2007 Pontiac VIBE Owners Manual

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frequency. RDS stations can 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 P-TYPE button to activate program type select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY displays. 2. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY displays, press either SEEK arrow to select and to go to the PTY’s ﬁrst station. 4. To go to another station within that PTY and the PTY displays, press either SEEK arrow once. If the PTY does not display, press either SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to go to another station. 5. Press the P-TYPE button to exit program type select mode. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go back to Step 1. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio searches for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. 201 To use the PTY interrupt feature, press and hold the P-TYPE button until a beep sounds on the PTY you want to interrupt with. When selected, an asterisk displays beside that PTY on the display. Select multiple interrupts if desired. When listening to a CD, the last selected RDS station interrupts play if that selected program type format is broadcast. s SCAN t: 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 displays. 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 begins scanning the stations in the PTY. 4. Press either SCAN arrow to stop at a station. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio scans for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. 202 Alternate Frequency: Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger FM station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold AM/FM for two seconds. AF ON displays. The radio can switch to FM stations with a stronger frequency. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold AM/FM again for two seconds. AF OFF displays. The radio does not switch to stronger FM stations. Setting Preset PTYs 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 AM/FM to select FM1 or FM2. 2. Press the P-TYPE button to activate program type select mode. P-TYPE and the last selected PTY displays. 3. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until a beep sounds. When that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the PTY that was set, returns. 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! displays. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play stops during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. ALERT! is not 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 displays. Press this button to see the message. The message can display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the message displays every three seconds. To scroll through the message, press and release the INFO button. A new group of words display after every press of this button. Once the complete message displays, INFO disappears from the display until another new message is received. The last message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. The last message is shown until a new message is received or you tune to a different station. TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF displays, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned station, press this button. Brackets are displayed around TRAF and when a traffic announcement broadcasts on the tuned radio station, you will hear it. If the station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio seeks to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio stops seeking and brackets are displayed around TRAF. If no station is found that broadcast traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC displays. If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, 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 that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC displays. The radio plays the traffic announcements if the volume is low. The radio interrupts the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements and the brackets display. 203 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 displays on the CD. As each new track starts to play, the track number displays. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There can 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 219 for more information. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. 204 If a label is added to a CD, or more 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: than one CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error displays, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD CD Z: Press the LOAD side of 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. To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD button for two seconds. A beep sounds and the indicator light, located to the right of the slot, begins to ﬂash. 3. Once the light stops ﬂashing and turns green, 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 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, the radio begins to play the last CD loaded. If more than one CD has been loaded, a number for each CD displays. 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, 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 displays. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. LOAD CD Z(Eject): Press the CD eject side of this button to eject a CD(s). 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. A beep sounds and the indicator light ﬂashes while a CD is being ejected. REMOVE CD displays. The CD can be removed. 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. 205 Do not repeatedly press the CD eject button to eject a CD after trying 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. Once the player stops and the CD is ejected, remove the CD. After removing the CD, push the PWR knob off and then on again, or wait for the system to reset. This clears the CD-sensing feature and enables CDs to be loaded into the player again. { REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. FWD |(Forward): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. 206 RPT (Repeat): With the repeat setting, one track or an entire CD can be repeated. To use repeat, do the following: (cid:127) To repeat the track you are listening to, press and release the RPT button. RPT displays. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. (cid:127) To repeat the CD you are listening to, press and hold the RPT button for two seconds. RPT displays. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. RDM (Random): With the random setting, the tracks can be listened to in random order, rather than sequential order, on one CD or on all of the CDs. To use random, do one of the following: (cid:127) To play the tracks on the CD in random order, press and release the RDM button. RANDOM ONE displays. Press RDM again to turn off random play. (cid:127) To play the tracks on all of the CDs that are loaded in random order, press and hold RDM for more than two seconds. A beep sounds and RANDOM ALL displays. 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. sSEEK t: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player continues 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 displays and a beep sounds. 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 displays and a beep sounds. Use this feature to listen to 10 seconds of the ﬁrst track of each loaded CD. Press either SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning. RCL (Recall): Press this button to see how long the current track has been playing. To change the default on the display, track, and elapsed time, press the button until the desired display is shown, then hold the button until the display ﬂashes. The selected display becomes the default. AM/FM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD(s) remains inside the radio for future listening. CD AUX (Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. 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 display. If S-LIST displays, press the SONG LIST button to turn it off. 207 3. Select the desired CD by pressing the numbered pushbutton and then use the SEEK SCAN 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 sounds. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps sound to conﬁrm the track has been saved. 5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections. S-LIST FULL displays if you try to save more than 20 selections. To play the song list, press the SONG LIST button. One beep sounds and S-LIST displays. The recorded tracks begins to play in the order they were saved. Seek through the song list by using the SEEK SCAN 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 displays. 3. Press the SEEK SCAN arrows 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 sounds. After two seconds of continuously pressing the SONG LIST button, two beeps sound to conﬁrm 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. 208 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 displays. 