towing SATURN OUTLOOK 2007 User Guide

Your Driving, the Road,
and Your Vehicle..................................... 322
Defensive Driving...................................... 322
Drunken Driving........................................ 323
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 326
Braking...................................................... 326
Antilock Brake System (ABS).................... 327
Braking in Emergencies............................. 329
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 329
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 332
Steering.................................................... 332
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 334
Passing..................................................... 335
Loss of Control.......................................... 336
Driving at Night......................................... 337Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 339
City Driving............................................... 342
Freeway Driving........................................ 342
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 343
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 344
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 345
Winter Driving........................................... 347
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 352
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 352
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 353
Towing........................................................ 358
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 358
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 358
Towing a Trailer........................................ 362
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want
to spin the wheels too fast. The method known as
rocking can help you get out when you are
stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment re or other damage. When
you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy parts
of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting
the transmission back and forth, you can
destroy the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 445.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear
the area around the front wheels. Turn the
traction control part of the StabiliTrak
®System off.
SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 329. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) 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. By slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions,
you will cause a rocking motion that could free
your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out
after a few tries, it might need to be towed
out. If your vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 358.
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The Tire and Loading Information label also shows
the size of the original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire ination pressures (D).
For more information on tires and ination see
Tires on page 425andInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 432.
There is also important loading information on the
vehicle Certication/Tire label. It tells you the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the
front and rear axle. See “Certication/Tire Label”
later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your
vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.4. The resulting gure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be ve 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how
this reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity for your vehicle.
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 362for important
information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules,
and trailering tips.
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Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer/retailer or a professional
towing service if you need to have your disabled
vehicle towed. SeeRoadside Assistance Program
on page 509.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes (such as behind
a motorhome), see “Recreational Vehicle
Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your
vehicle behind another vehicle – such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common types of
recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy
towing” (towing your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground) and “dolly towing” (towing
your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See
“Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing” following in
this section.
Here are some important things to consider before
you do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing
vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle
manufacturer’s recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they
can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer/retailer or trailering
professional for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as
you would prepare your vehicle for a long
trip, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is
prepared to be towed. SeeBefore Leaving on
a Long Trip on page 343.
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Dinghy Towing
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, it can be
dinghy towed from the front. These vehicles
may also be towed by putting the front wheels on
a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” later in this section.
If you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, it can
be dinghy towed from the front. You can also tow
these vehicles by placing them on a platform
trailer with all four wheels off of the ground. These
vehicles cannot be towed using a dolly.
For vehicles being dinghy towed, the vehicle
should be run at the beginning of each day and at
each RV fuel stop for about ve minutes. This
will ensure proper lubrication of transmission
components. Put the IGN (Ignition) fuse in to start
the vehicle.To tow your vehicle from the front with all four
wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it.
2. Turn the ignition to OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent your battery from draining while
the vehicle is being towed, remove the IGN
(Ignition) fuse from the underhood fuse block.
SeeUnderhood Fuse Block on page 479.
5. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY.
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6. Shift your transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
7. Release the parking brake.
Notice:If you tow your vehicle without
performing each of the steps listed under
“Dinghy Towing,” you could damage the
automatic transmission. Be sure to follow all
steps of the dinghy towing procedure prior
to and after towing your vehicle.
Notice:If you exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while
towing your vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while towing
your vehicle.
Once you have reached your destination, do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF and remove the
key from the ignition.
3. Reinstall the IGN (Ignition) fuse.
Notice:Don’t tow a vehicle with the front
drive wheels on the ground if one of the front
tires is a compact spare tire. Towing with
two different tire sizes on the front of the
vehicle can cause severe damage to the
transmission.Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles must not be towed with
two wheels on the ground. To properly tow
these vehicles, they should be placed on a
platform trailer with all four wheels off of the
ground or dinghy towed from the front.
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Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow your front-wheel-drive vehicle from the
front with two wheels on the ground:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a clamping device designed for
towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs would not
be covered by the warranty. Never have your
vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear.
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Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you do not use the correct equipment
and drive properly, you can lose control
when you pull a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not
work well — or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously injured.
You may also damage your vehicle; the
resulting repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this section.
Ask your dealer/retailer for advice and
information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.To identify the trailering capacity of your vehicle,
you should read the information in “Weight of
the Trailer” that appears later in this section. But
trailering is different than just driving your
vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking, durability and fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety
rules. Many of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers. So please read
this section carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, rear axle, wheel assemblies and tires
are forced to work harder against the drag of
the added weight. The engine is required
to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more,
the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed
limit restrictions, having to do with trailering.
Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where
you live but also where you’ll be driving. A
good source for this information can be state
or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a
hitch dealer/retailer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the rst
500 miles (805 km) your new vehicle is driven.
Your engine, axle or other parts could be
damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (805 km) that
you tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other parts of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a
trailer. Don’t drive faster than the maximum
posted speed for trailers, or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h), to save wear on your
vehicle’s parts.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to
shift the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if
necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy
loads and/or hilly conditions). See “Tow/Haul
Mode” later in this section.
Three important considerations have to do with
weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
And the total weight on your vehicle’s tires
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Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Before setting out for the open road,
you’ll want to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with
the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake controller
by hand to be sure the brakes are working.
This lets you check your electrical connection at
the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure
that the load is secure, and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead
as you would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a
good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can
return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one
hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left,
just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
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