ESP SATURN VUE HYBRID 2009 Owner's Manual

Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static
can occur during normal radio
reception if items such as cell phone
chargers, vehicle convenience
accessories, and external electronic
devices are plugged into the
accessory power outlet. If there is
interference or static, unplug the item
from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at
night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with
each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations
boost the power levels during the
day, and then reduce these levels
during the night. Static can also
occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio
reception. When this happens, try
reducing the treble on the radio.
FM Stereo
FM signals only reach about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Although the radio has a built-in
electronic circuit that automatically
works to reduce interference,
some static can occur, especially
around tall buildings or hills, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service gives
digital radio reception from
coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada.
Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills
can interfere with satellite radio
signals, causing the sound to fade
in and out. In addition, traveling
or standing under heavy foliage,
bridges, garages, or tunnels
may cause loss of the XM signal for
a period of time.
Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause
interference with the vehicle’s radio.
This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls,
charging the phone’s battery,
or simply having the phone on. This
interference causes an increased
level of static while listening to
the radio. If static is received while
listening to the radio, unplug the
cellular phone and turn it off.
Instrument Panel 3-83
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Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle...........4-1
Driver Behavior...................4-2
Driving Environment............4-2
Vehicle Design...................4-2
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy...........................4-3
Defensive Driving................4-3
Drunk Driving.....................4-4
Control of a Vehicle............4-4
Braking...............................4-5
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)...................4-6
Braking in Emergencies......4-6
StabiliTrak®System............4-7
Traction Control
System (TCS)...................4-8
Steering..............................4-9
Off-Road Recovery............4-10
Passing.............................4-11
Loss of Control.................4-11
Driving at Night.................4-12
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads......................4-13
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip........................4-14
Highway Hypnosis.............4-14
Hill and Mountain
Roads.............................4-14
Winter Driving...................4-15
If Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
...........................4-17
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out.......................4-17
Loading the Vehicle..........4-18
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........4-22
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................4-23
Towing a Trailer................4-26
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle
Whenever we drive, we are taking
on an important responsibility.
This is true for any motor
vehicle — passenger car, van,
truck, sport utility. Driver behavior,
the driving environment, and
the vehicle’s design all affect how
well a vehicle performs. But
statistics show that the most
important factor, by far, is how
we drive.
Knowing how these three factors
work together can help you
understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to
avoid many types of crashes,
including a rollover crash.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1
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Driver Behavior
The single most important thing is
this: everyone in the vehicle,
including the driver, should buckle
up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are
for Everyone on page 1-10. In fact,
most serious injuries and fatalities
to unbelted occupants can be
reduced or prevented by the use of
safety belts. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is signicantly
more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt. In addition,
avoiding excessive speed, sudden
or abrupt turns, and drunken or
aggressive driving can help make
trips safer and avoid the possibility
of a crash, especially a rollover
crash. This section provides many
useful tips to help you drive
more safely.
Driving Environment
You can also help avoid a rollover
or other type of crash by being
prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during
other times where visibility or
traction may be limited, such as on
curves, slippery roads, or hilly
terrain. Unfamiliar surroundings can
also have hidden hazards.
To help you learn more about driving
in different conditions, this section
contains information about city,
freeway, and off-road driving, as well
as other hints for driving in various
weather conditions.
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.
4-2 Driving Your Vehicle
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Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.Police records show that almost
40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these deaths
are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years,
more than 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol,
with about 250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to
drink alcohol. There are good
medical, psychological, and
developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.Medical research shows that alcohol
in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or
heart. This means that when anyone
who has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of
the vehicle. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
4-4 Driving Your Vehicle
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StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle’s brakes to assist
the driver with keeping the vehicle
on the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems.The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle.
This light is located on the
instrument panel cluster.
It will ash when StabiliTrak is both
on and activated.
If the system fails to turn on or
activate, this light will be on solid.