3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more than four seconds. One beep sounds, followed by two beeps after two seconds, and a ﬁnal beep sounds after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY displays 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 sounds and S-LIST is removed from the display. CD Messages CHECK CD: If this message displays and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: (cid:127) 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 smoother, the CD should play. (cid:127) The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. (cid:127) The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. (cid:127) There could have been a problem while burning the CD. (cid:127) The label could 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. 209 Using an MP3 MP3 CD-R Disc MP3 Format If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer: (cid:127) Make sure the MP3 ﬁles are recorded on a CD-R disc. (cid:127) Make sure to ﬁnalize the disc when burning an MP3 disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once. (cid:127) Files can be recorded with a variety of ﬁxed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2. (cid:127) Do not mix standard audio and MP3 ﬁles on one disc. (cid:127) Make sure playlists have a .mp3 or .wpl extension, other ﬁle extensions might not work. (cid:127) Create a folder structure that makes it easy to ﬁnd songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less. 210 The player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles. Long ﬁle names, folder names, or playlist names can use more disc memory space than necessary. To conserve space on the disc, minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder, or playlist names. You can also play an MP3 CD that was recorded using no ﬁle folders. The system can support up to 11 folders in depth, though, keep the depth of the folders to a minimum in order to keep down the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are ignored. Root Directory The root directory is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio ﬁles, the directory is displayed as F1 ROOT. All ﬁles contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always be accessed before root folders or ﬁles. Empty Directory or Folder If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the ﬁle structure that contains only folders/ subfolders and no compressed ﬁles directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the ﬁle structure that contains compressed audio ﬁles. The empty folder does not display. No Folder When the CD contains only compressed ﬁles, the ﬁles are located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions do not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. When the CD contains only playlists and compressed audio ﬁles, but no folders, all ﬁles are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons searches playlists (Px) ﬁrst and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. Order of Play Tracks are played in the following order: (cid:127) Play begins from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst playlist. If the CD does not contain any playlists, then play begins from the ﬁrst track under the root directory. When all tracks from the root directory have played, play continues from ﬁles according to their numerical listing. After playing the last track from the last folder, play begins again at the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst folder or root directory. (cid:127) When play enters a new folder, the display does not automatically show the new folder name unless you have chosen the folder mode as the default display. See RCL later in this section for more information. The new track name displays. 211 File System and Naming The song name that displays is the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the ﬁle name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name. Track names longer than 39 characters or 3 pages are shortened. The display does not show parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the ﬁlename does not display. Preprogrammed Playlists Preprogrammed playlists which were created by WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software can be accessed, however, they cannot be edited using the radio. These playlists are treated as special folders containing compressed audio song ﬁles. Playing an MP3 Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in, and READING DISC displays. The CD should begin playing and the CD symbol displays. If you want to insert a CD with the ignition off, ﬁrst press the eject button or the RCL button. 212 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 to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. As each new track starts to play, the track number displays. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There can 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 219 for more information. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. If a label is added to a CD, or more 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: than one CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error displays, see “CD Messages” later in this section. \ 1 (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to advance at 10 times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to advance at 20 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the track. FWD and the elapsed time of the track displays. RDM 2 (Random): To repeat the tracks in the current folder or playlist, press and release this pushbutton. FOLDER RANDOM displays. Once all of the tracks in the current folder or playlist have been played, the system moves on to the next folder or playlist and plays all of the tracks in random order. To repeat the tracks on the CD, press and hold this pushbutton for two seconds. A beep sounds and DISC RANDOM displays. This feature does not work with playlists. While in random, pressing and releasing either SEEK arrow goes to the next or previous random track. Press and release this pushbutton again to turn off random play. NO RANDOM displays. # 3 (Next Folder): Press this pushbutton to go to the ﬁrst track in the next folder or playlist. If the disc contains playlists, it goes through the playlist, then the folders. Pressing this button while in folder random mode takes you to the next folder and randomizes the tracks in that folder. This function does not work on a CD that does not contain folders or playlists. 213 w SEEK x: Press the up arrow to go to the start of the next track. Press the down arrow to go to the start of the previous track. Pressing either arrow for more than two seconds searches the previous or next tracks at two tracks per second. When the desired track number displays, release the arrow to stop searching and to play the track. TUNE: Turn this knob to fast track reverse or advance through tracks in all folders or playlists. The track number and ﬁle name appears on the display for each track. Turn this knob while in random to fast track reverse or advance the tracks in sequential order. 4 s (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to reverse at 10 times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 20 times the normal playing speed. Release this pushbutton to play the track. REV and the elapsed time of the track appears on the display. If this pushbutton is pressed for more than 20 seconds, the radio stops reversing and begins to play. 6 ! (Previous Folder): Press this pushbutton to go to the ﬁrst track in the previous folder or playlist. If the disc contains playlists, it goes through the playlist, then the folders. Pressing this pushbutton while in folder random mode takes you to the previous folder and randomizes the tracks in that folder. This function does not work on a CD that does not contain folders or playlists. 214 RCL (Recall): Push this button to switch between track mode, folder, or playlist mode, and time of day mode. The display shows only 13 characters, but there can be up to three pages of text. If there are more than 13 characters in the song, folder, or playlist name pushing this button within two seconds takes you to the next page of text. If there are no other pages to be shown, pushing this button within two seconds takes you to the next display mode. Track mode displays the current track number and the ID3 tag song name. Folder/playlist mode displays the current folder or playlist number and the folder/playlist name. Time of day mode displays the time of day and the ID3 tag song name. To change the default on the display, push this button until you see the desired display, then hold this button for two seconds. The radio produces one beep and the selected display is now the default. INFO (Information): INFO displays whenever a current track has ID3 tag information. Press this button to display the artist name and album contained in the tag. INFO disappears from the display when the information in the ID3 tag has ﬁnished. