steering GMC ACADIA 2007 Owner's Guide

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-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 385.
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 the brakes. SeeBraking
on page 334. 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 vehicle’s 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 nothingin 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 the 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.
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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 an outside convex
mirror makes the vehicle you just passed
seem farther away from you than it really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before
passing the next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are
not ashing, it might 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.
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The three types of skids correspond to your
vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly
enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow
down on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance is 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 might not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice,
or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you have any
doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.
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The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 335.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne 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 can 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:
Turn on the hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets
or extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
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Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear
the area around the front wheels. Turn the
traction control part of the StabiliTrak
®System off.
SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 337. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. By slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions,
you will cause a rocking motion that could free
your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out
after a few tries, it might need to be towed
out. If your vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 367.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and the Certication/Tire
label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
361

Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow your front-wheel-drive vehicle from the
front with two wheels on the ground:
1.
Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2.Move the shift lever to PARK (P).
3.Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4.Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a clamping device designed
for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs would not
be covered by the warranty. Never have your
vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear.
370

Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a
good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can
return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left,
just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to come in
contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal. Do this so your trailer
won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal asher and/or extra wiring.
Check with your dealer/retailer. The arrows
on your instrument panel will ash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked
up, the trailer lamps will also ash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the
bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers behind you are seeing your signal
when they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
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Service........................................................ 385
Accessories and Modications................... 385
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 386
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 386
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...................................... 387
Fuel............................................................. 387
Gasoline Octane........................................ 388
Gasoline Specications.............................. 388
California Fuel........................................... 388
Additives................................................... 389
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 390
Filling the Tank......................................... 390
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 393
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 394
Hood Release........................................... 395
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 396
Engine Oil................................................. 397
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 400
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 402
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 404
Engine Coolant.......................................... 406
Radiator Pressure Cap.............................. 410
Engine Overheating................................... 410Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..................................... 412
Cooling System......................................... 413
Power Steering Fluid................................. 419
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 420
Brakes...................................................... 421
Battery...................................................... 424
Jump Starting............................................ 425
All-Wheel Drive........................................... 430
Headlamp Aiming........................................ 431
Bulb Replacement....................................... 432
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting..... 432
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 432
License Plate Lamp................................... 433
Replacement Bulbs................................... 433
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 434
Tires............................................................ 435
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 436
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 439
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 442
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 444
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 448
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 450
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
383

A. Radiator Pressure Cap (Out of View).
SeeRadiator Pressure Cap on page 410.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Cap. SeeCooling
System on page 413.
C. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse
Block on page 493.
D. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump
Starting on page 425.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower
Steering Fluid on page 419.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine
Oil” underEngine Oil on page 397.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 397.
H. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick.
See “Checking the Fluid Level” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 404.
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake
Fluid” underBrakes on page 421.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 402.
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir.
See “Adding Washer Fluid” under
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 420.Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine oil every time
you get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading,
the oil must be warm and the vehicle must be
on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 396
for the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil
several minutes to drain back into the oil
pan. If you do not do this, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper
towel or cloth, then push it back in all the
way. Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.
397