steering CHEVROLET SSR 2005 1.G User Guide

Interior Lamps
O(Exterior and Interior Lamp Controls):These
controls (B) are used to operate the exterior and interior
lamps. Information on the interior lamps follows. For
more information on the exterior lamps, see
Exterior
Lamps on page 3-12.
D(Interior Lamp Control): The interior lamp
control (A) is located to the left of the steering wheel
and is used to adjust the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
Instrument Panel Brightness
To adjust the brightness of the instrument panel lights,
press lightly on the interior lamp control and release.
The control will extend outward. Turn the control
counterclockwise to brighten and clockwise to dim the
instrument panel lights. Press on the control to return it
to the stored position.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
panel displays during daylight while your headlamps are
on. When the light sensor reads darkness outside,
you will be able to dim your instrument panel displays
once again.
3-16

Speedometer and Odometer
The speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
The odometer shows how far your vehicle has been
driven, in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers (used in Canada).
The odometer mileage can be checked without the
vehicle running. Turn the ignition to RUN and press the
trip information button located on the steering wheel.
See
DIC Controls and Displays on page 3-42for more
information.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then it must
be. But if it can't, then it's set at zero, and a label must
be put on the driver's door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since you last set the trip odometer to zero.
Your trip odometer is part of your Driver Information
Center (DIC). The trip information button toggles
to display your trip odometer, Trip A, and Trip B
functions. See ªTrip Odometerº under
DIC Controls
and Displays on page 3-42for more information.
3-25

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.A.
3(Trip Information) : Press this button to
display the odometer, trip odometer, and the timer.
B.
r(Fuel Information) : Press this button to
display the current fuel and engine oil information.
3-42

Turn Signal On
If a turn signal is left on for 3/4 mile (1.2 km), this
message will appear on the display and you will hear a
chime. Move the turn signal/multifunction lever to the
off position. Press the select button to acknowledge this
message and clear it from the display. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-6for more
information.
Unknown Speed
This message will be displayed when trying to raise or
lower the convertible top and the roof controller
cannot communicate with the Powertrain Control
Module (PCM). See your GM dealer for service.
DIC Vehicle Personalization
Your vehicle has a personalization feature that allows
you to program certain features to a preferred setting
for up to two drivers. The number of programmable
features varies depending upon which model of
the vehicle you purchased. Once the features are
programmed, the saved settings are recalled by
pressing the unlock button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, 1 or 2, or by pressing the appropriate
memory button, 1 or 2, located on the outboard side of
the driver's seat. See
Memory Seat on page 2-59for more information. The following is a list of available programmable
options:
·AUTOMATIC LOCKING (Automatic
Transmission only)
·AUTOMATIC UNLOCKING
·REMOTE LOCK FEEDBACK
·REMOTE UNLOCK FEEDBACK
·HEADLAMPS ON AT EXIT
·PERIMETER LIGHTING
·SEAT POSITION RECALL, if equipped
·ALARM WARNING TYPE
·DISPLAY LANGUAGE
·DISPLAY UNITS ± U.S./MET
q(Personalization):
Press this button located on
the steering wheel to access the vehicle personalization
menu and customize the personalization settings on
your vehicle.
3-52

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your GM dealer. If the radio displays
an error message, write it down and provide it to
your GM dealer when reporting the problem.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCKžis designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle's radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identi®cation Number
(VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it
will not operate and LOCKED will appear on the display.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK
žis armed.
With THEFTLOCK
žactivated, the radio will not operate
if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering
wheel. They include the following:
QSEEKR: Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous radio station and stay
there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow
to fast forward or reverse.
Q u R(Volume): Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease the volume.
3-82

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS)
(Automatic Transmission).............................4-8
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-13
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
City Driving..................................................4-19Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-21
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-28
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-29
Towing..........................................................4-34
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-34
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-34
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance
of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts into
the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. 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.
{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.
Please 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.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control of
your vehicle.
4-5

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
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at the
same time. In many emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your vehicle may have 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 rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power and may also up-shift the
transmission to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
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
re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-9.
The Traction Control System operates in all transmission
shift lever positions except for rst gear. This is normal.
The system is deactivated when the transmission is
shifted into rst gear. In this situation, the traction control
system warning light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on. This is normal. The system can upshift the
transmission only as high as the shift lever position
you’ve chosen, so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 2-19.
4-8

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
Driving on Curves
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.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the 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.
4-10

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 4-6. 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.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.
4-11