steering CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2009 1.G Owner's Manual

SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly.
The tire pressure light also ashes
and then remains on during the
same ignition cycle. SeeTire
Pressure Light on page 3-39.
Several conditions may cause this
message to appear. SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 5-45for more information.
If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with
the TPMS. See your dealer/retailer.
SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL
This message displays when there
is a problem with the Traction Control
System (TCS). When this message
is displayed, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See your dealer/retailer
for service. SeeStabiliTrak
®System
on page 4-5for more information.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when
a non-emissions related malfunction
occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer/retailer as soon
as possible.
SPEED LIMITED TO
XXX MPH (KM/H)
This message displays when your
vehicle speed is limited to 80 mph
(128 km/h) because the vehicle
detects a problem in the speed
variable assist steering system.
Have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer/retailer.
STARTING DISABLED
SERVICE THROTTLE
This message displays when your
vehicle’s throttle system is not
functioning properly. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer/
retailer.
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the content
theft-deterrent system has detected
a break-in attempt while you were
away from your vehicle. SeeContent
Theft-Deterrent on page 2-16for
more information.
Instrument Panel 3-63

Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM. The selection
displays.
f(Tune):Turn to select radio
stations.
©SEEK¨:Press to go to the
previous or to the next station
and stay there.
To scan stations, press and
hold
©or¨until a beep sounds.
The radio goes to a station, plays for
a few seconds, then goes to the next
station. Press either arrow again to
stop scanning.
The radio only seeks and scans
stations with a strong signal that
are in the selected band.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up
their radio station favorites while the
vehicle is in P (Park). Tune to favorite
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls.
SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six pushbuttons
positioned below the radio station
frequency labels and by using
the radio favorites page button
(FAV button). Press to go through
up to six pages of favorites, each
having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites can
contain any combination of AM, FM,
or XM stations.The balance/fade and tone settings
that were previously adjusted,
are stored with the favorite stations.
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press FAV to display the page
where to store the station.
3. Press and hold one of the
six pushbuttons until a beep
sounds. When that pushbutton
is pressed and released, the
station that was set, returns.
4. Repeat the steps for each radio
station to be stored as a favorite.
3-78 Instrument Panel

Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system.
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 3-125for more information.
bg(Push To Talk):Press to
answer incoming calls, to conrm
system information, and to start
speech recognition.
cx(Phone On Hook):Press to
end a call, reject a call, or to cancel
an operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth enabled cell phone must
be paired to the in-vehicle Bluetooth
system rst and then connected to
the vehicle before it can be used.
See the cell phone manufacturers
user guide for Bluetooth functions
before pairing the cell phone. If a
Bluetooth phone is not connected,
calls will be made using OnStar
®
Hands-Free Calling, if available.
Refer to the OnStar owner’s guide
for more information.
Pairing Information:
Up to ve cell phones can
be paired to the in-vehicle
Bluetooth system.
The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system
automatically links with the rst
available paired cell phone in the
order the phone was paired.
Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the in-vehicle
Bluetooth system at a time.
Pairing should only need to be
completed once, unless changes
to the pairing information have
been made or the phone is
deleted.
To link to a different paired phone,
see Linking to a Different Phone
later in this section.Pairing a Phone
1. Press and hold
bgfor
two seconds. The system
responds with “Ready” followed
by a tone.
2. Say “Bluetooth”. The system
responds with “Bluetooth
ready” followed by a tone.
3. Say “Pair”. The system responds
with instructions and a four digit
PIN number. The PIN number
will be used in Step 4.
4. Start the Pairing process on the
cell phone that will be paired to
the vehicle. Reference the cell
phone manufacturers user guide
for information on this process.
Locate the device named
“General Motors” in the list on
the cellular phone and follow the
instructions on the cell phone
to enter the four digit PIN number
that was provided in Step 3.
3-104 Instrument Panel

When a disc is playing in the CD or
DVD changer, press PROG to select
the next disc, if multiple discs are
loaded. This function is inactive,
with some radios, if the front seat
passengers are listening to the disc.
When a DVD video menu is being
displayed, press PROG to perform
the ENTER menu function.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle’s
radio by learning a portion of
the Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN). The radio does not operate
if it is stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.
Audio Steering Wheel
Controls
Vehicles with audio steering wheel
controls could differ depending on
the vehicle’s options. Some audio
controls can be adjusted at the
steering wheel.
w(Next):Press to go to the next
radio station stored as a favorite, or
the next track if a CD/DVD is
playing.
cx(Previous/End):Press to
go to the previous radio station
stored as a favorite, the next track
if a CD/DVD is playing, to reject an
incoming call, or end a current call.
bg(Mute/Push to Talk):Press to
silence the vehicle speakers only.
Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with OnStar
®or
Bluetooth systems, press and
hold for longer than two seconds
to interact with those systems.
SeeOnStar
®System on page 2-43
andBluetooth®on page 3-103in
this manual for more information.
Instrument Panel 3-125

Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and
the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy............................4-1
Defensive Driving..................4-2
Drunk Driving.......................4-2
Control of a Vehicle...............4-3
Braking................................4-3
Antilock Brake
System (ABS).....................4-4
Braking in Emergencies..........4-5
StabiliTrak
®System...............4-5
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System..............................4-7
Steering...............................4-8
Off-Road Recovery................4-9
Passing...............................4-9Loss of Control...................4-10
Driving at Night...................4-10
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads.......................4-11
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip..........................4-12
Highway Hypnosis...............4-13
Hill and Mountain Roads......4-13
Winter Driving.....................4-14
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow. . . .4-16
Rocking Your Vehicle to
GetItOut.........................4-16
Loading the Vehicle.............4-16
TowingTowing Your Vehicle............4-21
Recreational Vehicle
Towing.............................4-21
Towing a Trailer..................4-25
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
Brake gradually and avoid abrupt
stops.
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
Always follow posted speed limits
or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1

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. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-5.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-36.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing
it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But
that is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs,
and frustration. But even in
three-fourths of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between the
vehicle and others is important.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-3

As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop,
even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and let
antilock work. The antilock pump or
motor operating might be heard and
the brake pedal might be felt to
pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a Brake Assist
feature designed to assist the
driver in stopping or decreasing
vehicle speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.Minor brake pedal pulsations or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates
The Brake Assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly decreased.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start the vehicle and
begin to drive away, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-5

When using a compact spare tire
on the AWD equipped vehicle, the
AWD system automatically detects
the presence of the compact spare
and the AWD is disabled. To restore
the AWD operation and prevent
excessive wear on the AWD system,
replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 5-77
for more information.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system is not functioning, the vehicle
can be steered but it will take more
effort.
Variable Effort Steering
If the vehicle has this steering
system, the system continuously
adjusts the effort felt when steering
at all vehicle speeds. It provides
ease when parking, yet a rm, solid
feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the curve
is banked, and vehicle speed. While
in a curve, speed is the one factor
that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve,
while the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you
can drive through the curve.
Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until out
of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
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. These problems can be avoided
by braking — if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you cannot stop in
time because there is no room.
That is the time for evasive
action — steering around the
problem.
The vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like these. First,
apply the brakes. SeeBraking on
page 4-3. It is better to remove as
much speed as possible from a
collision. Then steer around
the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
4-8 Driving Your Vehicle

An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, it can be turned 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
The vehicle’s right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while 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
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.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-9

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.
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 is 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 might not
realize the surface is slippery until
the vehicle is skidding. Learn torecognize 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.
4-10 Driving Your Vehicle