traction control SATURN RELAY 2007 Owner's Manual

What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
If you have a traction system, it will improve your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. But you can turn the traction system off if you
ever need to. You should turn the traction
system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand,
mud, ice, or snow. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 390. Even if
your vehicle has a traction system, you will
want to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may
want to turn the traction system off, such as
when driving through deep snow and loose gravel,
to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 365
andStabiliTrak®System on page 367.
If you do not have a traction system, accelerate
gently. 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.
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Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If your vehicle has traction control, you should
turn the traction control system off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 365and
StabiliTrak
®System on page 367. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the
transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning the wheels
in the forward and reverse directions, you will
cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle.
If that does not get your vehicle out after a
few tries, it may need to be towed out. If your
vehicle does need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 396.
Loading Your 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 your 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 your 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 your vehicle.
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Service
Your Saturn retailer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with it. We hope you
will go to your retailer for all your service needs.
You will get genuine Saturn parts and
Saturn-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your Saturn vehicle
all Saturn.
Genuine Saturn parts have one of these marks.
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-Saturn accessories to your
vehicle they can affect your vehicle’s performance
and safety, including such things as, airbags,
braking, stability, ride and handling, emissions
systems, aerodynamics, durability, and electronic
systems like anti-lock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. Some of these accessories
may even cause malfunction or damage not
covered by warranty.
Saturn accessories are designed to complement
and function with other systems on your
vehicle. Your Saturn retailer can accessorize your
vehicle using genuine Saturn accessories.
When you go to your Saturn retailer and ask
for Saturn accessories, you will know that
Saturn-trained and supported service technicians
will perform the work using genuine Saturn
accessories.
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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 by the tire manufacturer.
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 463for 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 474and
Accessories and Modications on page 412for
additional information.
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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.
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.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
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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 your 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 your vehicle and tire size
combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer’s instructions.
To help avoid damage to your vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust or remove the device
if it is contacting your vehicle, and do
not spin your vehicle’s wheels. If you
do nd traction devices that will t,
install them on the front tires.
Accessory Inator
Your vehicle may have an accessory inator. With
it, you can inate things like air mattresses and
basketballs, and you can also use it to bring your
tires up to the proper pressure.
The accessory inator is located in the rear
compartment on the driver’s side. To access the
accessory inator, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate. SeeLiftgate on page 128
for more information.
2. Lift the lever to move the third row rear
seatback forward. SeeThird Row Seat
on page 27for more information.
3. Remove the cover by pulling the lever up.
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Light (cont.)
Low Fuel Warning.................................... 234
Malfunction Indicator................................ 229
Oil Pressure............................................. 232
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator............ 224
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder.............. 222
Safety Belt Reminder............................... 222
Security................................................... 232
TCS Warning Light.................................. 228
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning ... 228
Lighting
Delayed................................................... 196
Entry........................................................ 196
Exit.......................................................... 197
Loading Your Vehicle................................... 391
Lockout Protection....................................... 118
Locks
Automatic Door Lock................................ 117
Delayed Locking...................................... 116
Door........................................................ 114
Lockout Protection................................... 118
Power Door............................................. 116
Programmable Automatic Door Unlock..... 118
Loss of Control........................................... 374
Low Fuel Warning Light............................... 234
Luggage Carrier.......................................... 172M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services.................... 524
At Each Fuel Fill...................................... 527
At Least Once a Month............................ 527
At Least Once a Year .............................. 528
Introduction.............................................. 520
Maintenance Footnotes............................ 525
Maintenance Record................................ 534
Maintenance Requirements...................... 520
Normal Maintenance
Replacement Parts............................... 532
Owner Checks and Services.................... 526
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants....... 530
Scheduled Maintenance........................... 522
Using....................................................... 520
Your Vehicle and the Environment............ 520
Malfunction Indicator Light........................... 229
Manual Rear Quarter Windows.................... 131
Manual Seats.................................................. 9
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages................... 241
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Towing
Recreational Vehicle................................. 396
Towing a Trailer....................................... 398
Your Vehicle............................................. 396
Traction
Control System (TCS).............................. 365
Control System Warning Light.................. 228
StabiliTrak
®System................................. 367
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic....................................... 430
Transaxle Operation, Automatic................... 143
Trip Odometer............................................. 221
Turn and Lane-Change Signals................... 184
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.................... 183
U
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)........ 200
Understanding Radio Reception................... 354
Uniform Tire Quality Grading....................... 477
Universal Home Remote System........156, 157
Operation........................................158, 163
V
Vehicle
Control..................................................... 362
Damage Warnings....................................... 5
Loading.................................................... 391
Symbols...................................................... 5
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders................................................ 547
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).......................................... 510
Service Parts Identication Label.............. 510
Vehicle Personalization
DIC .......................................................... 261
Ventilation Adjustment.................................. 212
Visors.......................................................... 132
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