traction control SATURN AURA 2009 Owner's Manual

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.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out.
Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or
curves.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But,
as we get older, these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver might need at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
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.
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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.If the vehicle has theTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-8, it 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.
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Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. Turn off any traction system.
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
shifting, 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.
If the vehicle does need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-26.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on the vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Vehicle Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on the
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of the vehicle.
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Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer/retailer.
You will receive genuine Saturn parts and Saturn-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine Saturn 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 1-71.
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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 an MS for mud and snow.
SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on page 5-46for
additional information.
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Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size than
your original equipment wheels and tires, this may 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, traction control, and
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 Saturn
specic wheel and tire systems developed for your
vehicle, and have them properly installed by a
Saturn certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 5-61andAccessories
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.
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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.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specied indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. It should be noted that
the temperature grade for this tire is established for
a tire that is properly inated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underination, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You cannot know how it has been
used or how far it has been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new Saturn original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without
the proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle parts.
The area damaged by the tire chains could cause
you to lose control of the vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on the vehicle
and tire size combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer’s instructions. To help
avoid damage to the vehicle, drive slowly, readjust
or remove the device if it is contacting the vehicle,
and do not spin the vehicle’s wheels. If you do nd
traction devices that will t, install them on the front
tires.
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Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-26
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-30
Your Vehicle...............................................4-26
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-8
Traction Control System...................................3-34
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-22
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-26
Transportation, Courtesy..................................7-10
Trip Odometer................................................3-29
Trunk............................................................2-13
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-63
Universal Home Remote System.......................2-41
Operation...................................................2-42
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-3
Loading......................................................4-21
Running While Parked..................................2-34
Symbols......................................................... iii
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy..................7-16
Vehicle Data Recording,
Radio Frequency (RFID)...............................7-18
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).............................................5-89
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-89
Vehicle Personalization
DIC ...........................................................3-50
Vehicle, Remote Start....................................... 2-7
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-26
Visors...........................................................2-17
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