GMC ENVOY 2005 Owner's Manual

Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with each other. Static
can occur on AM stations caused by things like
storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to
reduce this noise.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will
reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out. The radio may
display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and
extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
The tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. The radio may display CLEAN to
indicate that the tape player has been used for 50 hours
without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message
appears on the display, the cassette tape player
needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should
be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage
to the tapes and player. If there is a reduction in sound
quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape
or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player.
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealer.
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The broken tape detection feature of the cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a
damaged tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette
from being ejected, use the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE CD button for ve seconds.
READY will appear on the display and a cassette
symbol will ash for ve seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
After the cleaning cassette is ejected, the broken
tape detection feature will be active again.
A non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a
cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head
can be used. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may not
clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended.After the player is cleaned, press and hold the EJT
button for ve seconds to reset the CLEAN indicator.
The radio will display CLEANED to show the indicator
was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape
is in good condition before the tape player is serviced.
Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen
a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer
edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
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Care of Your CD and DVD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised, due
to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still
tightened to the fender. If tightening is required,
tighten by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and
ice build up for clear radio reception.The performance of the XM™ system may be affected if
the sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere
with the performance of the XM™ system. Make sure
that the XM™ satellite antenna is not obstructed.
Chime Level Adjustment
The radio is the vehicle’s chime producer. To change
the volume level, press and hold pushbutton 6 with
the ignition on and the radio power off. The chime
volume level will change from the normal level to loud,
and LOUD will appear on the radio display. To
change back to the default or normal setting, press and
hold pushbutton 6 again. The chime level will change
from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL will appear
on the radio display. Removing the radio and not
replacing it with a factory radio or chime will disable
vehicle chimes.
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✍NOTES
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-9
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-11
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle....................................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-30Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-31
City Driving..................................................4-34
Freeway Driving...........................................4-35
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-36
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-37
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-37
Winter Driving..............................................4-39
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . .4-43
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-44
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-44
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-51
Towing..........................................................4-51
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-51
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-51
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-56
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
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 1-8.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, 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. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the
road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
4-2

Police records show that almost half 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
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. 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. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if
someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
According to the American Medical Association,
a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka.
4-3

It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada,
sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The
BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States
is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
4-4

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of
many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
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.
4-5

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.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That 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
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
4-6