traction control HUMMER H3 2010 User Guide

Instruments and Controls 5-25
TRACTION FAILED
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Traction Control
System (TCS). Check the TCS as
soon as possible and have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Lighton page 5‑16for
more information. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERV (Service) VEH (Vehicle)
This message displays if the vehicle
needs service. Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible.
Tire Messages
LOW TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a low tire
pressure is detected in any of the
vehicle's tires. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display. The message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tires
are inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. See Tires
on page 10‑44andTire Pressureon page 10‑51for
more information on tires and the
correct inflation pressures.
SERV (Service)
TPM (Tire Pressure Monitor)
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 flashes and then remains on during the
same ignition cycle. See
Tire
Pressure Light
on page 5‑16.
Several conditions may cause this
message to appear. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 10‑53for more information.
If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
Transmission Messages
SERV (Service)
4WD (Four-Wheel Drive)
This message displays when
there is a problem with the transfer
case control system. Check the
transfer case on the vehicle and
have it serviced by your dealer.
See Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 9‑46for more information
about the transfer case. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.

Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-22
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-23
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-26
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-36
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-41
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-44
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-52
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Locking Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Object Detection Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-65
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65

Driving and Operating 9-3
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
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. See Traction Control
System (TCS)
on page 9‑52and
StabiliTrak System on page 9‑53. Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Lighton page 5‑14.
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 100 km/h
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft).

9-4 Driving and Operating
That could be a lot of distance in
an emergency, so keeping enough
space between the 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, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
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. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
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.

9-6 Driving and Operating
Turn the steering wheel 8 to 13 cm
(3 to 5 inches), about one-eighth
turn, until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.
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 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: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.

Driving and Operating 9-11
The vehicle can climb a 40.6 cm
(16 inch) vertical step. Step climbing
is best done by approaching the
step at an angle rather than
straight on.
Brake and Accelerator
Operation Techniques for
Off-Road Driving
For logs, walls, rocks, severe
ditches, hills, sand, etc.
1. Bring the vehicle to a completestop. Do not rev the engine.
2. Select the proper transmission and transfer case gear
range; usually 1 (First) gear,
Four‐Wheel‐Low Lock for
such obstacles.
3. If wheel spin is experienced, maintain steady throttle, with
your foot off the brake pedal,
to allow the Traction Control
System (TCS) to control the
wheel spin. TCS might not
operate if the brakes are
applied. 4. If wheel spin cannot be
controlled by the TCS system,
fully press the brake pedal with
your left foot so all wheel spin is
stopped.
5. Back away from the obstacle so that a new approach can be
tried.
6. As the first wheel crosses the obstacle, be prepared to
alternate the brake and
accelerator pedal to maintain
control and avoid tire drop-off
from obstacles. Repeat this
process for the other wheels.

9-12 Driving and Operating
For mounds, washouts, loose
up-hill slopes, ditches, etc.
When wheel spin occurs as the
vehicle is moving, the driver
may notice a slight shaking or
shuddering of the vehicle. This
should be stopped as soon as
possible to prevent damage to
vehicle components. This is the
indication that a loss of traction is
occurring on this terrain. The
operator should:
1. Reduce speed and apply thebrakes.
2. Assess the terrain properly and adjust vehicle speed and gear
ranges accordingly: Four‐Wheel
High position for higher speeds
and Four‐Wheel‐Low Lock for
more torque and lower speeds.
Transmission 1 (First) gear is
generally recommended. 3. Apply slight pressure to the
brake when the shaking or
shuddering sensation is felt,
keeping the vehicle moving in
a controlled manner.
4. Be prepared to alternate between braking and
accelerating through the
adverse terrain.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road
Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an
area that is safe and close to home
before you go into the wilderness.
Off-roading requires some new and
different skills.
Tune your senses to different kinds
of signals. Your eyes need to
constantly sweep the terrain for
unexpected obstacles. Your ears
need to listen for unusual tire or
engine sounds. Use your arms,
hands, feet, and body to respond to
vibrations and vehicle bounce. Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed. At higher
speeds:
.You approach things faster and
have less time to react.
.There is less time to scan the
terrain for obstacles.
.The vehicle has more bounce
when driving over obstacles.
.More braking distance is
needed, especially on an
unpaved surface.
{WARNING
When you are driving off-road,
bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause
you to lose control and crash.
So, whether you are driving on
or off the road, you and your
passengers should wear safety
belts.

Driving and Operating 9-13
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain. Be
familiar with the terrain and its many
different features.
Surface Conditions:Off-roading
surfaces can be hard-packed dirt,
gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud,
snow, or ice. Each of these surfaces
affects the vehicle's steering,
acceleration, and braking in different
ways. Depending on the surface,
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction,
and longer braking distances can
occur. Surface Obstacles:
Unseen or
hidden obstacles can be hazardous.
A rock, log, hole, rut, or bump can
startle you if you are not prepared
for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow,
or even the rise and fall of the
terrain itself.
Some things to consider:
.Is the path ahead clear?
.Will the surface texture change
abruptly up ahead?
.Does the travel take you uphill or
downhill?
.Will you have to stop suddenly
or change direction quickly?
When driving 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. When driving over bumps, rocks,
or other obstacles, the wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you
cannot control the vehicle as well or
at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved
surface, it is especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
turns, or sudden braking.
Off-roading requires a different kind
of alertness from driving on paved
roads and highways. There are no
road signs, posted speed limits,
or signal lights. Use good judgment
about what is safe and what is not.

Driving and Operating 9-15
{WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. If you drive up
them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot 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, do not drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, decide if
it is 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
might not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.Consider this as you approach a hill:
.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 will not
have to make turning
maneuvers?
.Are there obstructions on the hill
that can block your path, such
as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
.What is beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a
drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know.
It is 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.See
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
on
page 9‑52for information on
vehicles stopped on a grade.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide it is safe to drive
up the hill:
.Use transmission and transfer
case low gear and get a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
.Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain speed. Not
using more power than needed
can avoid spinning the wheels or
sliding.
.Let the traction system work to
control any wheel slippage. The
traction control system allows for
moderate wheel spin with some
capability to dig in and power up
the hill.

9-20 Driving and Operating
Stalling on an Incline
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
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.