warning SATURN VUE HYBRID 2007 Owner's Guide

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water
and one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will
not damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant
mixture, you do not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant
mixture, your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost would not be
covered by your warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times
a year, have your retailer check your cooling
system.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or
additives in your vehicle’s cooling system,
you could damage your vehicle. Use only the
proper mixture of the engine coolant listed
in this manual for the cooling system.
SeeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 401for more information.
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{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on
hot engine parts. Coolant contains
ethylene glycol, and it will burn if the
engine parts are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Notice:If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and possible engine
damage may occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
If you need to replace your coolant surge tank
pressure cap, see your retailer.
Engine Overheating
You will nd a coolant temperature warning light
on the vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light on page 172.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can
burn you badly, even if you just open
the hood. Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming from it.
Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch re.
You or others could be badly burned.
Stop your engine if it overheats, and get
out of the vehicle until the engine is cool.
Notice:If your engine catches re because
you keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle
can be badly damaged. The costly repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
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If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning, but see or
hear no steam, the problem may not be too
serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it is on,
turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest
fan speed and open the windows as
necessary.
3. Try to minimize engine load. If you are in a
traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise,
shift to the highest gear possible while driving.If you no longer have the overheat warning,
you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for
about ten minutes. If the warning does not come
back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues and you have not
stopped, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle
right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, you can idle the
engine for three minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off the engine
and get everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get
service help right away.
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{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and
crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts. Use the recommended coolant and
the proper coolant mixture.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on
hot engine parts. Coolant contains
ethylene glycol and it will burn if the
engine parts are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
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Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
lled with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 296for the
location of the reservoir.
The brake master cylinder reservoir is located
under the engine cover. To access the reservoir,
pull up on the engine cover and lift it off the engine.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst is that
the brake uid goes down to an acceptable level
during normal brake lining wear. When new linings
are put in, the uid level goes back up. The other
reason is that uid is leaking out of the brake
system. If it is, you should have your brake system
xed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes will not work well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your linings are worn, then you will
have too much uid when you get new brake
linings. You should add or remove brake uid,
as necessary, only when work is done on
the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has too much brake uid, it
can spill on the engine. The uid will burn
if the engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your
brake warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 169.
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Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum
brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the
brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you
are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied
or lightly applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to Saturn
torque specications.
Your rear drum brakes do not have wear
indicators, but if you ever hear a rear brake
rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings
inspected immediately. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time
the tires are removed for rotation or changing.
When you have the front brake pads replaced,
have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
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Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your
brakes adjust for wear. If you rarely make a
moderate or heavier stop, then your brakes might
not adjust correctly. If you drive in that way,
then — very carefully — make a few moderate
brake stops about every 1,000 miles (1 600 km),
so your brakes will adjust properly.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality and work
well together if the vehicle is to have really
good braking. Your vehicle was designed and
tested with top-quality brake parts. When you
replace parts of your braking system — for
example, when your brake linings wear down and
you need new ones put in — be sure you get
new approved Saturn replacement parts. If you do
not, your brakes may no longer work properly.
For example, if someone puts in brake linings
that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance
you have come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 322for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
Your vehicle has a standard 12-volt battery
and a 36-volt hybrid battery system.
12-Volt Battery
When it is time for a new standard 12-volt battery,
get one that has the replacement number
shown on the original battery’s label. We
recommend an ACDelco
®replacement battery.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform to
federal safety requirements and additional General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half (1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart signicantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
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Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on a
specied indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning:The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underination, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The tires and wheels on your vehicle were aligned
and balanced carefully at the factory to give you
the longest tire life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and tire
balancing will not be necessary on a regular basis.
However, if you notice unusual tire wear or your
vehicle pulling to one side or the other, the
alignment may need to be checked. If you notice
your vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, your tires and wheels may need to be
rebalanced. See your retailer for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly
rusted or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts should be replaced. If the wheel leaks air,
replace it (except some aluminum wheels,
which can sometimes be repaired). See your
retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
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A rear blow out, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction
you would use in a skid. In any rear blow out,
remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Get the vehicle under control by steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes at, avoid further tire and wheel
damage by driving slowly to a level place
and stopping. Then do this:
1. Turn on the hazard warning ashers.
2. Park your vehicle. Set the parking brake
rmly and put the shift lever in PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 122
for additional information.
3. Turn off the engine.
4. Inspect the at tire.
If the tire has been separated from the wheel or
has damaged sidewalls or large tears that
allow rapid air loss, call a tire repair facility.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 413.If the at tire is due to a slow leak caused by a
nail or other similar road hazard, the tire inator kit
may be used to repair the damaged tire
temporarily. The kit uses a liquid tire sealant to
seal small punctures in the tread area of the tire.
After repairing a tire with the tire inator kit,
take your vehicle to an authorized retailer to have
the tire inspected and repaired as soon as
possible. The tire sealant is a temporary repair
only. SeeTire Inator Kit on page 358.
Tire Inator Kit
Your vehicle has a tire inator kit. There is no jack
or spare tire. The kit uses a liquid tire sealant
and air at the same time to seal small punctures
in the tread area of the tire. Be sure to read
and follow all of the tire inator kit instructions.
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