traction control GMC YUKON DENALI 2003 Owners Manual

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview ............................... 3.4
Hazard Warning Flashers
................................ 3.5
Other Warning Devices ................................... 3.6
Horn
............................................................. 3.6
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3-6
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.7
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.13
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.16
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.17
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3.18
Climate Controls ............................................ 3. 1 9
Electronic Climate Control System
................... 3.19
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3.25
Rear Climate Control System
......................... 3.25
Climate Controls Personalization
..................... 3.27
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ............. 3.28
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.29
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3.30
Tachometer
................................ ......... 3.30
~
Safety Belt Reminder Light ............................. 3.30
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3.31
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ................ -3-32
Charging System Light
.................................. 3-33
Voltmeter Gage
............................................ 3-34
Brake System Warning Light
...................... 3-34
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
........................................... 3-35
Traction
Off Light .......................................... 3-36
Transmission Temperature Gage
..................... 3-37
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3-38
Oil Pressure Gage ........................................ 3-40
Security Light
............................................... 3-41
Tow/Haul Mode Light .................................... 3-42
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3-42
Low Fuel Warning Light
............................. 3-42
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3-36
Cruise Control
Light ...................................... 3-41
3- 1

Cruise Control
0 (Off): This position
turns the system
off.
I (On): This position activates the system.
+ (Resume/Accelerate): Push the lever to this symbol
to make the vehicle accelerate or resume to a
previously set speed. (Set):
Press this button to set the speed.
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long
trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about
25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes, the cruise control will shl
~ff.
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can’t drive safely at
a steady speed.
So, don’t use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes
in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t use cruise control on
slippery roads.
3-1 0

When the system activates, you may hear a noise or
feel a vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. When
the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message is on, you
should continue
to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed
to help you in bad weather
or other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit.
SERVICE STABILITY
If you ever see the SERVICE STABILITY message, it
means there may be a problem with your
StabiIitrak@system. If you see this message
try to reset
the system (stop; turn
off the engine; then start the
engine again). If the SERVICE STABILITY message still
comes on, it means there is a problem. You should
see your dealer for service. The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the benefit of Stabilitrak@,
so reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
STABILITY SYS DISABLED
The STABILITY SYS DISABLED message will turn on
when you press the Stabilitrak@button, or when the
stability control has been automatically disabled. To limit
wheel spin and realize the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
Stabilitrak@on. However, you should turn Stabilitrak@off
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow and you want to “rock”
your vehicle
to attempt to free it,
or if you are driving in extreme off-road conditions
and require more wheel spin. See If
You Are Stuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow on page 4-41. To turn the
Stabilitrak@system back on press the Stabilitrak@button
again. There are four conditions that can cause this
message
to appear. One condition is overheating, which
could occur
if Stabilitrak@activates continuously for an
extended period of time. The message will
also be
displayed
if the brake system warning light is on. See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 3-34. The
message could be displayed
if the stability system takes
longer than usual to complete its diagnostic checks
due to driving conditions. Also,
if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected, and the vehicle
needs service, the message will appear.
The message will turn off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that any
of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. See StabiIitrakO System
on page 4-9 for
more information.
3-57

Stabilitrak@ System
Your vehicle is equipped with Stabilitrak@, 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 first start your vehicle and begin
to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks
to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches
20 m.p.h.
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately two
miles
of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails
to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed.
If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking or multiple turns during the
first two miles of driving after starting your vehicle, the
STABILITY
SYS DISABLED message may appear.
If this is the case, your vehicle does not need servicing.
You will need
to turn the vehicle off and then restart
it
to initialize Stabilitrak@.
If either message appears on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), and your vehicle hasn’t gone through hard
acceleration, braking
or multiple turns in the first two
miles of driving, your vehicle should be taken in
for service. The STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will appear
on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) only when the
system is both on and activated. You may also feel or
hear the system working; this is normal. For more
information on
the stability messages, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-43.
Stabilitrak@and part of the
traction control system can
be turned
off or back on
by pressing the
Stabilitrak@button located
on the instrument
When the system is turned
off, the traction off light will
illuminate, and the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message will appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
both the stability system and part of the traction
control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when Stabilitrak@is
off, but will
not be able
to use the engine speed management
system. See “Traction Control Operation” next for more
information.
4-9

When the Stabilitrak@system has been turned off you
may still hear system noises as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn
the system
off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice
or snow, and you want
to “rock” your vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off
the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions
where high wheel spin is required. See If
You Are
Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page
4-4 1.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
Stabilitrak@system. Traction control limits wheel spin by
reducing engine power
to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes
to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle, and it will activate
and display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
if it senses that any of
the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If you turn
off Stabilitrak@, only the
brake-traction control portion
of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this state, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This
can cause the brake-traction control
to activate
constantly. For more information on the traction active
message, see Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page
3-43.
Notice: If the traction off light comes on due to
heavy braking and/or because the traction control
system has been continuously active, do not allow
the wheel@) of one axle to spin excessively.
If you
do, you may be causing damage to your transfer
case. This could lead to costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
If the brake-traction control system activates constantly
or
if the brakes have heated up due to high speed
braking, the brake-traction control will be automatically
disabled. The system will come back on after the
brakes have cooled. This can take up
to two minutes ot
longer depending on brake usage.
Notice: Don’t allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively when the traction
off, ABS and brake
lights are on and the
SERVICE STABILITY MESSAGE
is displayed. In this situation, damage to the transfer
case
is possible. This could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. You should immediately
reduce engine power until the lights and messages
are no longer displayed.
4-1 0

The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens you may
notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear
a noise
or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will
appear on the Driver Information Center and the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you
to use cruise again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. See “Cruise Control” under
Turn SignaVMultifunction
Lever on page 3-7
Stabilitrak@may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
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’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A
lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s 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’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
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’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re 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.
4-1 1

Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires
meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
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 your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t 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.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your 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,
your 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, you’ll
want
to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be 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 engine braking by shifting
to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize 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 anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-1 5

Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds of
terrain. You need
to be familiar with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are
some things to
consider.
Surface Conditions: Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer braking
distances.
Surface Obstacles: Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle
you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even
the rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
0 Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
(There’s more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly? When you drive
over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or
other surface features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you can’t control
the vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving. At the
very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious
- or even fatal - accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. See Drunken Driving
on page 4-2.
4-1 9

Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t
do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven,
no matter how well built the vehicle.
Ma ~ hills are simply ~- - -Lee, .or any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you will roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any
doubt about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just
too steep to climb, descend
or cross. Steepness can be hard
to judge. On a very
small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way
to the top. On a large
hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top, but
you may not see this because the crest of the hill is
hidden by bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here are some things
to consider as you
approach a hill.
e
e
e
e
e
e
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have
to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block
your path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill?
Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk
the hill
if you don’t know. It’s the smart way to
find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible
to the effects of erosion.
4-20

Mixing tires could cause you to iose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. If your vehicle has
17 inch road
tires (those originally installed
on your vehicle)
it is all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire
that came with your vehicle. When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with the same overall diameter as
your vehicle’s road tires and wheels. Because
this spare tire was developed for use on your
vehicle,
it will not affect vehicle handling or
cause damage to your vehicle.
if you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
5-59