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD remains inside the radio for future listening. CD AUX (Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. The CD symbol displays when a CD is loaded. Z (Eject): Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs can be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this button is pressed ﬁrst. 215 XM Radio Messages Condition Action Required Loss of signal These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). XL on the radio display, after the channel name, indicates content with explicit language. Updating encryption code The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. The system is functioning correctly, but the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™ signal. When the vehicle moves into an open area, the signal should return. The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. This channel is not currently in service. Tune to another channel. This previously assigned channel is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station was one of the presets, choose another station for that preset button. No artist information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. Acquiring channel audio (after a four second delay) Artist Name/Feature not available Channel no longer available Channel not in service Radio Display Message XL (Explicit Language Channels) Updating No Signal Loading XM CH Off Air CH Unavail No Info 216 Radio Display Message No Info No Info No Info Not Found XM Locked Radio ID Unknown Chk XMRcvr Condition Song/Program Title not available Category Name not available No Text/Informational message available No channel available for the chosen category Theft lock active Radio ID label (channel 0) Radio ID not known (should only be if hardware failure) Hardware failure Action Required No song title information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No category information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. The XM™ receiver in the vehicle could have previously been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM™ receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this message is received after having your vehicle serviced, check with the servicing facility. If tuned to channel 0, this message alternates with the XM™ Radio eight digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there could be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer. If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver could have a fault. Consult with your dealer. 217 Radio Reception Frequency interference and static during normal radio reception can occur 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 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 gives the best sound, but FM signals reach 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. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or tunnels can cause loss of the XM™ signal for a period of time. The radio could display NO XM SIGNAL to indicate interference. 218 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 antenna base located on the roof of the vehicle. If tightening is required, tighten by hand. XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build up for clear radio reception. A vehicle with a sunroof might not get the best performance from the XM™ system if the sunroof is open. Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere with the performance of the XM™ system. Make sure the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is not obstructed. 219 ✍ NOTES 220 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ............................................ 222 Defensive Driving ...................................... 222 Drunken Driving ........................................ 223 Control of a Vehicle .................................. 226 Braking ...................................................... 226 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .................. 227 Braking in Emergencies ............................. 229 Traction Control System (TCS) .................. 230 StabiliTrak® System ................................... 231 Panic Brake Assist .................................... 231 Steering .................................................... 232 Off-Road Recovery .................................... 234 Passing ..................................................... 235 Loss of Control .......................................... 237 Driving at Night ......................................... 238 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ............ 239 City Driving ............................................... 242 Freeway Driving ........................................ 243 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .................. 244 Highway Hypnosis ..................................... 245 Hill and Mountain Roads ........................... 246 Winter Driving ........................................... 248 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .......................................... 252 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out ........... 253 Loading Your Vehicle ................................ 253 Towing ........................................................ 259 Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 259 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...................... 259 Towing a Trailer ........................................ 261 221 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 18. 222 {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: (cid:127) 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: (cid:127) The amount of alcohol consumed (cid:127) The drinker’s body weight (cid:127) The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking (cid:127) The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol 223 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. 224 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. 225 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. 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 272. Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 166. 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. 226 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 272. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. United States Canada If your vehicle has ABS, this warning light on the instrument panel will come on brieﬂy when you start your vehicle. When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal. If there is a problem with ABS, the anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 167. 227 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. 228 As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. If your vehicle has the vehicle stability control system, it includes a brake assist system which provides more powerful braking during a sudden, hard brake application. See “Vehicle Stability Control System” under Traction Control System (TCS) on page 230. 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 a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. However, if you do not have ABS, your ﬁrst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic. If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This will help you retain steering control. If you do have ABS, it is different. See Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 227. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. 229 Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle may have a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front brakes and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. Leave the system on during ordinary driving so that it can operate when needed. When the ignition is turned to ON, the system automatically turns on. This light should come on brieﬂy when you start the engine. If it stays on or comes on while you are driving, there is a problem with your traction control system. 230 The TRAC OFF button is located to the left of the steering wheel below the instrument panel cluster. When getting the vehicle out of mud or newly fallen snow, turn off the traction control system. The system that controls engine performance interferes with the process of freeing the front wheels. To turn off traction control, press the TRAC OFF button. The traction control system warning light will come on. The vehicle stability control system (StabiliTrak®) is always activated, even when the traction control system is turned off. To turn the traction control system back on, press the TRAC OFF button again. The traction control system warning light will go off. See Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 168 for more information. