2004 HUMMER H2 traction control

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels will
not get good traction. You can not accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and you will need longer
braking distances.
It is best to use a low gear when you are in mud — the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep
mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you do
not get stuck. Be careful to keep mud from building
up and washing onto the engine cooling system.
When you drive on sand, you will sense a change in
wheel traction. But it will depend upon how loosely
packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink
into the sand. This has an effect on steering,
accelerating and braking. Drive at a reduced speed and
avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you
will have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get
moving, poor steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.
4-39

What is the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is
about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow — drive with caution.Your Traction Control System will help you to maintain
control of the vehicle when you accelerate on a
slippery road. If you are driving in deep snow, turn your
traction system to the TC2 mode. It will improve your
ability to accelerate. SeeIf You Are Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-56. Even though your
vehicle has a traction system, you will want to slow down
and adjust your driving to the road conditions. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Even though you have an anti-lock braking system, you
will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. SeeBraking on page 4-6.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can not reach:
around clumps of trees, behind buildings or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or
an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead
of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
4-53

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you are stuck, but
you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For more information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-75.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Your vehicle
has a Traction Control System that will activate when the
system senses that the wheels are spinning. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9for more
information. Then, with the wheels straight ahead, shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
Or, you can use your recovery loops. If you do need
to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-65.
4-56

You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certication/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label. For examples of these labels and their
location on your vehicle, seeLoading Your Vehicle on
page 4-67.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a
Tire Performance Criteria Specication (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
General Motors recommends that you get tires with that
same TPC Spec number. That way your vehicle will
continue to have tires that are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating, load range, traction,ride and other things during normal service on your
vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread design, the
TPC number will be followed by an “MS” (for mud
and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose 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.
5-71

{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges 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-typesnow 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.
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 specied 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 signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
5-72

Traction – AA, A, B, 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 specied 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 specied 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 inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
5-73

Instrument Panel
Cluster.......................................................3-27
Overview..................................................... 3-2
Instrument Panel Brightness.............................3-16
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-103
Interior Lamps................................................3-16
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-43
K
KEYFOB X BATTERY LOW.............................3-61
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-3
Keys............................................................... 2-2
L
Lamps
Exterior......................................................3-13
Interior.......................................................3-16
Lamps On Reminder.......................................3-14
Lap-Shoulder Belt...........................................1-22
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-50
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-52Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running . . . 2-31
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR................................3-61
Liftgate..........................................................2-13
Light
Air Bag Off .................................................3-30
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-28
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-34
Brake System Warning.................................3-33
Charging System.........................................3-32
Cruise Control.............................................3-42
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-43
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-38
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-28
Security.....................................................3-42
Tow/Haul Mode...........................................3-42
Traction Off................................................3-35
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-67
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving..........4-22
Locking Rear Axle...........................................4-11
Lockout Protection..........................................2-12
Locks
Delayed Locking........................................... 2-9
Door........................................................... 2-7
Lockout Protection.......................................2-12
Power Door.................................................. 2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks............... 2-9
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-11
Loss of Control...............................................4-16
LOW COOLANT LEVEL..................................3-57
8

Sunroof.........................................................2-50
Suspension....................................................4-74
T
Tachometer....................................................3-28
Taillamps.......................................................5-57
Temperature Display........................................2-35
Testing the Alarm............................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-88
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-16
Passlock
®...................................................2-18
Third Row Seat..............................................1-10
TIGHTEN FUEL CAP......................................3-59
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-5
Tilting the Seat...............................................1-11
Tire Sidewall Labeling......................................5-60
Tire Size.......................................................5-64
Tire Terminology and Denitions........................5-65
Tires.............................................................5-60
Buying New Tires........................................5-71
Chains.......................................................5-75
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-79
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-78
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-68
Inspection and Rotation................................5-69
Spare Tire..................................................5-92
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-72Tires (cont.)
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-73
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-74
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-70
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-21
Top Strap......................................................1-48
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-49
Torque Lock...................................................2-32
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires..................4-79
Tow/Haul Mode...............................................2-25
Tow/Haul Mode Light.......................................3-42
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-65
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-75
Your Vehicle...............................................4-65
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-9
Off Light.....................................................3-35
TRACTION ACTIVE........................................3-59
Trailer Recommendations.................................4-75
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-81
Trailer Wiring Harness.....................................4-84
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE.............................3-60
Transfer Case................................................5-48
Transfer Case Buttons.....................................2-25
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Temperature Gage.......................................3-36
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