steering SATURN OUTLOOK 2009 Owner's Guide

Turn the steering wheel
3 to 5 inches, 8 to 13 cm, (about
one-eighth turn) until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane road can be dangerous. To
reduce the risk of danger while
passing:
Look down the road, to the sides,
and to crossroads for situations
that might affect a successful
pass. If in doubt, wait.
Watch for traffic signs,
pavement markings, and lines
that could indicate a turn or an
intersection. Never cross a solid
or double-solid line on your side of
the lane.
Do not get too close to the vehicle
you want to pass. Doing so can
reduce your visibility.
Wait your turn to pass a slow
vehicle.
When you are being passed, ease
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 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.
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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: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.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.
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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.
TheStabiliTrak®System on
page 4-5improves 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 part of
the StabiliTrak
®System to help
maintain vehicle motion at lower
speeds.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-4improves 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 or stability 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 4-22.
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 your vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certication/Tire 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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Dolly Towing
(Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow a 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 P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a
straight-ahead position with a
clamping device designed
for towing.5. Remove the key from the
ignition.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
7. Release the parking brake.
Towing the Vehicle From
the Rear
Notice:Towing the vehicle from
the rear could damage it. Also,
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never have
the vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear.
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Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. Because
the rig is longer, it is necessary to
go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before returning to
the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, 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.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause
the trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
ash whenever signaling a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also ash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel ash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may
think other drivers are seeing the
signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Because of the added load of the
trailer, the vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days, when going
up a long or steep grade with a
trailer. If the engine coolant
temperature gage indicates
overheating, turn off the air
conditioning to reduce engine load,
pull off the road and stop in a
safe spot. Let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gearbeforestarting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the transmission
is not shifted down, the brakes might
have to be used so much that
they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce the vehicle speed
to around 55 mph (88 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of the engine
and the transmission overheating.
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The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
Brown: Taillamps
Black: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Red/Black: Battery Feed
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuse for this circuit is installed
in the underhood electrical center,
but the wires are not connected.
They should be connected by your
dealer/retailer or a qualied
service center.
If the back-up lamp circuit is not
functional, contact your
dealer/retailer.If a remote (non-vehicle) battery is
being charged, press the Tow/Haul
mode switch located on the
center console near the climate
controls. This will boost the vehicle
system voltage and properly
charge the battery. If the trailer is
too light for Tow/Haul mode, turn on
the headlamps (Non-HID only) as
a second way to boost the
vehicle system and charge the
battery.
Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
These wiring provisions for an
electric trailer brake controller are
included with the vehicle as
part of the trailer wiring package.
The instrument panel contains blunt
cut wires behind the steering
column for the electric trailer brake
controller. The harness contains
the following wires:
Red/Black: Power Supply
White: Brake Switch Signal
Gray: Illumination
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your
dealer/retailer or a qualied service
center.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-23.
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Service and
Appearance Care
ServiceService................................5-3
Accessories and
Modications.......................5-3
California Proposition 65
Warning.............................5-3
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements........5-4
Doing Your Own
Service Work......................5-4
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle..........5-5
FuelFuel....................................5-5
Gasoline Octane...................5-5
Gasoline Specications..........5-5
California Fuel......................5-6
Additives..............................5-6Fuels in Foreign Countries......5-7
Filling the Tank.....................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container..........................5-10
Checking Things Under
the Hood
Checking Things Under
the Hood..........................5-10
Hood Release.....................5-11
Engine Compartment
Overview..........................5-12
Engine Oil..........................5-13
Engine Oil Life System.........5-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter.......5-17
Automatic Transmission
Fluid................................5-18
Cooling System...................5-19
Engine Coolant...................5-19
Engine Overheating.............5-23
Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode. . .5-25
Power Steering Fluid............5-25
Windshield Washer Fluid......5-26
Brakes...............................5-27
Battery...............................5-29
Jump Starting.....................5-30
All-Wheel DriveAll-Wheel Drive...................5-35
Headlamp AimingHeadlamp Aiming................5-35
Bulb ReplacementBulb Replacement...............5-35
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting....................5-36
Halogen Bulbs....................5-36
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.............5-36
License Plate Lamp.............5-37
Replacement Bulbs..............5-37
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement.....................5-38
TiresTires..................................5-39
Tire Sidewall Labeling..........5-40
Tire Terminology and
Denitions.........................5-42
Ination - Tire Pressure........5-45
Service and Appearance Care 5-1
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A. Radiator Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System on page 5-19.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Cap.
SeeCooling System on
page 5-19.
C. Remote Negative (−) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-30.
D.Underhood Fuse Block on
page 5-94.
E. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-30.
F.Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-25.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 5-13.H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
I. Automatic Transmission Fluid
Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-18.
J. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir.
See “Brake Fluid” underBrakes
on page 5-27.
K.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 5-17.
L. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” underWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-26.Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel ll. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle
is a yellow loop. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the
oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If this is not done,
the oil dipstick might not show the
actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean
it with a paper towel or cloth,
then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the
tip down, and check the level.
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If the temperature overheat gage is
no longer in the overheat zone or an
overheat warning no longer displays,
the vehicle can be driven. Continue
to drive the vehicle slow for about
10 minutes. Keep a safe vehicle
distance from the car in front of you.
If the warning does not come back
on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle
the engine for three minutes
while parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
next in this section.Overheated
Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode lets
the vehicle be driven to a safe place
in an emergency situation. If an
overheated engine condition exists,
an overheat protection mode which
alternates ring groups of cylinders
helps prevent engine damage. In this
mode, there is a signicant loss in
power and engine performance.
The temperature gage indicates an
overheat condition exists. Driving
extended distances and/or towing a
trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
Notice:After driving in the
overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool
before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely
degraded. Repair the cause of
coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system.
SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
Power Steering Fluid
The power steering uid reservoir is
located toward the front of the engine
compartment on the passenger
side of the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for reservoir location.
When to Check Power
Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly
check power steering uid unless
you suspect there is a leak in
the system or you hear an unusual
noise. A uid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.
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