wheel SATURN VUE 2006 Owner's Manual

Keeping your mind on the drive is important for safe
driving. For more information, seeDefensive Driving
on page 4-3.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls if the vehicle has them.
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
retailer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone units. If sound equipment
can be added, it is very important to do it properly.Added sound equipment may interfere with the
operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other
systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s
systems may interfere with the operation of sound
equipment that has been added.
Notice:The chime signals related to safety belts,
parking brake, and other functions of your vehicle
operate through the radio/entertainment system.
If that equipment is replaced or additional equipment
is added to your vehicle, the chimes may not
work. Make sure that replacement or additional
equipment is compatible with your vehicle before
installing it. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.
Notice:Getting suntan lotion, hand lotion, or
hand cleaner on the radio, will soften the paint,
and the paint will eventually begin to peel. Repairs
will not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.
Try not to get suntan lotion, hand lotion, or hand
cleaner on the radio. If you do, wipe the lotion
or cleaner off immediately.
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4(Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service, MP3,
and RDS Features):Press the information button
to display additional text information related to the
current FM-RDS or XM™ station, or MP3 song.
A choice of additional information such as: Channel,
Song, Artist, CAT may appear. Continue pressing
the information button to highlight the desired label,
or press the pushbutton positioned under any one of
the labels and the information about that label will
be displayed.
When information is not available, No Info will appear
on the display.
Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to your
favorite stations using the presets, favorites button, and
steering wheel controls (if equipped). SeeDefensive
Driving on page 4-3.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the six pushbuttons
positioned below the radio station frequency labels and
by using the radio favorites page button (FAV button).
Press the FAV button to go through up to six pages
of favorites, each having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped) stations.To store a station as a favorite, perform the
following steps:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where
you want the station stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six pushbuttons until you
hear a beep. Whenever that pushbutton is pressed
and released, the station that was set will return.
4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton radio station
you want stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites pages can be setup using the
MENU button. To setup the number of favorites
pages, perform the following steps:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the pushbutton located below the
FAV 1-6 label.
3. Select the desired number of favorites pages by
pressing the pushbutton located below the
displayed page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out,
to return to the original main radio screen showing
the radio station frequency labels and to begin
the process of programming your favorites for the
chosen amount of numbered pages.
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Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls
can be adjusted at
the steering wheel.
They include the
following:
xw:Press the up or the down arrow to go to the
next or to the previous radio station and stay there.
The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal
that are in the selected band.
To scan stations, press and hold either arrow for
two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and
you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play
for a few seconds, then go on to the next station.
Press either arrow again to stop scanning.When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow
to go to the next or previous track.
To scan the current CD, press and hold either up or
down arrow for more than two seconds. The CD will go
to the next track, play the rst 10 seconds, then go
on to the next track. Press either up or down arrow
again to stop scanning.
To scan all of the CDs loaded, press and hold either
up or down arrow for more than four seconds. The
CD will go to the next CD, play the rst 10 seconds of
each track, then go on to the next CD. Press either up
or down arrow again to stop scanning.
+−(Volume):Press the plus or minus button to
increase or to decrease the volume.g(Mute):Press this button to silence the system.
Press this button again, to turn the sound on.
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Driver Behavior..............................................4-2
Driving Environment........................................4-2
Vehicle Design...............................................4-3
Defensive Driving...........................................4-3
Drunken Driving.............................................4-4
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-7
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-8
Braking in Emergencies.................................4-10
Traction Control System (TCS).......................4-10
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-11
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Off-Road Driving...........................................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-30Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-31
City Driving..................................................4-33
Freeway Driving...........................................4-34
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-35
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-35
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-36
Winter Driving..............................................4-38
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-42
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-42
Recovery Hook.............................................4-43
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-44
Towing..........................................................4-48
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-48
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-48
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-52
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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Vehicle Design
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
utility vehicles have a signicantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. Utility vehicles do
have higher ground clearance and a narrower track or
shorter wheelbase than passenger cars, to make
them more capable for off-road driving. Specic design
characteristics like these give the driver a better
view of the road, but also give utility vehicles a higher
center of gravity than other types of vehicles. This
means that you should not expect a utility vehicle to
handle the same way a vehicle with a lower center
of gravity, like a car, would in similar situations.
But driver behavior factors are far more often the cause
of a utility vehicle rollover than are environmental or
vehicle factors. Safe driver behavior and understanding
the environment in which you will be driving can help
avoid a rollover crash in any type of vehicle, including
utility vehicles.
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. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-12.
{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.
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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.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will
come on briey when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your 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.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 wheel.
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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.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: ABS 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 a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some
noise, but this is normal.
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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 rst
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. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 4-8.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
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 reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. SeeLow Traction
Light on page 3-35. You
may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
on page 4-42andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-42for more information.
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If your vehicle is equipped
with the 2.2L L4 engine,
the traction control system
can be turned off by
pressing the traction
control button. It is located
on the instrument panel
above the audio system.
If your vehicle is equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine,
the traction control system will be turned off when the
shift lever is in REVERSE (R) or LOW (L). The traction
control system warning light will be displayed on the
instrument panel. SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light on page 3-34for more information.
The traction control system can be activated again
by pressing the traction control button for the
2.2L L4 engine, or by selecting DRIVE (D) or
INTERMEDIATE (I) for the 3.5L V6 engine.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press
the button, the system will not turn off until there is no
longer a current need to limit wheel spin. You can
turn the system back on at any time by pressing the
button again. If the traction control warning light does
not come on, you may not have traction control and
your vehicle should be serviced at a retailer.
Adding non-Saturn accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications on
page 5-3for more information.All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD
system operates automatically without any action
required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin
to slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to
drive the vehicle as required. There may be a slight
engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.
During heavy AWD applications, the engine torque
may be reduced to protect AWD system components.
If the vehicle is exposed to extended heavy AWD usage,
the AWD system will shut itself off to protect the
system from overheating. When the system cools down,
the AWD system will activate itself again automatically;
this cool-down can take up to 20 minutes depending
on outside temperature and vehicle use.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the engine stalls while you are driving, the power
steering assist system will continue to operate until
you are able to stop your vehicle. If you lose power
steering assist because the electric power steering
system is not functioning, you can steer, but it will
take more effort.
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If you turn the steering wheel in either direction several
times until it stops, or hold the steering wheel in the
stopped position for an extended amount of time, you
may notice a reduced amount of power steering assist.
The normal amount of power steering assist should return
shortly after a few normal steering movements.
The electric power steering system does not require
regular maintenance. If you suspect steering system
problems and/or the Service Vehicle Soon light comes
on, contact your retailer for service repairs.
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. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-10.
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.
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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