2007 GMC Savana Owners Manual

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foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. 208 1 PREV (Previous): Press this pushbutton to go to the beginning of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. TRACK and the track number appears on the display. If this pushbutton is held or pressed more than once, the player continues moving backward through the CD. 2 NEXT: Press this pushbutton to go to the next track. TRACK and the track number appears on the display. If this pushbutton is held or pressed more than once, the player continues moving forward through the CD. 3 REV (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to quickly reverse within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to reverse at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. ET and the elapsed time of the track appears on the display. 4 FWD (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to quickly advance within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to advance at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. ET and the elapsed time of the track appears on the display. 6 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ON appears on the display. RDM T and the track number appears on the display when each track starts to play. Press this pushbutton again to turn off random play. RDM OFF appears on the display. ©SEEK ¨: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current or to the previous track. Press the right arrow to go to the start of the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player continues moving backward or forward through the CD. 209 Z(Eject): Press this button to stop a CD when it is playing or to eject a CD when it is not playing. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this button is pressed ﬁrst. If the CD is not removed after 25 seconds, the CD automatically pulls back into the player. If the CD is pushed back into the player, before the 25 second time period is complete, the player senses an error and tries to eject the CD several times before stopping. Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD after you have tried to push it manually. The player’s 25-second eject timer resets at each press of eject, causing the player to not eject the CD until the 25-second time period has elapsed. ©SCAN ¨: Press and hold either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows for more than two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio goes to the next track, plays for 10 seconds, then goes to the next track. Press either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows again, to stop scanning. INFO (Information): Press this knob to see how long the current track has been playing. ET and the elapsed time appears on the display. To change the default on the display, track or elapsed time, press the knob until you see the desired display, then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio produces one beep and the selected display is now the default. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD remains safely inside the radio for future listening. TAPE DISC: Press this button to play a cassette tape or CD when listening to the radio. The inactive tape or CD remains safely inside the radio for future listening. 210 CD Messages If 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. • You are driving on a very rough road. 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 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 the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. Radio with Six-Disc CD Playing the Radio PWR (Power): Push this knob to turn the system on and off. o VOLUME p: Turn this knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or to decrease the volume. INFO (Information): When the ignition is off, press this knob to display the time. 211 For RDS, press the INFO knob to change what appears on the display while using RDS. The display options are station name, RDS station frequency, PTY, and the name of the program (if available). To change the default on the display, press the INFO knob until you see the desired display, then press and hold the knob until you hear a beep. The selected display is now the default. AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume): With automatic volume, the audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive by increasing the volume as vehicle speed increases. Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to select MIN, MED, or MAX. AUTO VOL appears on the display. Each higher setting provides more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. To turn automatic volume off, press this button until AUTO VOL OFF appears on the display. 212 Finding a Station BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, or AM. The display shows the selection. oTUNE p: Turn this knob to select radio stations. ©SEEK ¨: Press either the SEEK or the TYPE arrows to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio only seeks stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. ©SCAN ¨: Press and hold either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows for two seconds until SCN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows for more than four seconds. PSC appears on the display and you will hear a double beep. The radio goes to a preset station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next preset station. Press either the SCAN or the TYPE arrows again to stop scanning presets. The radio only scans stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. Setting Preset Stations Up to 18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that was set returns for that pushbutton. 5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. To store an equalization setting to a preset station perform the following: 1. Tune to the preset station. 2. Press and release the AUTO EQ button to select the equalization setting. Once the equalization no longer appears on the display, the equalization is set for that preset station. 3. To resave the preset, press and hold the preset button until a beep is heard. Setting the Tone (Bass/Middle/Treble) AUDIO: Push and release the AUDIO knob until BASS, MID, or TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or to decrease. The display shows the bass, midrange, or treble level. If a station is weak or has static, decrease the treble. To adjust the bass, midrange, and treble to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio produces one beep and adjusts the display level to the middle position. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker controls are displayed. ALL CENTERED appears on the display and you will hear a beep. AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press this button to select customized equalization settings designed for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical. To return to the manual mode, press the AUTO EQ button until CUSTOM appears on the display. Then manually adjust the bass, midrange, and treble using the AUDIO knob. 213 Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. To adjust the fade between the front and rear speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until FAD appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. The fade feature may not be available on all radio systems. To adjust the balance or fade to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob while BAL or FAD is displayed. The radio produces one beep and adjusts the display level to the middle position. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob while no tone or speaker controls are displayed. ALL CENTERED appears on the display and you will hear a beep. 214 Radio Data System (RDS) The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. With RDS, the radio can do the following: • Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming • Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies • Display messages from radio stations This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information from these stations and only works when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that causes the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters appear on the display instead of the frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast. Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station To select and ﬁnd a desired PTY perform the following: 1. Press the TYPE button to activate program type select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY appears on the display. 2. Turn the TYPE knob or press and release the TYPE button to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press either the TYPE or the SEEK arrows to select and to take you to the PTY’s ﬁrst station. 4. To cancel the seek, press any of the TYPE or SEEK arrows. This also exits the program type seek mode and returns to the last tuned station. SCAN: Scan the stations within a PTY by performing the following: 1. Press the TYPE button to activate program type select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY appears on the display. 