steering GMC ENVOY 2002 User Guide
Page 135 of 429
2-73
The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Exterior Lamp Controls
B. Air Vents
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
D. Comfort Control Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
E. Instrument Panel Cluster
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
G. Ignition Switch
H. Audio System
I. Comfort ControlsJ. Hood Release
K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Steering Wheel
Controls (If Equipped)
L. Transfer Case Controls (If Equipped)
M. Shift Lever
N. Lighter
O. Accessory Power Outlets
P. Parking Brake
Q. Rear Window Washer/Wiper
R. Rear Window Defogger
S. Glove Box
Page 153 of 429
2-91
Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn't go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
Low Fuel Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on briefly
when you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. See ªFuelº in
the Index.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(If Equipped)
The DIC display is located on the instrument panel
cluster above the steering wheel. The DIC can display
information such as the trip odometer, fuel economy and
personalization features.
A.Trip Information: This button will display the
odometer, trip odometer and the timer.
B.Fuel Information: This button will display the
current range, average fuel economy, instant fuel
economy and engine oil life.
C.Personalization: This button will change personal
options available on your vehicle.
D.Select: This button resets certain functions and turns
off or acknowledges messages on the DIC.
Page 168 of 429
3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-7 Air Conditioning
3
-8 Heating
3
-8 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-9 Rear Window Defogger
3
-11 Ventilation System
3
-13 Audio Systems
3
-13 Setting the Clock
3
-13 AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
with Radio Data System (RDS) and Automatic
Tone Control
3
-22 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data
System (RDS) and Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)3
-33 AM-FM Stereo with 6-Disc Compact Disc
Player with Programmable Equalization and
Radio Data System (RDS) (If Equipped)
3
-45 Rear Seat Entertainment System (RSE)
(If Equipped)
3
-57 Rear Seat Audio (If Equipped)
3
-58 Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios
3
-59 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
3
-59 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-60 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-61 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-62 Care of Your Compact Disc and DVD Player
3
-62 Care of Your Compact Discs and DVDs
3
-62 Cleaning the Video Screen
3
-63 Diversity Antenna System
3
-63 Chime Level Adjustment
Page 179 of 429
3-12
Ventilation Tips
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction such as leaves. The heater and
defroster will work better, reducing the chance of
fogging your windows.
In cool damp weather, minimize your use of
recirculation to reduce the chance of fogging
your windows.
When you enter a vehicle with the standard system
in cold weather, select floor mode to supply air
through the floor outlets. Then turn the fan on high
for a few moments before driving away. This will
blow moist air from the intake outlets toward the
floor, not the windshield. It reduces the chance of
fogging your windows. If you have the electronic
system, the AUTO setting will do this for you.
Manual operation of the electronic system in the
floor mode will also supply air through the
floor outlets.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.Comfort Control Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, you can control
certain comfort control
functions using the buttons
on your steering wheel.
(Fan): Press the up arrow to increase the fan speed
and the down arrow to decrease the fan speed.
(Temperature): Press the up arrow to increase the
temperature of the air flowing through the system and
the down arrow to decrease the temperature of the air
flowing through the system.
Page 226 of 429
3-59 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, certain radio
functions can be operated
by using the controls on
your steering wheel.
AM/FM: Press this control to tune to the next radio
station. When playing a cassette tape or compact disc,
press AM/FM to switch to the radio.
(Program): Press this control to tune to a higher
preset radio station. When playing a cassette tape, press
program to hear the other side of a tape that is playing.
When using the CD changer, this control will seek to the
next selection.
(Volume): Press the up or down arrow to increase
or decrease volume.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines.
Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you
ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
Understanding DVD Distortion
You may experience audio distortion in the IR
headphones when operating cellular phones, scanners,
CB radios, Global Position Systems (GPS)*, two
-way
radios, mobile fax, or walkie talkies.
It may be necessary to turn off the DVD player when
operating one of these devices in or near the vehicle.
* Excludes the OnStar
System.
Page 231 of 429
4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions.
We've also included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Traction Assist System (TAS)
(Two
-Wheel Drive Only)
4
-11 Steering
4
-13 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-15 Loss of Control
4
-16 Off-Road Driving with Your
Four
-Wheel-Drive Vehicle4
-30 Driving at Night
4
-32 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-35 City Driving
4
-36 Freeway Driving
4
-37 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-38 Highway Hypnosis
4
-38 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-40 Winter Driving
4
-44 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-47 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-50 Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment
4-50 Towing a Trailer
Page 236 of 429
4-6
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're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Page 239 of 429
4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't 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 won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel the
brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Assist System (TAS)
(Two
-Wheel Drive Only)
Your vehicle has a Traction Assist System (TAS) 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 rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
The LOW TRAC light next to the button will come on
when the TAS is limiting wheel spin. You may hear or
feel the system working, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you may
notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal and
doesn't mean there's a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard acceleration
in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of the
transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re
-engage the cruise control. See
ªCruise Controlº in the Index. When the TRAC OFF
light on the button is on, the TAS is off and will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
Page 241 of 429
4-11
3. Apply the brake pedal, press the accelerator pedal to
the floor and then press the TAS on/off button and
hold it down for at least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
The next time you start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the
TAS is set to come on automatically or not, you can
always turn the system on or off by pressing the TAS
on/off button.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here's 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's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll 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're in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you're 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. Refer to ªTraction Assist
Systemº in the Index.
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'll want to go slower.
Page 242 of 429
4-12
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 ªdriveº 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.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. 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.