PROG (Program): Press this button to switch between
playing a cassette tape or a CD and listening
to the
radio. The inactive tape
or CD will remain safely inside
the radio for future listening.
SEEK: Press the SEEK button to seek to the next
station and stay there. The display will show your
selection.
To scan preset stations, press and hold the SEEK
button. The radio will scan to a preset station, play for a
few seconds, then go on
to the next preset station.
The display will show your selections. The SEEK button
is inactive
if the front radio is in use.
While listening to a cassette tape, press the SEEK
button
to hear the next selection on the tape. Press and
hold the SEEK button to go
to the other side of the
tape. The SEEK button is inactive
if the tape mode on
the front radio is in use.
While listening
to a CD, press the SEEK button to hear
the next track on the CD. The SEEK button is inactive
if the CD mode on the front radio or the CD changer
is in use.
Radio Personalization
If your vehicle has this feature, it allows the driver to
return
to the last used audio source (radio, cassette or
CD) using the remote keyless entry transmitter. This
feature can also store and recall
AM and FM presets,
volume, tone and the
last selected radio station.
The number on the back of each transmitter
(1 or 2)
corresponds to driver 1 or 2. If transmitter 1 is used to
enter the vehicle, the last used audio source and/or
settings set by driver
1 will be recalled. If transmitter 2 is
used
to enter the vehicle, the last used audio source
and/or settings set by driver
2 will be recalled.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK@ is designed to discourage theft of yout
radio. The feature works automatically by learning a
portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the
radio is moved to
a different vehicle, it will not operate
and LOCKED will be displayed.
When the radio and vehicle are turned
off, your radio
may have a blinking red light that indicates that
THEFTLOCK is armed.
With THEFTLOCK activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen.
3-88
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this
feature, certain radio
functions can be operated
by using the controls
on your steering wheel.
AM/FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FMI
and FM2. When playing a cassette tape or compact
disc, press this button
to listen to the radio.
ooju (Program): Press this button to tune to the next
preset radio station. When playing a cassette tape,
press this button
to play the other side of the tape. When
using the
CD changer, this button will seek to the
next track.
-I (Volume): Press the up or the down arrow to
increase or to decrease volume.
QVQ Distortion
You may experience audio distortion in the
IR headphones when operating cellular phones,
scanners,
CB radios, Global Positioning Systems
(GPS)*, two-way radios, mobile fax, or walkie talkies.
It may be necessary to turn
off the DVD player
when operating one of these devices in or near the
vehicle.
* Excludes the Onstar@ System.
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
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
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There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. 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.
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgement can be affected by even a small
, amount of alcohol. You can have a serious-or
~ even fatal-collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or
if you’re with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control
of your vehicle. Also see Traction Assist System
(TAS) on page 4-9.
4-5
Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle has a Traction Assist System (TAS) 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 rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
The LOW TRAC light next
to the button will come
on when the TAS is limiting wheel spin. You may feel or
hear the system working, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift
of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control Light on page 3-40. When the TRAC
OFF light on the button is on, the TAS is off and will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The TRAC
OFF light
on the button will come on under
the following conditions:
0 The Traction Assist System is turned off, either by
pressing the TAS on/off button or by turning
off
the automatic engagement feature of the TAS.
The transmission is in FIRST (1) gear; TAS will not
operate in this gear. This is normal.
0 The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road.
When the vehicle leaves the rough surface,
slows
down or stops, the light will go off and TAS will
be on again. This is normal.
A Traction Assist System, Anti-Lock Brake System
or engine-related problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service.
The Traction Assist System, as delivered from the factory, will automatically come 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 TAS
off if you ever need
to. You shouid turn the TAS
off if your vehicle ever
gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required.
4.- 9
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:
“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.
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.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger
vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don’t get
too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes
to move
into the other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you
will have a “running start” that more than makes
up for the distance you would lose by dropping
back. And
if something happens to cause you to
cancel your pass, you need only slow down
and drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
0 If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn.
But take care that someone isn’t
trying
to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember
to glance over your shoulder
and check the blind spot.
4-1 3
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your inside mirror, activate your right lane
change signal and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside mirror is convex.
The vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
LOSS of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has
asked.
In any emergency, don’t give
up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Traction Assist System, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have
this system, or
if the system is off, then an acceleration
skid
is also best handled by easing your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs.
4-1 4
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best
to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize warning
clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road
to make a “mirrored surface” - and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle
Off Paved Roads
Many of the same design features that help make your
vehicle responsive on paved roads during poor
weather conditions
- features like the locking rear axle
and all-wheel drive
- help make it much better suited
for off-road use than a conventional passenger
car. Its higher ground clearance also helps your vehicle
step over some off-road obstacles. But your vehicle
doesn’t have features like special underbody shielding and a transfer case low gear range, things that are
usually thought necessary for extended or severe
off-road service. This guide is for operating your vehicle
off paved roads.
Also, see
Braking on page 4-6.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest
of these is
the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the
North American road
system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves
aren’t banked. There are no road signs. Surfaces can
be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In short, you’ve
gone right back
to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that you read this guide.
You’ll find many driving tips and suggestions. These will
help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
4-1 5
Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns. We recognize these concerns and urge every
off-roader to follow these basic rules for protecting
the environment:
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e
e
e
e
Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment
- shrubs, flowers, trees, grasses -
or disturb wildlife (this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground).
Always carry a liter bag
... make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open fires (where
permitted), camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch fire form
the heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to
a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your
route. You are much less likely to get bad surprises.
Get accurate maps of trails and terrain.
Try to learn of
any blocked or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle.
If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe
and close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off- road driving does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen
for unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms,
hands, feet and body, you’ll need to respond to
vibrations and vehicle bounce.
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