
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t
do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven,
no matter how well built the vehicle.
Ma ~ hills are simply ~- - -Lee, .or any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you will roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any
doubt about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just
too steep to climb, descend
or cross. Steepness can be hard
to judge. On a very
small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way
to the top. On a large
hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top, but
you may not see this because the crest of the hill is
hidden by bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here are some things
to consider as you
approach a hill.
e
e
e
e
e
e
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have
to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block
your path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill?
Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk
the hill
if you don’t know. It’s the smart way to
find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible
to the effects of erosion.
4-20

Mixing tires could cause you to iose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. If your vehicle has
17 inch road
tires (those originally installed
on your vehicle)
it is all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire
that came with your vehicle. When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with the same overall diameter as
your vehicle’s road tires and wheels. Because
this spare tire was developed for use on your
vehicle,
it will not affect vehicle handling or
cause damage to your vehicle.
if you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle
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, 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
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.
5-59

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 specified 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 significantly from the norm
due
to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - AA, A, 6, 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 specified 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.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation
of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required
by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
5-60

Used Replacement Wheels Tire Chains
-
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how
it’s been used
or how far
it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to replace
a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel. Don’t use
ti., ch; ... s. There’s
not ,..ough
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’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you do find traction devices
that will
fit, install them on the rear tires.
5-62

Inspection (cont.)
Instrument Panel
Steering
and Suspension
...............
Cluster ......................... .....................
Overview ..............................................
Instrument Panel Brightness ............................
Instrument Panel Fuse Block ...........................
Interior Lamps ...............................................
Interior Plastic Components .............................
Introduction
Transfer Case (All-Wheel Drive) Inspection
.....
. 6-14
. 3-29
... 3-4
. 3-16
. 5-88
. 3-16
. 5-79
. 6-14
Jump Starting
........................ 5-40
Key Lock Cylinders Service
........ ........... 6-1 1
Keys
........................................................... 2-3
Keyless
Entry System
....................................... 2-4
L
Lamps
Exterior
...................................................... 3-1 3
Interior
....................................................... 3-1 6
Lamps On Reminder
....................................... 3-14
Lap-Shoulder Belt
........................................... 1-31 LATCH
System
Child Restraints
........................................... 1-61
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System
........................................ 1-63
Leather
......................................................... 5-79
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
................................ 3-56
Liftgate/LiftgIass
.............................. ........ 2-13
Liftglasdliftgate
.............................. .... 2-13
Light Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running
...... 2-27
Air Bag Readiness
....................................... 3-31
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
................... 3-35
Brake System Warning
................................. 3-34
Charging System
..................................... 3-33
Cruise Control
................. ................ 3-41
Low Fuel Warning
................................... 3-42
Malfunction Indicator
................................ 3-38
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator
............ 3-32
Safety Belt Reminder
................................... 3-30
Security
..................................................... 3-41
Tow/Haul Mode
........................................... 3-42
Traction
Off ................................................ 3-36
Listening
to a DVD ..................................... 3-72
Loading Your Vehicle
................................... 4-44
Lockout Protection
.......................................... 2-13
Locks Delayed Locking
........................................... 2-9
Door
........................................................... 2-8
Lockout Protection
....................................... 2-13
Power Door
.................................................. 2-9
8

Traction
Off Light ............... ....................... 3-36
StabilitrakO System ..................................... 4-9
TRACTION ACTIVE .................................... 3-57
Tractioii Control Operatioii ..... ................ 41c
Trailer
Recommendations
....................................... 4-47
Trailer Brakes ................................................. 4-52
Trailer Wiring Harness ..................................... 4-56
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE ............................. 3-55
Transfer Case ................................................ 5-46
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic
........................................... 5-20
Temperature Gage ....................................... 3-37
Transmission Operation, Automatic .................... 2-22
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit
Transportation Options
.......... ......... 7-7
Trip Information Button ................. ............ 3-44
Turn and Lane Change Signals .......................... 3-7
TURN SIGNAL ON ...................... ............ 3-54
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever .......... ......... 3-7
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer ............... 4-54
TRANSMISSION HOT ..................................... 3-55
Repair Manual ............................................ 7-10
Underbody Flushing Service ............................. 6-15
Underhood Fuse Block .................................... 5-91
Understanding Radio Reception ........................ 3-87
Unfolding the Seatback .................................... 1-18
Unfolding the Seatbacks .................................. 1-12
Uniform Tire Quality Grading ......................... 5-59
United States ................................. .......... 7-4
Using the Recovery Hoods ............................... 4-42
Using HomeLink@ ........................................... 2-41
v
Vehicle
Control ......................................
... 4-5
Damage Warnings ........................................... iv
Loading
...................................................... 4-44
Symbols ......................................................... iv
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN)
............................................. 5-86
Service Parts Identification Label ................... 5-86
Vehicle Personalization
Memory Seat
.............. ........................ 2-47
Vehicle Storage .................. .................... 5-39
Ventilation Adjustment ...................................... 3-25
Video Screen ................................................. 3-75
Vinyl ............................................................. 5-79
Visors ........................................................... 2-15
Voltmeter Gage .............................................. 3-34