2004 CHEVROLET SSR brakes

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in RUN. If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever, and
push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) (press the
button in on the console shift lever) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the shift lever into
the gear you wish. SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on
page 2-20.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission,
see If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-31.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
2-17

DRIVE (D) should not be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for
off-road driving. Select THIRD (3) when operating the
vehicle under any of these conditions.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
however, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than DRIVE (D) and THIRD (3). You
can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your
speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use your brakes off and on.
You can also use SECOND (2) for starting your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than THIRD (3) and
SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or in
deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1)
while the vehicle is moving forward, the transmission
won’t shift into rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 3-30for more
information.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Then push the release button in as you move the
parking brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
2-18

9(Off):Turn the band to this symbol to turn of your
windshield wipers.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
LQ(Windshield Washer):To spray washer uid on
the windshield, press the paddle. The wipers will
clear the window and then either stop or return to your
preset speed.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long
trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes, the cruise control will shut off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can not drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
3-8

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds. That’s
normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock
brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-30.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briey when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If
the light doesn’t come on then, have it xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
If the TC (traction control)
warning light comes on
and stays on, there may be
a problem with the
traction control system.
The TC (traction control) warning light will come on
briey when you turn the ignition to ON. If it doesn’t
come on then, have it xed so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
If the Traction Control System (TCS) is on and you drive
faster than 100 mph (161 km/h), the system will turn
off and the TC warning light will come on. The TCS will
turn back on and the TC warning light will go out
once the vehicle speed falls below 90 mph (145 km/h).
If the TC (traction control) warning light stays on or
comes on while you are driving, pull off the road as soon
as possible and stop carefully. Try resetting the
system by turning the ignition off then back on. If the
light still stays on or comes back on again while you are
driving, your vehicle needs service. Have the traction
control system inspected as soon as possible.
3-31

Roof Cycle Timeout
This message will be displayed on the DIC when the
convertible top has not completed its movement
from one position to another within the programmed
time limit.
Notice:If you operate the convertible top switch
continuously while the ignition is in ACCESSORY,
the battery will drain and you might not be able
to start your vehicle. Do not use the convertible top
switch for extended periods of time when the
ignition is in ACCESSORY.
When this message appears, the convertible top will
stop moving. Release the convertible top switch
and make sure there is nothing blocking the path of the
top. If the path is clear, turn the ignition off and on
again. Then press the convertible top switch again. See
Convertible Top on page 2-45for more information.
Roof Hall Switch Fault
This message will be displayed on the DIC when trying
to raise or lower the convertible top and there is a
fault with this switch. If the message persists, see your
dealer for service.
Service Air Bag
If there is a problem with the air bag system this
message will be displayed on the DIC. The air bag
readiness light may also be displayed on the instrument
panel cluster. See your dealer for service. Press the
select button to acknowledge this message and clear it
from the display. SeeServicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-55andAir Bag Readiness Light
on page 3-26for more information.
Service Brake System
If a problem occurs with the brake system this message
will appear on the DIC. The brake system warning
light and the anti-lock brake system warning light may
also be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-30and
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-31for
more information. If this message appears, stop as
soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display. If
the message is still displayed, or appears again when
you begin driving, the brake system needs service. See
Brakes on page 5-33for more information. Press the
select button to acknowledge this message and clear it
from the display.
3-53

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 are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.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 is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-31.
4-7

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 front wheel and at
both rear wheels.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.
4-8