V8

G3500 Cargo Van 2WD Long Wheelbase

3.73
4.10

8,100 lbs. (3 674 kg) 10,000 lbs. (4 536 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg)

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Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G3500 Passenger Van 2WD Short Wheelbase

6000 V8

3.73
4.10

7,800 lbs. (3 538 kg) 9,800 lbs. (4 445 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg

Vehicle

Axle Ratio

Maximum Trailer Weight

GCWR

G3500 Passenger Van 2WD Long Wheelbase

6000 V8

3.73
4.10

7,400 lbs. (3 357 kg) 9,400 lbs. (4 264 kg)

14,000 lbs. (6 350 kg) 16,000 lbs. (7 257 kg

The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and trailer including any passengers, cargo equipment and conversion. The GCWR for your vehicle should not be exceeded.

You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or you can write us at the address listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance Information Booklet. In Canada, write to:

General Motors of Canada Limited Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7

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