Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound
to come and go.
XMTM Satellite Radio Service
XMTM Satellite Radio gives you digital radio reception
from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall buildings
or hills can interfere with Satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to come and go. Your radio may display
NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat. If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display
CLN to
indicate that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer.
If this
message appears on the display, your cassette
tape player needs to be cleaned. It
will still play tapes,
but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage
to your tapes and player. If you notice
a reduction in sound quality, try a known good
cassette
to see if the tape or the tape player is at fault.
If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound
quality, clean the tape player.
3-87
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealer
(GM Part No. 12344789).
The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from
being ejected, use the following steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the ignition on.
Turn the radio
off.
Press and hold the CD TAPE button for five
seconds. The tape symbol on the display will flash
for two seconds.
Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
After the cleaning cassette is ejected, the cut tape detection feature will be active again.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt
to
clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will
not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type
cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type
cleaning cassette is not recommended. After
you clean the player, press and hold the EJECT
button for five seconds to reset the CLN indicator.
The radio will display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject
to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen
a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never
to touch the side without writing when
handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer
edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your CD Changer
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens
of the CD optics
with lubricants internal
to the CD mechanism.
3-88
Care of Your CD and DVD Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with iubricants internal to the
CD mechanism.
Cleaning the Video Screen
Pour some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth
and gently wipe the video screen. Do not spray
directly onto the screen and do not press too hard or
too long on the video screen.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged.
If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, you can straighten it out by hand.
If the mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals,
you should replace it. Check occasionally to be sure
the mast is still tightened
to the cowl. If tightening is required, tighten by hand,
then with a wrench one quarter turn.
XMTM Satellite Radio Antenna
System
Your XMTM Satellite Radio antenna is located on the
roof
of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of
snow and ice build up for clear radio reception.
The performance of your XMTM system may be affected
if your sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere
with the performance of your
XMiM system. Make
sure that the XMTM satellite antenna
is not obstructed.
3-89
Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system, this warning light
will
stay on. See Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light
on page 3-35.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system.
If there’s a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come
on
accompanied by a IO-second chime. The lights
and chime will come
on each time the ignition is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service. Let’s say
the road is wet and you’re driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s 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 front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7
Stabilitrak@ System
Your vehicle is equipped with Stabilitrak@, which
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you first start your vehicle and begin
to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks
to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches
20 m.p.h.
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately two
miles
of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails
to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed.
If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking or multiple turns during the
first two miles of driving after starting your vehicle, the
STABILITY
SYS DISABLED message may appear.
If this is the case, your vehicle does not need servicing.
You will need
to turn the vehicle off and then restart
it
to initialize Stabilitrak@.
If either message appears on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), and your vehicle hasn’t gone through hard
acceleration, braking
or multiple turns in the first two
miles of driving, your vehicle should be taken in
for service. The STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will appear
on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) only when the
system is both on and activated. You may also feel or
hear the system working; this is normal. For more
information on
the stability messages, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-43.
Stabilitrak@and part of the
traction control system can
be turned
off or back on
by pressing the
Stabilitrak@button located
on the instrument
When the system is turned
off, the traction off light will
illuminate, and the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message will appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
both the stability system and part of the traction
control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when Stabilitrak@is
off, but will
not be able
to use the engine speed management
system. See “Traction Control Operation” next for more
information.
4-9
When the Stabilitrak@system has been turned off you
may still hear system noises as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn
the system
off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice
or snow, and you want
to “rock” your vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off
the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions
where high wheel spin is required. See If
You Are
Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page
4-4 1.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
Stabilitrak@system. Traction control limits wheel spin by
reducing engine power
to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes
to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle, and it will activate
and display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
if it senses that any of
the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If you turn
off Stabilitrak@, only the
brake-traction control portion
of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this state, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This
can cause the brake-traction control
to activate
constantly. For more information on the traction active
message, see Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page
3-43.
Notice: If the traction off light comes on due to
heavy braking and/or because the traction control
system has been continuously active, do not allow
the wheel@) of one axle to spin excessively.
If you
do, you may be causing damage to your transfer
case. This could lead to costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
If the brake-traction control system activates constantly
or
if the brakes have heated up due to high speed
braking, the brake-traction control will be automatically
disabled. The system will come back on after the
brakes have cooled. This can take up
to two minutes ot
longer depending on brake usage.
Notice: Don’t allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively when the traction
off, ABS and brake
lights are on and the
SERVICE STABILITY MESSAGE
is displayed. In this situation, damage to the transfer
case
is possible. This could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. You should immediately
reduce engine power until the lights and messages
are no longer displayed.
4-1 0
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way,
steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up
to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel
to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender
to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face
to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0 “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides
and
to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns.
If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait
for a better time.
0 Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and
lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it’s all
right
to pass (providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or
a double solid line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching traffic.
4-1 3
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds of
terrain. You need
to be familiar with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are
some things to
consider.
Surface Conditions: Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer braking
distances.
Surface Obstacles: Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle
you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even
the rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
0 Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
(There’s more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly? When you drive
over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or
other surface features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you can’t control
the vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving. At the
very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious
- or even fatal - accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. See Drunken Driving
on page 4-2.
4-1 9