brakes SATURN VUE 2007 Owners Manual

Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an
automatic transaxle shift lock control system.
You have to fully apply your regular brakes rst
and then press the shift lever button before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever and push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift
lever button and move the shift lever into another
gear. SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on page 121.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage the
transaxle. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of
snow, ice or sand without damaging your transaxle,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or
Snow on page 276.NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while the engine is running
at high speed may damage the transaxle.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not running
at high speeds when shifting your vehicle.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving with
the automatic transaxle. It provides the best fuel
economy for your vehicle. If you need more power
for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator all the way down.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 245.
INTERMEDIATE (I):This position is also used
for normal driving. However, it reduces vehicle
speed without using your brakes for slight
downgrades where the vehicle would otherwise
accelerate due to steepness of grade. If constant
upshifting or downshifting occurs while driving up
steep hills, this position can be used to preventrepetitive types of shifts. You might choose
INTERMEDIATE (I) instead of DRIVE (D) when
driving on hilly, winding roads and when towing
a trailer, so that there is less shifting between
gears.
LOW (L):This position reduces vehicle speed
more than INTERMEDIATE (I) without actually
using your brakes. You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever
is put in LOW (L), the transaxle will not shift into
LOW (L) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking
brake to hold the vehicle in place.
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Then, see if you can move the shift lever away
from PARK (P) without rst pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift
your transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl in the transaxle. You may nd
it difficult to pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into PARK (P)
properly before you leave the driver’s seat.
To nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle) on page 120.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever
out of PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking
brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to
have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to
take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transaxle, then you will be able to pull
the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift
lock control system. You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition is in RUN. SeeAutomatic
Transaxle Operation on page 114.
To shift out of PARK (P):
1. Apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Then press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired gear.
If you are still unable to shift out of PARK (P):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal,
press the shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from
PARK (P), consult your dealer.
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Shift Interlock By-Pass
Use the following steps, if for some reason the
shifter is not released when you apply the brake,
or if service or towing requires the car to be
shifted out of PARK (P) without running the engine.
1. Apply and maintain the regular brakes.
2. Turn the ignition to the ACC (Accessory)
position. SeeIgnition Positions on page 109
for more information.
3. Then, move the shift lever into NEUTRAL (N).
The vehicle can now be started normally.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle)
Before leaving your vehicle, fully press the clutch
pedal in, move the shift lever into REVERSE (R),
and rmly apply the parking brake. Once the
shift lever has been placed in REVERSE (R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn
the ignition key to LOCK, remove the key,
and release the clutch.
SeeManual Transaxle Operation on page 117.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Do not park over papers, leaves,
dry grass, or other things that can burn.
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Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when
you are not using cruise, you might hit a
button and go into cruise when you do not
want to. You could be startled and even
lose control. Keep the cruise control switch
off until you want to use cruise control.
The cruise control
buttons are located on
the steering wheel.
J(On/Off):Press this button to turn the cruise
control system on and off. There is a indicator
light on the button that will come on when cruise
control is active.
RES+ (Resume):Press this button to resume a
set speed and to accelerate the speed.
SET−(Set):Press this button to set a speed and
to decrease the speed.
[(Cancel):Press this button to cancel
cruise control.
To set a speed do the following:
1. Press the on/off symbol to turn cruise control
on. The indicator light on the button will
come on.
2. Get to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET−button and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
When the brakes are applied, the cruise control
shuts off.
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired
speed and then you apply the brakes. This
will disengage the cruise control. The indicator
light on the cruise control button will go out when
the cruise is no longer engaged. To return to
the previously set speed, press the RES+ button
briey when the vehicle has reached a speed
of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more.
This will take you back up to your previously
selected speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
Disengage the cruise control, but do not turn
it off.
If the cruise control system is already
engaged, press the RES+ button. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the button. To increase your
speed in very small amounts, press the RES+
button briey and then release it. Each time
you do this, the vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is already engaged,
Push and hold the SET−button until you reach
the lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
SET−button briey. Each time you do this, you
will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal,
the vehicle will slow down to the cruise control
speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on
hills depends upon your speed, load, and the
steepness of the hills. When going up steep hills,
you may have to step on the accelerator pedal
to maintain the vehicle’s speed.
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When going downhill, you may have to brake
or shift to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed
down. Of course, applying the brakes ends
cruise control. Many drivers nd this to be too
much trouble and do not use cruise control
on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to disengage the
cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal or clutch; when
cruise control disengages, the indicator light
on the cruise control button will go out.
Press the on/off button, this will turn off the
cruise control system.
Press the cancel button.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the
ignition, your cruise control set speed memory is
erased.
Headlamps
The exterior lamp control is located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):Turn the control
with this symbol on it to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has the following
three positions:
AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this
position to put the headlamps in automatic mode.
AUTO mode will turn the exterior lamps on
and off depending upon how much light is
available outside of the vehicle.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts. If one part is not working, the
other part can still work and stop you. For good
braking, though, you need both parts working well.
If the brake system warning light comes on,
there is a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.
The brake light is located in the instrument
panel cluster.
This light should come on briey when you turn
the ignition key to RUN. If it does not come
on then, have it xed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake light will come
on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on if your parking brake does not releasefully. A chime will also sound if the parking brake
is not fully released and the vehicle is moving.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
The brake light will also come on to indicate a
low brake uid level. SeeBrakes on page 343
for more information.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off
the road and stop carefully. You may notice that the
pedal is harder to push or the pedal may go closer
to the oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is
still on, have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing Your Vehicle on page 284.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light
is on. Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you have pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
United StatesCanada
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Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, the anti-lock
brake system (ABS) warning light will come
on briey, as a check, when you start your vehicle.
If it does not, have your vehicle serviced so that
the light works properly when it needs to.
The ABS light is located
in the instrument panel
cluster, to the left of
the engine coolant
temperature gage.
If the light stays on longer than a few seconds
after you start your engine, or comes on and stays
on while you are driving, try resetting the system.To reset the system, do the following:
1. If you are driving, pull over when it is safe
to do so.
2. Be sure the vehicle is in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Then restart the engine.
If the light remains on after resetting the system
or comes on again while driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the ABS light is on, but the
regular brake system warning light is not on, the
anti-lock brakes are not working properly, but
the regular brakes are still functioning. Have your
vehicle serviced right away. If both brake lights
are on, you do not have anti-lock brakes, and
there’s a problem with your regular brakes as well.
Have your vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 284.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should
come on briey when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
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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. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 238.
Adding non-Saturn accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 304.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 170.
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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