four wheel drive SATURN VUE 2004 Owners Manual

This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. SeeLow Traction
Light on page 3-33.
You may feel or hear
the system working, but
this is normal.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out”
underIf You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page 4-44.If your vehicle is equipped
with the 2.2L four cylinder
engine, the traction
control system can be
turned off by pressing the
traction control button.
It is located on the
instrument panel above
the audio system.
The light on the button will go off. If your vehicle is
equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine, the traction control
system will be turned off when the shift lever is in
REVERSE (R) or LOW (L). The traction control system
warning light will be displayed on the instrument
panel.
The traction control system can be activated again
by pressing the traction control button for the 2.2L
four cylinder engine, or by selecting DRIVE (D)
or INTERMEDIATE (I) for the 3.5L V6 engine.
4-11
ProCarManuals.com

Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
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 your 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 apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much of those places.
You can lose control.The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems — steering and acceleration — can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-10.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or 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 your
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.
4-13
ProCarManuals.com

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
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 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. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on page 4-37.
Dinghy Towing (All-Wheel Drive and
Front-Wheel Drive with VTi Transaxle)
Any all-wheel drive vehicles or front-wheel drive vehicles
equipped with the VTi transaxle should not be towed
with all four 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.
Front-wheel drive vehicles equipped with the VTi
variable transaxle, manual transaxle or ve-speed
automatic transaxle may also be towed from the front by
putting the front wheels on a dolly. See “Dolly Towing”
later in this section.
4-46
ProCarManuals.com

Dinghy Towing (Manual or Five-Speed
Automatic Transaxle*)
To tow your vehicle from the front with all four wheels
on the ground, do the following:
1. Position and attach the vehicle to tow it behind the
recreational vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to ACC.
3. Turn fog lamps and all accessories off.
4. If you have the manual transaxle, shift your
transaxle to NEUTRAL and let the engine run
for three minutes, then turn it off.Notice:Towing your vehicle after shifting the
ve-speed automatic transaxle from anything other
than DRIVE (D) to NEUTRAL (N) can cause internal
damage to the automatic transaxle. Always shift the
ve-speed automatic transaxle from DRIVE (D) to
NEUTRAL (N) as the last shift before towing.
5. If you have the automatic ve-speed transaxle, shift
your transaxle from DRIVE (D) to NEUTRAL and let
the engine run for three minutes, then turn it off.
6. Locate and remove the large IGNITION fuse from
the underhood fuse block. See “Instrument Panel
Fuse Block” underFuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 5-98.
Notice:If you tow your vehicle without performing
each of the steps listed under “Dinghy Towing,”
you could damage the automatic transaxle. Be sure
to follow all steps of the dinghy towing procedure
prior to and after towing your vehicle.
Notice:If you tow your vehicle for more than
eight hours per day or at speeds greater than
65 mph (105 km/h), you could damage the automatic
transaxle. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle for
extended periods of time or at speeds greater
than 65 mph (105 km/h).
4-47
ProCarManuals.com

Once you have reached your destination, do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transaxle to FIRST (1) for manual
transaxle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK and remove the
key from the ignition.
4. Replace the large IGNITION fuse.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage
the transaxle. Be sure that the transaxle uid is
at the proper level before towing with all four wheels
on the ground.
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 transaxle.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel Drive Vehicles)
All-wheel drive vehicles should not be towed from the
front 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.
Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel Drive
Vehicles)
To tow your front-wheel drive vehicle from the front with
two wheels on the ground, do the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. If you have a ve-speed automatic transaxle or
VTi variable transaxle, move the shift lever to
PARK (P). If you have a manual transaxle, move
the shift lever to SECOND (2).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4-48
ProCarManuals.com