tow CHEVROLET SSR 2004 1.G Owner's Manual

The following situations can cause the transmission to
operate at higher temperatures:
Towing a trailer
Hot outside air temperatures
Hauling a large or heavy load
Low transmission uid level
High transmission uid level
Engine overheating
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures
on a frequent basis, seeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4for the proper transmission maintenance
intervals.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) gives you the
status of many of your vehicle’s systems. It is also used
to display driver personalization features and
warning/status messages. The DIC display is located on
the instrument panel cluster. The DIC buttons are
located on the steering wheel.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay the DIC will display the current driver and the
information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Be sure to take any message that
appears on the display seriously and remember that
clearing the message will only make the message
disappear, not correct the problem.
DIC Controls and Displays
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four buttons located on the steering wheel.
The button functions are listed in the following pages.
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Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
AUDIO:Push and release the AUDIO knob until BASS
or TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to
increase or to decrease. The display will show the bass
or treble level. If a station is weak or noisy, you may
want to decrease the treble.
To adjust the bass and treble to the middle position,
push and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce
one beep and adjust the display level to the middle
position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. ALL will appear on
the display, you will hear a beep, and the display level
will be adjusted to the middle position.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization):Press this button
to select customized equalization settings designed
for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical.
Selecting CUSTOM or changing bass or treble,
returns the EQ to the manual bass and treble settings.
The radio will save separate AUTO EQ settings for
each preset and source.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO:To adjust the balance to the right and the
left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until
BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the
sound toward the right or the left speakers.
To adjust the fade to the front and the rear speakers,
push and release the AUDIO knob until FADE appears
on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound
toward the front or the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and fade to the middle position,
push the AUDIO knob, then push it again and hold
it until the radio produces one beep. The balance and
fade will be adjusted to the middle position and the
display will show the speaker balance.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. ALL will appear on
the display, you will hear a beep, and the display level
will be adjusted to the middle position.
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NORMAL:This setting provides the best overall vehicle
sound quality for all seating locations.
DRIVER:This setting gives the driver the best sound
quality.
SPACIOUS:This setting makes the listening space
seem larger.
The radio can save separate AUTO EQ settings for
each preset and source.
The Bose system will automatically adjust the
equalization to compensate for the change in acoustics
when the convertible top is down. You will hear a
momentary mute when the equalization switches just at
the end of the top down cycle and just at the beginning
of the top up cycle.Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO:To adjust the balance between the right
and the left speakers, push the AUDIO knob until BAL
appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the
sound toward the left or the right speakers.
To adjust the fade between the front and rear speakers,
push and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD appears on
the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the
front or the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and the fade to the middle
position, select balance or fade and push and hold the
AUDIO knob. The radio will beep once and will
adjust the display level to the middle position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker controls are displayed. CENTERED will
appear on the display and you will hear a beep.
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17
City Driving..................................................4-20Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-23
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . .4-31
Towing..........................................................4-32
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-32
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-32
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-32
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-38
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-39
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

If You Are 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 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 your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-65.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Turn your
traction control system off; seeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, 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
your wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you
will cause a rocking motion that may free your
vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
4-31

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
For information about recreational vehicle towing, see
the following entry.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
Notice:If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground, the drivetrain components could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, it should be placed on a platform trailer.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication/Tire label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-32

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX
pounds” on your vehicle placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting gure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be ve 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=400 lbs (181 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
150 lbs (68 kg) x 1=150 lbs (68 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight =250 lbs (113 kg) Example 1
4-34

Certication/Tire Label
The Certication/Tire label is found on the driver’s door
edge, below the door latch. The label shows the size
of your original tires and the ination pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight, if
pulling a trailer.The Certication/Tire label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To nd out the actual loads
on your rear axle, you need to go to a weigh station
and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on both
sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the GAWR
for the rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out and load toward the front of the pickup box.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different GVWRs
and payloads. Please note the Certication/Tire
label on your truck or consult your dealer for additional
details.{CAUTION:
In the case of a sudden stop or collision,
things carried in the bed of your truck could
shift forward and come into the passenger
area, injuring you and others. If you put things
in the bed of your truck, you should make sure
they are properly secured.
U.S. Shown, Canada Similar
4-36

Payload
This is the maximum load capacity that your vehicle can
carry. Be sure to include the weight of the occupants
as part of your load. If you added any accessories
or equipment after your vehicle left the factory,
remember to subtract the weight of these things from
the payload. Your dealer can help you with this.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) of the front or rear axle. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Add-On Equipment
When you carry removable items, you may need to put
a limit on how many people you carry inside your
vehicle. Be sure to weigh your vehicle before you buy
and install the new equipment.
Notice:Overloading your vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not overload your vehicle.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) of the rear axle. SeeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-32.
Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch load from the Cargo
Weight Rating (CWR) for your vehicle. The CWR is the
maximum weight of the load your vehicle can carry.
The CWR does not include the weight of the people
inside, but you can gure about 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each
seating position. The total cargo load must not be
more than the vehicle’s CWR. Make sure to weigh your
vehicle with your trailer attached, so that you won’t
go over the GVWR or the GAWR.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread out the
weight of your load the right way, and if you choose the
correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information, seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-39
later in this section.
4-38

Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you do not use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well — or even
at all. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you have
followed all the steps in this section. Ask your
dealer for advice and information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle.
Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs that would
not be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the instructions in this section and check with your
dealer for more information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your
vehicle, you should read the information in “Weight of
the Trailer” that appears later in this section.
If yours was built with trailering options, as many are,
it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, acceleration, braking, durability
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and that of your
passengers. So please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
4-39