2004 SATURN VUE towing

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Driver Behavior..............................................4-2
Driving Environment........................................4-2
Vehicle Design...............................................4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-3
Drunken Driving.............................................4-4
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-7
Braking.........................................................4-7
Traction Control System (TCS).......................4-10
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
Off Paved Roads.......................................4-18
Driving at Night............................................4-30Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-32
City Driving..................................................4-35
Freeway Driving...........................................4-36
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-37
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-38
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-38
Winter Driving..............................................4-40
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-44
Towing..........................................................4-46
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-46
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-46
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-49
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-54
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-55
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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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 transaxle 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 transaxle
back and forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.”
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-76.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-10.
Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and
a forward gear (or with a manual transaxle, between
FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R)),
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle 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 recovery hook if your vehicle has one.
If you do need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle
on page 4-46.
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Vehicles Equipped with VTi Variable
Transmission
If you press too hard on the accelerator pedal, you may
not be able to shift into DRIVE (D) or REVERSE (R).
If this happens, release the accelerator pedal, then shift
to the gear you want.
Recovery Hook
Contact your retailer if you would like to have a recovery
hook installed on your vehicle.
The recovery hook is located at the rear of your vehicle.
It can only be used for pulling your vehicle out if it is
stuck, not for towing the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
The recovery hook, when used, is under a lot
of force. Always pull the vehicle straight out.
Never pull on the hook at a sideways angle. The
hook could break off and you or others could be
injured from the chain or cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery hook to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by warranty.
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Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing” following in this section.Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would
prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll want to
make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on page 4-37.
Dinghy Towing (All-Wheel Drive and
Front-Wheel Drive with VTi Transaxle)
Any all-wheel drive vehicles or front-wheel drive vehicles
equipped with the VTi transaxle should not be towed
with all four wheels on the ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on a platform trailer
with all four wheels off of the ground.
Front-wheel drive vehicles equipped with the VTi
variable transaxle, manual transaxle or ve-speed
automatic transaxle may also be towed from the front by
putting the front wheels on a dolly. See “Dolly Towing”
later in this section.
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Dinghy Towing (Manual or Five-Speed
Automatic Transaxle*)
To tow your vehicle from the front with all four wheels
on the ground, do the following:
1. Position and attach the vehicle to tow it behind the
recreational vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to ACC.
3. Turn fog lamps and all accessories off.
4. If you have the manual transaxle, shift your
transaxle to NEUTRAL and let the engine run
for three minutes, then turn it off.Notice:Towing your vehicle after shifting the
ve-speed automatic transaxle from anything other
than DRIVE (D) to NEUTRAL (N) can cause internal
damage to the automatic transaxle. Always shift the
ve-speed automatic transaxle from DRIVE (D) to
NEUTRAL (N) as the last shift before towing.
5. If you have the automatic ve-speed transaxle, shift
your transaxle from DRIVE (D) to NEUTRAL and let
the engine run for three minutes, then turn it off.
6. Locate and remove the large IGNITION fuse from
the underhood fuse block. See “Instrument Panel
Fuse Block” underFuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 5-98.
Notice:If you tow your vehicle without performing
each of the steps listed under “Dinghy Towing,”
you could damage the automatic transaxle. Be sure
to follow all steps of the dinghy towing procedure
prior to and after towing your vehicle.
Notice:If you tow your vehicle for more than
eight hours per day or at speeds greater than
65 mph (105 km/h), you could damage the automatic
transaxle. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle for
extended periods of time or at speeds greater
than 65 mph (105 km/h).
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Once you have reached your destination, do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transaxle to FIRST (1) for manual
transaxle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK and remove the
key from the ignition.
4. Replace the large IGNITION fuse.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage
the transaxle. Be sure that the transaxle uid is
at the proper level before towing with all four wheels
on the ground.
Notice:Don’t tow a vehicle with the front drive
wheels on the ground if one of the front tires is a
compact spare tire. Towing with two different
tire sizes on the front of the vehicle can cause
severe damage to the transaxle.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel Drive Vehicles)
All-wheel drive vehicles should not be towed from the
front with two wheels on the ground. To properly
tow these vehicles, they should be placed on a platform
trailer with all four wheels off of the ground.
Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel Drive
Vehicles)
To tow your front-wheel drive vehicle from the front with
two wheels on the ground, do the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. If you have a ve-speed automatic transaxle or
VTi variable transaxle, move the shift lever to
PARK (P). If you have a manual transaxle, move
the shift lever to SECOND (2).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
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4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear could
damage it. Also, repairs would not be covered by
the warranty. Never have your vehicle towed
from the rear.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication/Tire label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, and it can
change the way your vehicle handles. These
could cause you to lose control and crash.
Also, overloading can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
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4. The resulting gure equals the available amount
of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there
will be ve 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400−750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-55for important
information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules
and trailering tips.
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity
Weight for Example 1=1,000 lbs. (453 kg)
BSubtract
Occupant Weight
150 lbs. (68 kg)×2=300 lbs. (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant
and Cargo Weight =700 lbs. (317 kg) Example 1
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