brakes SATURN VUE HYBRID 2009 Owners Manual

Automatic Engine Start/Stop
{CAUTION
There is something about the
vehicle that can make it move
suddenly, and you or others can
be seriously injured. This can
happen if the vehicle is in the
Auto Stop mode, and the shift
lever is in D (Drive). Because the
vehicle has the Automatic Engine
Start/Stop feature, the vehicle’s
engine might seem to be shut off
when you come to a complete
stop. However, if you then start to
exit the vehicle, as soon as you
take your foot off the brake pedal,
the engine will start again and the
vehicle can move forward. If you
are going to exit the vehicle,
rst shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF. Then exit.The vehicle has an automatic
engine start/stop feature that is
a part of the hybrid system. After the
engine is started and has reached
operating temperature, the AUTO
STOP feature may turn the
engine off when you apply the
brakes and come to a complete
stop. When you take your foot
off the brake pedal or press the
accelerator pedal, the engine
will start. The engine will continue
to run until the next AUTO STOP.
The AUTO STOP mark on the
tachometer indicates that the engine
is in AUTO STOP mode. If the
driver door is opened while in AUTO
STOP mode, a chime will sound.If you are on an incline, the vehicle
may roll backwards a short distance
until the engine performs an AUTO
START. The Hill Start Assist feature
will help start the vehicle on a
moderate or steep incline. To restart
the engine during the AUTO STOP,
release the brake pedal or press the
accelerator pedal. The engine starts
immediately. The vehicle continues
to run until the next stop.
There are several conditions that
may prevent an AUTO STOP
or cause an AUTO START.
Features and Controls 2-17
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Automatic Transmission
Operation
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are several different positions
for the automatic transmission.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 2-23. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-26.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
regular brakes rst and then pressthe shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 2-25.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-17.
2-20 Features and Controls
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N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for normal
driving with the automatic
transmission. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h),
push the accelerator all the
way down.Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “Skidding” under
Loss of Control on page 4-11.
M (Manual Mode):This position
allows you to change gears similar
to a manual transmission. If the
vehicle has this feature, see Manual
Shift Mode.
Notice:Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair
will not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping
on a hill, use the brakes to
hold the vehicle in place.
Features and Controls 2-21
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Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION
If you leave your cruise control on
when you are not using cruise,
you might hit a button and go into
cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even
lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch off until you want to
use cruise control.
The cruise control buttons are
located on the left side of the
steering wheel.
E(On/Off):Press to turn the cruise
control system on and off. An
indicator light comes on.
RES+ (Resume/Accel):Move the
thumbwheel up to resume a set
speed or to accelerate to a higher
speed.
−SET(Set/Coast):Move the
thumbwheel down to set a speed or
to decrease the speed.
To set a speed:
1. Press
Eto turn cruise control on.
The indicator light on the button
comes on.
2. Get to the speed desired.
3. Press the thumbwheel toward
−SET and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
When the brakes are applied, the
cruise control shuts off.Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged. The indicator light on
the instrument panel cluster goes
out when the cruise is no longer
engaged. To return to the previously
set speed, press the thumbwheel up
toward RES+ briey when the
vehicle has reached a speed of
about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more.
This accelerates the vehicle to the
previously selected speed.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
To increase the cruise speed while
using cruise control:
Press the thumbwheel up toward
RES+ and hold it until the vehicle
accelerates to the desired speed,
and then release the switch.
3-10 Instrument Panel
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To increase the speed in small
amounts, press the thumbwheel
up toward RES+ briey and then
release it. Each time this is done,
the vehicle goes about 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) faster.
Use the accelerator pedal to
reach the desired speed
and press the thumbwheel
towards−SET. The new desired
speed must be greater than
the previous set speed by
typically 5 mph.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already engaged,
Push the thumbwheel toward
−SET and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
To slow down in very small
amounts, push the thumbwheel
toward−SET briey. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle’s speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal,
the vehicle will slow down to
the previously set cruise control
speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works on
hills depends upon the vehicle’s
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep
hills, you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle’s speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to maintain
the vehicle’s speed. For some
vehicles the transmission may
automatically downshift when going
down hills to help maintain the
vehicle’s speed. When the brakes
are applied the cruise control
shuts off.Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to disengage
the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal or
clutch; when cruise control
disengages, the indicator light on
the instrument panel cluster
goes out.
PressEto turn off the cruise
control system.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory
is erased when the cruise control or
the ignition is turned off.
Instrument Panel 3-11
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Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light should
come on briey as the engine
is started. If it does not come on
have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer/retailer.
If the ABS light stays on longer than
a few seconds after engine is
started, or comes on and stays on
while driving, try resetting the
system. To reset the system:
1. While driving, pull over when it is
safe to do so.
2. Place the vehicle in P (PARK).
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Then restart the engine.If the ABS light remains on after
resetting the system or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. If the ABS light is on,
but the regular brake system
warning light is not on, the antilock
brakes are not working properly,
but the regular brakes are still
functioning. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. If both brake
lights are on, the vehicle does
not have antilock brakes, and there
is a problem with the regular
brakes as well. Have the vehicle
towed for service. SeeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-22.
StabiliTrak®/Traction
Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
The Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®system warning
light comes on briey as the
engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer/retailer. If
the system is working normally
the indicator lights go off.
This light ashes while the Traction
Control System (TCS) and/or the
StabiliTrak system are working.
It also ashes when the Antilock
Brake System (ABS) is activated.
If the light comes on and stays
on while driving there is a problem
with the Traction Control System
(TCS) or the StabiliTrak system. The
3-28 Instrument Panel
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Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.Police records show that almost
40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these deaths
are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years,
more than 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol,
with about 250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to
drink alcohol. There are good
medical, psychological, and
developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.Medical research shows that alcohol
in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or
heart. This means that when anyone
who has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of
the vehicle. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
4-4 Driving Your Vehicle
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Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-27.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination,
and eyesight all play a part. So
do alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle
and others is important.And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of
the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people drive in spurts — heavy
acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace
with traffic. This is a mistake. The
brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The brakes will
wear out much faster with a lot of
heavy braking. Keeping pace with
the traffic and allowing realistic
following distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops,
there will still be some power brake
assist but it will be used when
the brake is applied. Once the power
assist is used up, it can take
longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-5
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Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might
be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 3-28.Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and
continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can
help the driver steer around
the obstacle while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot
up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you
get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough
time to apply the brakes if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and
let antilock work. The antilock pump
or motor operating might be
heard and the brake pedal might be
felt to pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
4-6 Driving Your Vehicle
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StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle’s brakes to assist
the driver with keeping the vehicle
on the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems.The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle.
This light is located on the
instrument panel cluster.
It will ash when StabiliTrak is both
on and activated.
If the system fails to turn on or
activate, this light will be on solid.
When the light is on solid, the
system will not assist the driver
maintain directional control of
the vehicle. Adjust your driving
accordingly.The StabiliTrak system automatically
comes on whenever the vehicle is
started. To assist the driver with
vehicle directional control, especially
in slippery road conditions, the
system should always be left on.
StabiliTrak can be turned off if
needed.
The Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak button is located
on the instrument panel.
TCS can be turned off or turned on
by pressing and releasing the
TCS/StabiliTrak button. To disable
both StabiliTrak and TCS, press and
hold the button until the TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light turns
on solid.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-7
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