2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE wheel

Message Center
The message center is located in the instrument panel
cluster. It gives you important safety and maintenance
facts.
Service Traction System Warning
Message
If your vehicle has the traction control system and this
message is displayed when you're driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system. Your
vehicle may need service.When this message is displayed, the traction control
system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The message may appear for the following reasons:
·If there's a brake system problem that is speci®cally
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning message will
come on.
·If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning message will
come on until your brakes cool down.
·If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning message will come on.
If the traction control system warning message comes
on and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service. United States
Canada
3-50

Traction Active Message
If your vehicle has the traction control system, the
TRACTION ACTIVE message will appear when the
traction control system is limiting wheel spin. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this message
appears, so adjust your driving accordingly. The
message will stay on for a few seconds after the traction
control system stops limiting wheel spin.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Message
This message will come on when your engine gets
too hot.
If this message comes on, it means that your engine
coolant has overheated. If you have been operating your
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine as soon as possible.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-26. United States
Canada
United StatesCanada
3-51

All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning
Message
Your vehicle may have this message. If it does, it will
come on when there is a spare tire on the vehicle,
or when the anti-lock brake system warning light
comes on, or when the rear differential ¯uid is
overheating. This message will go out when the
differential ¯uid cools.
The all-wheel drive system will be disabled until the
compact spare tire is replaced by a full-size tire. If the
warning message is still on after putting on the full-size
tire, you need to reset the warning message. To
reset the warning message, turn the ignition off and
then back on again. If the message stays on, see your
dealer right away. See
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System on page 4-10for more information.
Low Fuel Warning Message
If your fuel is low, the warning message will come on
and stay on until you add fuel.
If the warning message is still on after adding fuel, you
need to reset the warning message. To reset the
warning message, turn the ignition off and then back on.
If the message stays on, see your dealer. United StatesCanada
United StatesCanada
3-57

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17City Driving..................................................4-20
Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-22
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-30
Towing..........................................................4-32
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-32
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-32
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-34
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-36
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
4-7

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down ®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your
®rst reaction Ð to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down Ð may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it
in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.If you do not have anti-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this by
pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you
dohave
anti-lock, it is different. See ªAnti-Lock Brake Systemº
in this section.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when
the traction control system is limiting wheel spin.
See
Traction Active Message on page 3-51. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
4-8

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
If this message comes on and stays on or comes on
while you are driving, there's a problem with your
traction control system.
See
Service Traction System Warning Message on
page 3-50. When this warning message is on, the TRAC
OFF light will come on to remind you that the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
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 or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required. See ªRocking Your Vehicleº under
If You Are
Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-30.
To turn the system off,
press the TCS button
located on the instrument
panel switchbank.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the
button, the traction active message will go off, but
the system will not turn off until there is no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin. The TRAC OFF light will
come on to remind you the system is off. You can
turn the system back on at any time by pressing the
button again. The traction control system warning
message should go off. United States
Canada
4-9

All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the AWD
system operates automatically without any action
required by the driver. If the front drive wheels begin to
slip, the rear wheels will automatically begin to drive
the vehicle as required. There may be a slight
engagement noise during hard use but this is normal.
During heavy AWD applications, the engine torque may
be reduced to protect AWD system components. If
the vehicle is exposed to extended heavy AWD usage,
the AWD system will shut itself off to protect the
system from overheating. When the system cools down,
the AWD system will activate itself again automatically;
this cool-down can take up to 20 minutes depending
on outside temperature and vehicle use. See
All-Wheel
Drive Disable Warning Message on page 3-57.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº 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.
4-10