2. Turn the TYPE knob or press and release the TYPE button to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and hold either the TYPE or the SCAN arrows for two seconds, and the radio begins scanning the stations in the PTY. 4. Press either the TYPE or the SCAN arrows to stop scanning. 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 appears on the display. The radio may switch to stations with a stronger frequency. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF appears on the display. The radio does not switch to other stations. 215 Setting Preset PTYs (RDS Only) These pushbuttons have factory PTY presets. Up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Press BAND to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press the TYPE button to activate program type select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY appears on the display. 3. Turn the TYPE knob or press and release the TYPE button to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the PTY that was set returns. 5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. RDS Messages INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, INFO appears 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 entire message is not displayed, parts of the message appears every three seconds. To scroll through the message, press and release the INFO button. A new group of words appears on the display after every press of this button. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO disappears from the display until another new message is received. The last message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view the last message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to. 216 Radio Messages CAL ERR (Calibration Error): The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL ERR appears on the display, it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for the vehicle and must be returned to your dealer for service. LOCKED: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up. Take the vehicle to your dealer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly, or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. Playing a CD If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD 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. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol appears on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number appears on the display. 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. 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. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see Care of Your CDs on page 226 for more information. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. 217 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. Notice: If you add any label to a CD, insert more than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the CD player. When 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 appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD: Press this button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player holds up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and release the LOAD button. 3. Wait for the indicator 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 pulls the CD in. 218 To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and the indicator light, located to the right of the slot, begins to ﬂash and MULTI LOAD # appears on the display. 3. Once the light stops ﬂashing and turns green, INSERT CD # appears on the display, load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. Once the CD is loaded, the indicator light begins 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 ﬁnished loading CDs, press the LOAD button to cancel the loading function. The radio begins to play the last CD loaded. If more than one CD has been loaded, a number for each CD appears on the display. Playing a Speciﬁc Loaded CD For every CD loaded, a number appears on the display. To play a speciﬁc CD, ﬁrst press the CD AUX button (if not already in CD mode), then press the numbered pushbutton that corresponds to the CD. A small bar appears under the CD number that is playing and the track number appears on the display. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. CD Z(Eject): Press this button to eject CD(s). To eject the CD that is currently playing, press and release this button. To eject multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Press and hold the CD eject button for ﬁve seconds. You will hear a beep and the indicator light, located to the right of the slot, begins to ﬂash and EJECT ALL appears on the display. 2. Once the light stops ﬂashing, REMOVE CD # appears on the display. The CD ejects and can be removed. Once the CD is removed, the indicator light begins ﬂashing again and another CD ejects. To stop ejecting the CDs, press the LOAD or the eject button. If the CD is not removed, after 25 seconds, the CD automatically pulls back into the player. If CD is pushed back into the player, before the 25 second time period is complete, the player senses an error and tries to eject the CD several times before stopping. Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD after you have tried to push it in manually. The player’s 25-second eject timer resets at each press of eject, causing the player to not eject the CD until the 25-second time period has elapsed. 219 { REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. The elapsed time of the track appears on the display. Release the button to play the passage. FWD |(Forward): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. The elapsed time of the track appears on the display. Release the button to play the passage. RPT (Repeat): With repeat, one track or an entire CD can be repeated. To use repeat, do the following: • To repeat the track you are listening to, press and release the RPT button. RPT appears 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 appears on the display. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. 220 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 appears 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 appears on the display. Press RDM again to turn off random play. AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization): Press AUTO EQ to select the equalization setting while playing a CD. The equalization is stored whenever a CD is played. For more information on AUTO EQ, see “AUTO EQ” listed previously in this section. ©SEEK ¨: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track (if more than 10 seconds have played), or to go to the previous track (if less than 10 seconds have played). Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player continues moving backward or forward through the CD. ©SCAN ¨: 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 goes to the next track, plays for 10 seconds, then goes 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. Use this feature to listen to 10 seconds of the ﬁrst track of each loaded CD. Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning. INFO (Information): 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 desired display, then press and hold the knob until the radio beeps. The selected display is now the default. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD(s) remains safely inside the radio for future listening. 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 or TYPE right arrow to locate the track to be saved. The track begins to play. 4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed, one beep will sound. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps will sound to conﬁrm the track has been saved. 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections. 221 S-LIST FULL appears 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 sound and S-LIST appears on the display. The recorded tracks begins to play in the order they were saved. Seek through the song list by using the SEEK or TYPE arrows. Seeking past the last saved track returns 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 appears on the display. 3. Press either SEEK or TYPE 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, one beep will sound. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps will sound 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 is added to the end of the list. 222 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 appears on the display. 3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more than four seconds. One beep will sound, followed by two beeps after two seconds, and a ﬁnal beep will sound after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY appears on the display indicating 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 sound and S-LIST is removed from the display. CD Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the display 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. • You are driving on a very rough road. 