When the light is on solid, the
system will not assist the driver
maintain directional control of
the vehicle. Adjust your driving
accordingly.The StabiliTrak system automatically
comes on whenever the vehicle is
started. To assist the driver with
vehicle directional control, especially
in slippery road conditions, the
system should always be left on.
StabiliTrak can be turned off if
needed.
The Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak button is located
on the instrument panel.
TCS can be turned off or turned on
by pressing and releasing the
TCS/StabiliTrak button. To disable
both StabiliTrak and TCS, press and
hold the button until the TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light turns
on solid.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-7
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It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the
vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, and you want to “rock” the
vehicle to attempt to free it.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system. The
TCS/StabiliTrak warning light will be
on solid to warn the driver that
StabiliTrak is disabled and requires
service. If the problem does not clear
itself after restarting the vehicle, see
your dealer/retailer for service.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
The cruise control can be
re-engaged when road conditions
allow. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-9.Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature as part of the
StabiliTrak system. If the vehicle is
towing a trailer and the system
detects that the trailer is swaying, the
vehicle’s brakes are applied without
the driver pressing the brake pedal.
The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
will ash on the instrument panel
cluster to notify the driver to reduce
speed. If the trailer continues to
sway, StabiliTrak will reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect the vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3for
more information.
Traction Control System
(TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) 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, TCS applies the
brakes to limit wheel spin and also
reduces engine power. The system
may be heard or felt while it is
working, but this is normal.
This light will ash when TCS is
limiting wheel spin.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow, and
you want to “rock” the vehicle to
4-8 Driving Your Vehicle
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Ease off the accelerator and then, if
there is nothing in the way, steer so
that the vehicle straddles the edge
of the pavement. Turn the steering
wheel 3 to 5 inches, 8 to 13 cm,
(about one-eighth turn) until the right
front tire contacts the pavement
edge. Then turn the steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane road can be dangerous.
To reduce the risk of danger
while passing:
Look down the road, to the sides,
and to crossroads for situations
that might affect a successful
pass. If in doubt, wait.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement
markings, and lines that could
indicate a turn or an intersection.
Never cross a solid or
double-solid line on your
side of the lane.
Do not get too close to the vehicle
you want to pass. Doing so can
reduce your visibility.
Wait your turn to pass a slow
vehicle.
When you are being passed,
ease 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.
The three types of skids correspond
to the 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.
Remember: Any traction control
system helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. If the traction
control system is off, then an
acceleration skid is best handled
by easing your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-11
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If the 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, the 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,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance will be
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 may not realize
the surface is slippery until thevehicle 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 Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only
the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving because some drivers
are likely to be impaired — by alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems,
or by fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare
by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
Slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles
because headlamps can only
light up so much road ahead.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into
approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass
on your vehicle clean — inside
and out.
Keep your eyes moving,
especially during turns or curves.
No one can see as well at night as
in the daytime. But, as we get
older, these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might need
at least twice as much light to see
the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
4-12 Driving Your Vehicle
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Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program on page 7-5.
To get help and keep everyone
in the vehicle safe:
Turn on theHazard Warning
Flashers on page 3-5.
Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{CAUTION
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
Clear away snow from
around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust pipe.
Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window about two
inches (5 cm) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in
the Index.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-26.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome
you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow
from around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm,
but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for
only short periods as needed to
warm the vehicle and then shut the
engine off and close the window
most of the way to save heat.
4-16 Driving Your Vehicle
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CAUTION (Continued)
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-26.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Get to know
the rig before setting out for the open
road. Get acquainted with the feel of
handling and braking with the added
weight of the trailer. And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now longer and not as
responsive as the vehicle is by itself.
Before starting, check all trailer
hitch parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustments.If the trailer has electric brakes,
start the vehicle and trailer moving
and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This checks
the electrical connection at the
same time.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind
the vehicle ahead as you would
when driving the vehicle without
a trailer. This can help to avoid
situations that require heavy
braking and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. Because
the rig is longer, it is necessary
to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before returning
to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, 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. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-31
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