steering wheel SATURN OUTLOOK 2007 Owner's Manual

4(Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service,
MP3, and RDS Features):Press the information
button to display additional text information
related to the current FM-RDS or XM™ station, or
MP3 song. A choice of additional information
such as: Channel, Song, Artist, and CAT
(category) can appear. Continue pressing the
information button to highlight the desired label, or
press the pushbutton positioned under any one
of the labels and the information about that
label displays.
When information is not available, No Info
displays.
Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to
your favorite stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls, if the
vehicle has them. SeeDefensive Driving on
page 322.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can
be programmed as favorites using the
six pushbuttons positioned below the radio station
frequency labels and by using the radio favorites
page button (FAV button).Press the FAV button to go through up to
six pages of favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each page of favorites
can contain any combination of AM, FM, or
XM™ (if equipped) stations. To store a station as
a favorite, perform the following steps:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page
where you want the station stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six pushbuttons
until a beep sounds. When that pushbutton
is pressed and released, the station that was
set, returns.
4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton radio
station you want stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites pages can be setup using
the MENU button. To setup the number of
favorites pages, perform the following steps:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the pushbutton located below the
FAV 1-6 label.
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PROG (Program):Press this button to go to the
next preset radio station or channel set on the
main radio. This function is inactive, with
some radios, if the front seat passengers are
listening to the radio.
When a CD or DVD audio is playing, press this
button to go to the beginning of the CD or DVD
audio. This function is inactive, with some radios, if
the front seat passengers are listening to the disc.
When a disc audio is playing in the CD or DVD
changer, press this button to select the next disc, if
multiple discs are loaded. This function is inactive,
with some radios, if the front seat passengers are
listening to the disc.
When a DVD video menu is being displayed, press
the PROG button to perform the menu function,
enter.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of
your vehicle’s radio. The feature works
automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN). If the radio is
moved to a different vehicle, it does not operate
and LOCKED displays.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has audio
steering wheel controls,
they could differ
depending on the
vehicle’s options. Some
audio controls can
be adjusted at
the steering wheel.
They include the
following:
xw(Next/Previous):Press the up or the down
arrow to go to the next or to the previous radio
station stored as a favorite.
While a CD/DVD is playing, press the up or the
down arrow to go to the next or previous track or
chapter.
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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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All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has this feature, engine power is
sent to all four wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is
no separate lever or switch to engage or
disengage the front axle. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road conditions.
When using a compact spare tire on your AWD
equipped vehicle, the AWD system automatically
detects the presence of the compact spare and the
AWD is disabled. To restore the AWD operation
and prevent excessive wear on the clutch in your
AWD system, replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 463for more information.
Steering
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
It is important to take curves at a reasonable
speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here is 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 is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle
going in the same direction. If you have ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on
the condition of the tires and the road surface, the
angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one
factor you can control.
Suppose you are 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.
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Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 329.
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.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you
should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted
speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while
the front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive”
through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of
the curve, and then accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 377.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more
effective than braking. For example, you come
over a hill and nd a truck stopped in your lane, or
a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked cars and
stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That
is the time for evasive action — steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First, apply the brakes. SeeBraking
on page 326. It is better to remove as much speed
as you can from a possible collision. Then steer
around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
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An emergency like this requires close attention
and a quick decision. If you are holding the
steering wheel at the recommended 9 and
3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you
have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are
always possible is a good reason to practice
defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts
properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your vehicle’s right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off
the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge
of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering
wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow
vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that
someone is not trying to pass you as you pull
out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to
glance over your shoulder and check the
blind spot.
Check your vehicle’s mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane change signal
before moving out of the right lane to pass.
When you are far enough ahead of the passed
vehicle to see its front in your vehicle’s inside
mirror, activate the right lane change signal and
move back into the right lane. Remember that
an outside convex mirror makes the vehicle you
just passed seem farther away from you than it
really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not
ashing, it might be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.
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 your
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.
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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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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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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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