fuel type SATURN VUE HYBRID 2009 Owners Manual

Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle...........4-1
Driver Behavior...................4-2
Driving Environment............4-2
Vehicle Design...................4-2
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy...........................4-3
Defensive Driving................4-3
Drunk Driving.....................4-4
Control of a Vehicle............4-4
Braking...............................4-5
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)...................4-6
Braking in Emergencies......4-6
StabiliTrak®System............4-7
Traction Control
System (TCS)...................4-8
Steering..............................4-9
Off-Road Recovery............4-10
Passing.............................4-11
Loss of Control.................4-11
Driving at Night.................4-12
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads......................4-13
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip........................4-14
Highway Hypnosis.............4-14
Hill and Mountain
Roads.............................4-14
Winter Driving...................4-15
If Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
...........................4-17
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out.......................4-17
Loading the Vehicle..........4-18
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........4-22
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................4-23
Towing a Trailer................4-26
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle
Whenever we drive, we are taking
on an important responsibility.
This is true for any motor
vehicle — passenger car, van,
truck, sport utility. Driver behavior,
the driving environment, and
the vehicle’s design all affect how
well a vehicle performs. But
statistics show that the most
important factor, by far, is how
we drive.
Knowing how these three factors
work together can help you
understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to
avoid many types of crashes,
including a rollover crash.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1
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Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle – such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as dinghy towing and
dolly towing. Dinghy towing is towing
the vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the
vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational
vehicle towing:
What is the towing capacity of
the towing vehicle? Be sure to
read the tow vehicle
manufacturer’s
recommendations.
What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and
how long they can tow.
Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer/retailer or trailering
professional for additional advice
and equipment
recommendations.
Is the vehicle ready to be towed?
Just as preparing the vehicle for
a long trip, make sure the
vehicle is prepared to be towed.
SeeBefore Leaving on a
Long Trip on page 4-14.
Dinghy Towing
This vehicle may be dinghy towed
from the front. This vehicle may also
be towed by putting the front
wheels on a dolly. See “Dolly
Towing” later in this section.
For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about ve minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components.To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle that will
be towed and secure it to
the towing vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-23
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California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
remote keyless transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{CAUTION
Never try to do your own service
on hybrid components. You can
be injured and the vehicle can be
damaged if you try to do your own
service work. Service and repair
of these hybrid components
should only be performed by a
trained service technician with the
proper knowledge and tools.
{CAUTION
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience, the
proper replacement parts, and
tools before attempting any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and
metric fasteners can be
easily confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts can
later break or fall off. You
could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service manual.
It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-13.This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your
own service work, seeServicing
Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 1-54.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed. See
Maintenance Record on page 6-14.
Adding Equipment to
the Outside of the
Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the
vehicle can affect the airow
around it. This can cause wind
noise and can affect fuel economy
and windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer/retailer
before adding equipment to
the outside of the vehicle.
5-4 Service and Appearance Care
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Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an
important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and
maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the
use of gasoline advertised as
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, you might notice an audible
knocking noise when you drive,
commonly referred to as spark
knock. If this occurs, use a gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the
engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication D 4814 in
the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5
or 3.511 in Canada. Some
gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-5for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehiclemight fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-30. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you
should not have to add anything to
the fuel. However, some gasolines
contain only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, or
if the vehicle experiences problems
due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised
as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Service and Appearance Care 5-5
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This would allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-30.
{CAUTION
If a re starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer/ retailer can get one
for you. If you get the wrong type,
it might not t properly. This can
cause the malfunction indicator
lamp to light and can damage the
fuel tank and emissions system.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-30.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{CAUTION
Never ll a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel vapor.
You can be badly burned and the
vehicle damaged if this occurs. To
help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
Do not ll a container while
it is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Bring the ll nozzle in contact
with the inside of the ll
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the lling is
complete.
Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.
5-8 Service and Appearance Care
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Model, year, color, and license
plate number of the vehicle
Odometer reading, Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN), and
delivery date of the vehicle
Description of the problem
Coverage
Services are provided up to 5 years/
100,000 miles (160 000 km),
whichever comes rst.
In the U.S., anyone driving the
vehicle is covered. In Canada, a
person driving the vehicle without
permission from the owner is
not covered.
Roadside Assistance is not a part of
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Saturn and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notication.
Saturn and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
limit services or payment to anowner or driver if they decide the
claims are made too often, or
the same type of claim is made
many times.
Services Provided

Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for
the vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
Lock-Out Service:Service is
provided to unlock the vehicle
if you are locked out. A remote
unlock may be available if
you have OnStar
®. For security
reasons, the driver must
present identication before this
service is given.
Emergency Tow From a Public
Road or Highway:Tow to the
nearest Saturn retailer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is also
given when the vehicle is stuck
in sand, mud, or snow.
Flat Tire Change:Service is
provided to change a at tire
with the spare tire. The spare tire,
if equipped, must be in good
condition and properly inated. It
is the owner’s responsibility
for the repair or replacement of
the tire if it is not covered by
the warranty.
Battery Jump Start:Service is
provided to jump start a dead
battery.
Trip Interruption Benets and
Assistance:If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
failure, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed during the 5 years/
100,000 miles (160 000 km)
Powertrain warranty period. Items
considered are hotel, meals, and
rental car.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance

Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
Legal nes.
7-6 Customer Assistance Information
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