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 272 for more information. StabiliTrak® System Your vehicle may have this feature. The StabiliTrak® system helps provide integrated control of the systems such as anti-lock brake system, traction control and engine control. This system automatically controls the brakes and engine to help prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on a slippery road surface or turning the steering wheel abruptly. This system will activate when your vehicle speed reaches or exceeds 9 mph (15 km/h), and will deactivate when the vehicle speed reduces to below 9 mph (15 km/h). You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that the system is in the self-check mode, but does not indicate a malfunction. If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the traction control system warning light will blink and an alarm will sound intermittently. Adjust your driving accordingly. This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the traction control system or StabiliTrak®. Panic Brake Assist Your vehicle has a panic brake assist system that monitors the intention of the driver while braking. If the system senses that the driver has applied hard/fast pressure to the brake pedal, the system will generate additional pressure, making it easier for the driver to maintain brake application. When this happens the brake pedal will feel easier to push. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let the system work for you. You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise but this is normal. The brakes will return to normal operation after the brake pedal has been released. The brake assist system becomes operational after the vehicle has accelerated to a speed in excess of approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). It stops operating when the vehicle decelerates to a speed below approximately 3 mph (5 km/h). 231 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 apply the brakes. Both control systems — steering and braking — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. The same thing can happen if you are steering through a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems — steering and acceleration — can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. 232 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 272. 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 — but, unless you have anti-lock brakes, not enough to lock your wheels. See Braking on page 226. 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. 233 Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your vehicle’s 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. 234 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: (cid:127) 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. (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. 235 (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) 236 (cid:127) 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. (cid:127) 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. (cid:127) Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems — brakes, steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are 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. 237 (cid:127) 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. (cid:127) (cid:127) 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. If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have ABS, then in a braking skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. 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 the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. (cid:127) Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. 238 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 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. Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads 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. 239 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 windshield 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 the brake pedal lightly until the 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. 240 If you drive too quickly through Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through the engine’s air intake and badly damage the 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: (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. {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: 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 322. 241 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. (cid:127) Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 243. (cid:127) 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. 242 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. 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. 243 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? (cid:127) Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? (cid:127) Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? (cid:127) 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? 244 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 rearview 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. (cid:127) 245 If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, the brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let the engine assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. 246 {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. The 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 the engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (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. (cid:127) Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better. (cid:127) Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. (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. 247 Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 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: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle. Also see Tires on page 322. 248 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. Unless you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do have ABS, see Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 227. This system improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether you have ABS or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can. 249 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. Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. (cid:127) Whatever your braking system, allow greater 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 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. 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: (cid:127) Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. (cid:127) 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 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. 250 You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. {CAUTION: Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You 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 check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. 251 You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. If 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 transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning the wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting the transaxle back and forth, you can destroy the transaxle. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 253. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 341. 252 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, or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning 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. Or, you can use the recovery hook. If your vehicle does need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 259. Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Certiﬁcation 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. 253 Tire and Loading Information Label Label Example A vehicle speciﬁc Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s door open you will ﬁnd the label attached below the door lock post (striker). The Tire and Loading Information label shows the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. 254 This weight includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed options. The Tire and Loading Information label also shows the tire size of the original equipment tires (C), and the recommended cold tire inﬂation pressures (D). For more information on tires and inﬂation see Tires on page 322 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 329. There is also important loading information on the Certiﬁcation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle. See “Certiﬁcation Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs. 4. The resulting ﬁgure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be ﬁve 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400 − 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs). 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. If your vehicle can tow a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on page 261 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and trailering tips. Example 1 Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) x 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs (317 kg) 255 Example 2 Example 3 Item Description Total Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) x 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (340 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) x 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 0 lbs (0 kg) 256 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,

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2007 Pontiac VIBE Owners Manual