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 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 the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. Theft-Deterrent Feature (Non-RDS Radios) THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your vehicle’s 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, the radio will not operate if stolen. Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios) THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your vehicle’s 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, the radio will not operate if stolen. 223 Radio Reception You may experience frequency interference and static during normal radio reception if items such as cellphone 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 will 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 your radio. FM Stereo FM stereo will give 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 fade in and out. 224 Care of the 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. The tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. The radio may display CLEAN to indicate that the tape player has been used for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears on the display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. If there is 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 the 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 will be active again. A non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head can be used. 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 the player is cleaned, 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 the tape player is serviced. 225 Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them 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 will not play properly or not at all. 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. 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. Care of the CD Player Do not use CD lens cleaners for CD players because the lens of the CD optics can become contaminated by lubricants. Fixed Mast Antenna The ﬁxed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it. Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn. Chime Level Adjustment The radio is used to adjust the vehicle’s chime level. To change the volume level of the chime, press and hold pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power off. The volume level will change from the normal level to loud, and LOUD will appear on the radio display. To change back to the default or normal setting, press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The volume level will change from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL will appear on the radio display. 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. 226 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle .... 228 Defensive Driving ...................................... 228 Drunken Driving ........................................ 229 Control of a Vehicle .................................. 232 Braking ...................................................... 232 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .................. 233 Braking in Emergencies ............................. 235 Locking Rear Axle ..................................... 235 StabiliTrak® System ................................... 235 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System .................. 238 Steering .................................................... 239 Off-Road Recovery .................................... 241 Passing ..................................................... 241 Loss of Control .......................................... 243 Driving at Night ......................................... 244 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ............ 245 City Driving ............................................... 248 Freeway Driving ........................................ 249 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .................. 250 Highway Hypnosis ..................................... 251 Hill and Mountain Roads ........................... 252 Winter Driving ........................................... 254 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow ................................. 258 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out ........... 258 Loading Your Vehicle ................................ 259 Towing ........................................................ 264 Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 264 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...................... 264 Towing a Trailer ........................................ 266 227 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 17. 228 {CAUTION: Defensive driving really means “Be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or expressways, 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 and be ready. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do these things, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. 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 • Muscular Coordination • Vision • 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 229 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 most 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. 230 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. 231 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. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 286. Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 175. 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 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 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, 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. 232 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 may not have time to cool between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If the 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. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 286. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine and begin to drive away, ABS 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 ABS, this warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 176. 233 ABS 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. 234 As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: ABS 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 ABS. Using ABS 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 ABS, 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 anti-lock 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 that it is working properly. 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 2 miles (3.2 km) of driving before the system initializes. 235 The following chart describes the StabiliTrak® not ready light and the StabiliTrak® indicator light. StabiliTrak® Not Ready Light StabiliTrak® Indicator Light Meaning Off Off Off On On Off Flashing On Off Flashing StabiliTrak® is enabled, but not active. The traction control is not active. StabiliTrak® is active, or the traction control is active. StabiliTrak® is disabled due to system fault. When on after restarting, the vehicle needs to be serviced. StabiliTrak® is disabled due to system initialization or the driver has disabled with switch. StabiliTrak® is not initialized and not disabled. The traction control is active. For more information, see StabiliTrak® Not Ready Light on page 177 and StabiliTrak® Indicator Light on page 177. 236 Pressing and holding the StabiliTrak® button located on the instrument panel for more than ﬁve seconds can turn off StabiliTrak® and part of the traction control system. For your safety, the system can only be disabled when the vehicle speed is less than 20 mph (32 km/h). You will hear three chimes and the StabiliTrak® not ready light will come on. To turn on the StabiliTrak® system, press the StabiliTrak® button again. StabiliTrak® will automatically turn back on when the vehicle speed exceeds 20 mph (32 km/h). You will hear one chime and the StabiliTrak® not ready light will turn off. When the StabiliTrak® system has been turned off you may still hear system noises as a result of the brake-traction control coming on. 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. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 258. StabiliTrak® System Operation The StabiliTrak® system is normally on, except when the system is initializing or has been disabled with the StabiliTrak® button. The StabiliTrak® system will automatically activate to assist the driver in maintaining vehicle directional control in most driving conditions. When activated, the StabiliTrak® system may reduce engine power to the wheels and apply braking to individual wheels as necessary to assist the driver with vehicle directional control. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system activates, the StabiliTrak® indicator light on the instrument panel will ﬂash, and the cruise control will automatically disengage. When the StabiliTrak® system is no longer active, you may re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control on page 151. 237 When this happens you may notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration. This is normal. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 286 for more information. