traction control HUMMER H2 2009 Owner's Manual

Stalling on an Incline
{CAUTION:
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous. If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the rollover path.
If the vehicle stalls when crossing an incline, be sure
you, and any passengers, get out on the uphill side, even
if the door there is harder to open. If you get out on the
downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll over, you will
be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take if it does roll over.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand, the wheels do not
get good traction. Acceleration is not as quick, turning is
more difficult, and braking distances are longer.
It is best to use a low gear when in mud — the deeper
the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
keep the vehicle moving so it does not get stuck.When driving on sand, wheel traction changes. On
loosely packed sand, such as on beaches or sand
dunes, the tires will tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and braking. Drive
at a reduced speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you
will have difficulty accelerating. And, if the vehicle
does get moving, poor steering and difficult braking can
cause it to slide out of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and your
passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces only.
4-31

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until
the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
Driving through owing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you
and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be very cautious about
trying to drive through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
Keep the windshield washer uid reservoir lled.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-57.
Turn off cruise control.
4-34

Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between the
tires and the road, creating less traction or grip. Wet ice
can occur at about 32°F (0°C) when freezing rain
begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate
gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.TheTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9
improves the ability to accelerate on slippery roads, but
slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
When driving through deep snow, turn off the traction
control system to help maintain vehicle motion at lower
speeds.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5improves
vehicle stability during hard stops on a slippery roads,
but apply the brakes sooner than when on dry
pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on
otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface
of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
4-37

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. The traction control system
activates when the system senses that the wheels are
spinning. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does not
get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to be
towed out. Or, you can use the recovery loops. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-50.
Recovery Loops
{CAUTION:
These loops, when used, are under a lot of force.
Keep people away from the vicinity of the loops
and any chains or cables during use. Always pull
the vehicle straight out. Never pull on the loops at
a sideways angle. The loops could break off and
you or others could be injured from the chain or
cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery loops to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it would
not be covered by warranty.
4-40

Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer/retailer.
You will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When non-dealer/non-retailer accessories are added to
the vehicle, they can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems like antilock brakes,
traction control, and stability control. Some of these
accessories could even cause malfunction or damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting from the
installation or use of non-GM certied parts, including
control module modications, are not covered under the
terms of the vehicle warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize the vehicle using genuine
GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer/retailer
and ask for GM Accessories, you will know that
GM-trained and supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-79.
5-3

You need new tires if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge, or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
cannot be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
The rubber in tires degrades over time, even if they are
not being used. This is also true for the spare tire, if
your vehicle has one. Multiple conditions affect how fast
this aging takes place, including temperatures, loading
conditions, and ination pressure maintenance. With
proper care and maintenance tires will typically wear out
before they degrade due to age. If you are unsure
about the need to replace your tires as they get older,
consult the tire manufacturer for more information.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to
meet General Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC spec) system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating. This
way, your vehicle will continue to have tires that are
designed to give the same performance and vehicle
safety, during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over a
dozen critical specications that impact the overall
performance of your vehicle, including brake
system performance, ride and handling, traction
control, and tire pressure monitoring performance.
GM’s TPC Spec number is molded onto the tire’s
sidewall near the tire size. If the tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC spec number will
be followed by a MS, for mud and snow. SeeTire
Sidewall Labeling on page 5-58for additional
information.
5-72

Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size than
your original equipment wheels and tires, this could
affect the way your vehicle performs, including its
braking, ride and handling characteristics, stability, and
resistance to rollover. Additionally, if your vehicle
has electronic systems such as anti-lock brakes, rollover
airbags, traction control, and electronic stability control,
the performance of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your vehicle may
not provide an acceptable level of performance
and safety if tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. You may increase the
chance that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use GM specic wheel and tire
systems developed for your vehicle, and have
them properly installed by a GM certied
technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 5-72andAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3for additional information.
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 (NHTSA), 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 (UTQG)
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.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
5-74

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied
government test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half (1.5) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
{WARNING:
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
5-75

Tool Kit .........................................................4-42
Tow/Haul Mode ...............................................2-36
Tow/Haul Mode Light.......................................3-44
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-50
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-55
Your Vehicle...............................................4-50
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-9
StabiliTrak
®System....................................... 4-6
Trailer
Recommendations.......................................4-68
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-23
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-32
Trip Odometer................................................3-31
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-8
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-74
Universal Home Remote System.......................2-57
Operation...................................................2-58
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-3
Loading......................................................4-44
Running While Parked..................................2-46
Symbols......................................................... iii
Vehicle Customization, DIC..............................3-64
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy..................7-16
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)............................................5-109
Service Parts Identication Label..................5-109
Vehicle, Remote Start....................................... 2-7
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-27
Visors...........................................................2-23
Voltmeter Gage..............................................3-36
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