transmission CHEVROLET KODIAK 2007 Owner's Guide

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your
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
want to step on the accelerator pedal to maintain
your speed. When going downhill, you may
have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. Of course, applying the brake or
clutch takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers
find this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
If your vehicle is equipped with the exhaust brake
option and the exhaust brake is turned on, the
exhaust brake may come on and try to slow down
the vehicle to the set cruise control speed if the
vehicle has accelerated past the set cruise control
speed while going downhill.
Ending Cruise Control
There are four different ways to turn off the
cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal (manual and
automatic transmissions).
•Press the clutch pedal to the floor (manual
transmissions).
•Move the cruise switch to off, or
•Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the ignition, your cruise control
set speed memory is erased.
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Marker Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, you can manually
blink the marker and clearance lamps.
The marker lamp defeat
switch is located in the
instrument panel
switchbank.
Press and hold the bottom of the switch to turn off
the marker and clearance lamps. When you
release the switch, the marker and clearance
lamps will come back on.
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the
instrument panel lights.
The thumbwheel for this feature is located to the
right of the exterior lamp control.
Turn the thumbwheel up to brighten the lights.
When the thumbwheel is moved to the first
position, the radio display and transmission
selection display will go to full intensity. The
instrument panel cluster will also be dimly
lit. Moving the thumbwheel up to the next position
will activate the interior dome lamps.
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This switchbank is located in the center of the
instrument panel.
e(Marker Lamp Defeat Switch):SeeMarker
Lamps on page 152.
j(Manual High Idle Switch):SeeHigh Idle
System on page 106.
i(Traction Control Switch):SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 216.
f(Outside Heated Mirror Switch):SeeOutside
Heated Mirrors on page 134.
g(Power Take Off Switch):SeePower
Take-Off (PTO) on page 118.
h(Rear Air Suspension Dump Control
Switch):Air Suspension on page 129.
k(Rear Axle Shift Control Switch):SeeAir Shift
Control (Automatic Transmission) on page 114.
q(Exhaust Brake Switch):SeeDiesel Engine
Exhaust Brake on page 112.
l(Differential Lock Control Switch):See
Rear Axle Differential Lock Control on page 215.
c(Airbag On/Off Switch):SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 76.
If your vehicle does not have some of the features
controlled by these switches, there will be a
blank switch marker in its place.
155

Voltmeter Gage
When your engine is
running, the voltmeter
gage shows the
charging system
voltage.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a
possible problem in the electrical system.
Readings in the low warning zone may occur
when a large number of electrical accessories are
operating in the vehicle and the engine is left at
an idle for an extended period. This condition
is normal since the charging system may not be
able to provide full power at engine idle. As engine
speeds are increased, this condition should
correct itself because higher engine speeds allow
the charging system to create maximum power.You can only drive a short time on the battery.
Be sure to shut off the radio, the fan or any
unnecessary accessories and have the system
serviced.
Service Transmission Warning Light
If your vehicle has an Allison®automatic
transmission, certain transmission malfunctions
will turn this light on.
This light is located with
the auxiliary warning
lights in the center of the
instrument panel.
If this light comes on while you are driving, do not
use the transmission shift control or you may
lose forward gears. The computer for the
transmission senses a problem and chooses a
gear to stay in so that you can drive the vehicle in
that gear. You may not be able to drive as fast
or back up when this light is on.
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Notice:If you continue driving your vehicle
after the transmission warning light comes on,
you could damage the transmission. While
this light is on, the transmission cannot
operate in all gears. If you attempt to shift
gears, the vehicle may not continue to move.
Do not attempt to shift gears while the
transmission warning light is on. Instead, drive
directly to an authorized dealer for service. If
you cannot drive to a dealer immediately, have
the vehicle towed.
Range Inhibit Warning Indicator
If your vehicle has an Allison 1000/2200/2300/
2500 series automatic transmission, a lighted bar
under the current gear selected will flash.
If your vehicle has an Allison 3000/3500
series automatic transmission, the current gear
selected on the pushbutton display will flash.
The flashing bar or gear selection indicates that
transmission range shifts may not occur.
For detailed information on shift inhibit limitations,
see the Allison Automatic Transmission
Operator’s Manual in your vehicle for further
information.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle has either hydraulic or air brakes.
Each system has different warning lights.
Hydraulic Brake System
Warning Lights
Vehicles with hydraulic brake systems
have two brake system warning lights on the
instrument panel.
If the brake system
warning light comes on,
it means that the
fluid level in the master
cylinder reservoir is
low or there is another
problem with your
hydraulic brakes.
When it comes on, you will also hear a
warning tone.
169

Transmission Temperature Gage
If you have an automatic
transmission and this
gage, it is located above
the switchbank in the
center of the instrument
panel.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the
temperature of the transmission oil. A reading in
the warning zone, the red area beginning at 300°F
(150°C), means you must stop driving and
check into the cause. One possible cause is a low
oil level in the transmission.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above normal
operating range, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead to costly repairs
that would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle while the
transmission temperature gage reading is
above normal. See your dealer for service.
Exhaust Brake Indicator Light
If your vehicle is
equipped with an
exhaust brake, you will
have this light, located
above the climate
controls in the center of
the instrument panel.
The exhaust brake indicator light will come on and
stay on whenever the diesel engine exhaust brake
or exhaust restrictor is active. For more information,
seeDiesel Engine Exhaust Brake on page 112and
Exhaust Restrictor (Engine Warm-Up) on page 108.
Differential Lock Indicator Light
If your vehicle has this
feature, this light is
located in the center of
the instrument panel.
The light is on when the
rear differential lock
system is in use.
178

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 rear wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, the system applies the brake(s)
at the affected wheel(s).
The bottom light on the TCS on/off button will
come on when the TCS is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal. The TCS will function at speeds up
to about 25 mph (42 km/h).
The TCS may operate on dry roads under some
conditions. When this happens, you may notice a
reduction in acceleration. This is normal and
doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift
of the transmission or driving on rough roads.When the light in the top of the TCS button is
on, the TCS is off and will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The light in the top of the TCS button will come
on if the TCS is turned off by pressing the
TCS on/off button.
The light may also come on if a problem has been
detected in either the traction control system or
the anti-lock brake system.
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. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 236for
more information.
216

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
Here are some tips that can make your drive
through steep country safer:
•Keep the vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling
system, and transmission. These parts can
work hard on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes
could get so hot that they would not work
well. You would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let your engine assist
your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have your
engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
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•Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when
you go down a steep or long hill.
•Know how to go uphill. Use lower gears. They
help cool your engine and transmission, and
you can climb the hill better.
•Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
•As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled
car or an accident.
•You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, winding roads, and special truck
lanes. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
•Be sure the vehicle is in good shape for winter.
•You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 321.
231

If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck,
you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin your wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. And, the transmission or
other parts of the vehicle can overheat.
That could cause an engine compartment
re or other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting the
transmission back and forth, you can destroy
the transmission.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift
into 4HI. SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 119.
If your vehicle has traction control, you should turn
the traction control system off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 216. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and
a forward gear, or with a manual transmission,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to
be towed out. If your vehicle does need to be
towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 241.
236