steering BUICK RAINIER 2007 Owner's Guide

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 282
Defensive Driving...................................... 282
Drunken Driving........................................ 283
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 286
Braking...................................................... 286
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 287
Braking in Emergencies............................. 289
Locking Rear Axle..................................... 289
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 289
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 293
Steering.................................................... 294
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 296
Passing..................................................... 296
Loss of Control.......................................... 298
Off-Road Driving........................................ 299
Driving at Night......................................... 314Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 316
City Driving............................................... 319
Freeway Driving........................................ 320
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 321
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 322
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 323
Winter Driving........................................... 325
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 329
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 330
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 330
Towing........................................................ 337
Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 337
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 337
Electronically Controlled Air Suspension
System.................................................. 337
Towing a Trailer........................................ 339
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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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. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 356.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 186.
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.
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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 rmly 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
Your vehicle may have this feature. A 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
Your vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak®,
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which combines
antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
Traction control activates when the controller
senses wheel spin. StabiliTrak
®will selectively
apply the brakes and reduce engine torque to help
regain traction.
Stability control activates when the controller
senses a discrepancy between your intended
path and the direction the vehicle is travelling.
StabiliTrak
®selectively applies braking pressure at
any one of the vehicle’s brakes to help guide
the vehicle in the direction which you are steering.
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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.
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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. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 356.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more
effective than braking. For example, you come
over a hill and nd 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.
SeeBraking on page 286. 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.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.
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Off-Road Recovery
You may nd 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.
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Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not
ashing, 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.
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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.Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
all-wheel drive. If your vehicle does not have
all-wheel drive, you should not drive off-road
unless you are on a level, solid surface.
Many of the same design features that help make
your vehicle responsive on paved roads during
poor weather conditions — features like all-wheel
drive — help make it much better suited for
off-road use. Its higher ground clearance also
helps your vehicle step over some off-road
obstacles. But your vehicle does not have features
like special underbody shielding and a transfer
case low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe off-road
service.
Also, seeBraking on page 286.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some denite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
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Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different
kinds of terrain. You need to be familiar with
the terrain and its many different features.
Here are some things to consider.
Surface Conditions:Off-roading can take you
over hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow, or ice. Each of these surfaces
affects the steering, acceleration, and braking of
your vehicle in different ways. Depending upon the
kind of surface you are on, you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction, and longer braking
distances.Surface Obstacles:Unseen or hidden obstacles
can be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you if you are not prepared for
them. Often these obstacles are hidden by
grass, bushes, snow, or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly
up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
There is more discussion of these subjects
later.
Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain,
keep a rm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts,
troughs, or other surface features can jerk the
wheel out of your hands if you are not prepared.
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Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill,
you need to take some special steps.
Use a low gear and get a rm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to
maintain your speed. Do not use more power
than you need, because you do not want
your wheels to start spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to
nd another route.
{CAUTION:
Turning or driving across steep hills can
be dangerous. You could lose traction,
slide sideways, and possibly roll over.
You could be seriously injured or killed.
When driving up hills, always try to go
straight up.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the
top of the hill.
Attach a ag to the vehicle to make you more
visible to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the
hill to let opposing traffic know you are there.
Use your headlamps, even during the day.
They make you more visible to oncoming traffic.
{CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full
speed can cause an accident. There could
be a drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be seriously
injured or killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
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