wheel BUICK RANDEZVOUS 2006 Owner's Guide

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. It works by using a secret code to
disable all radio functions whenever battery power is
removed and the radio is placed in a different vehicle.
This feature requires no user input to be activated.
The radio is automatically armed when it is put into the
vehicle for the rst time.
When the ignition is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
If THEFTLOCK
®is activated, the radio will not
operate if stolen. The radio will display LOCKED and
a red LED indicator light will come on above the
key symbol to indicate a locked condition. If this occurs,
the radio will need to be returned to your GM dealer.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include
the following:
SOURCE:When listening to the radio, press this button
to play a cassette tape, CD, or a DVD (if equipped).
If a cassette tape, and CD, and/or DVD are loaded,
the system will go to the tape play rst. The inactive
tape, CD, or DVD will remain safely inside the player
for future listening.
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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........................................4-7
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.......................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-18Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-19
City Driving..................................................4-21
Freeway Driving...........................................4-22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-23
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-30
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-30
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-31
Towing..........................................................4-36
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-36
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-36
Level Control...............................................4-38
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-38
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 1-22.
{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.
4-3

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.The anti-lock system 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.
4-9

Remember: Anti-lock does 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 anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
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.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, 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 anti-lock brakes, 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
anti-lock brakes, 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 works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when
the traction control system is limiting wheel spin.
SeeTraction Active Message on page 3-52. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
4-10

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-10.
If this message comes on and stays on or comes on
while you are driving, there’s a problem with your
traction control system.
SeeService Traction System Warning Message on
page 3-51. When this warning message is on, the TRAC
OFF light will come on to remind you that the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.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 or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow on page 4-30.
To turn the system off, press the TRAC OFF button
located on the instrument panel switchbank.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the
button, the message will go off, but the system will
not turn off until there is no longer a current need to limit
wheel spin. The TRAC OFF light will come on to
remind you the system is off. You can turn the system
back on at any time by pressing the button again.
The traction control system warning message should
go off.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3for more information. United States
Canada
4-11

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. SeeAll-Wheel
Drive Disable Warning Message on page 3-56.
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
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.
4-12

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.Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” 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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and nd
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 cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action — steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 4-7. 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.
4-13

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.
Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your right wheels have dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you
are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
4-14

Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. Remember that
your passenger side outside mirror is convex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther
away from you than it really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little 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 your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your 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.
4-16