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, your engine’s driving power is sent to all four wheels for extra traction when needed. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle. It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for road conditions. You may experience a brief vehicle vibration upon acceleration when driving in slippery conditions. This is normal and is an indication that the all-wheel drive system is functioning properly. The StabiliTrak® system 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. 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. 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. 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. 238 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 It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly 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. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 286. 239 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 cannot; 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 232. 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. 240 An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: • Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. 241 • 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. • 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. • 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. 242 • 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. • Check your vehicle’s 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 vehicle’s inside mirror, activate the right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your vehicle’s passenger side 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. • 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. 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 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 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. 243 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. • Drive defensively. • Do not drink and drive. • Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. • Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. • Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your vehicle’s 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. 244 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Keep the 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 the 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 the 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. Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot 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. 245 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 ﬂuid reservoir 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. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They may 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. 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 cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. 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. 246 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 cannot 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. (Continued) CAUTION: CAUTION: (Continued) 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 • 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. • Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 340. 247 Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: • 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 249. • 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. City Driving 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. 248 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. 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. 249 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: • Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? • Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? • Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? 250 • 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? • Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? • Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? 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: • Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. • 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. • 251 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. • 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. {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. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. 252 • 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. • 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. • 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. {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. • 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. • 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. 253 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 the tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between the 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. Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: • Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. • You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle. Also see Tires on page 340. 254 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. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 233. • Allow greater following distance on any slippery road. • 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 cannot reach, such as 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. 255 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. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. If You Are Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: • Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. • Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. • Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you do not have 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. 256 You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. 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. {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 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 pipe and/or the fuel operated heater exhaust system, if equipped. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. If your vehicle has a diesel engine and a fuel operated heater, see “Fuel Operated Heater (FOH)” in the diesel engine supplement. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. 257 If Your Vehicle is 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 vehicle’s 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 the wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting the transmission back and forth, you can destroy the transmission. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 359. Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn the steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around the 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 the wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to be towed out. If your vehicle does need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 264. 258 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 was designed to carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Certiﬁcation/Tire label. {CAUTION: Do not load your 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 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. Tire and Loading Information Label Label Example A vehicle speciﬁc Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the 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 shows the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. 259 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 266 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and trailering tips. The Tire and Loading Information label also shows the 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 340 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 348. There is also important loading information on the vehicle Certiﬁcation/Tire 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/Tire Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX 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. 260 Example 1 Example 2 Item Description Total Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs (317 kg) Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (136 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) 261 Certiﬁcation/Tire Label Example 3 Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 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. 262 A vehicle speciﬁc Certiﬁcation/Tire label is found on the rear edge of the driver’s door. The label shows the size of your vehicle’s 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. 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 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (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. {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. 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.

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2007 GMC Savana Owners Manual