Setting Cruise Control
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the set button at the end of the lever and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
The accelerator pedal will not go down.
The cruise light on the
instrument panel cluster will
come on when the cruise
control is engaged.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch brie y from
on to resume/accelerate.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed
and stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate, the vehicle
will keep going faster until you release the switch or
apply the brake. So unless you want to go faster, don’t
hold the switch at resume/accelerate.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from on to resume/
accelerate. Hold it there until you get up to the speed
you want, and then release the switch. To increase
your speed in very small amounts, move the switch
brie y to resume/accelerate. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
3-13
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
Press in the set button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it. Each
time you do this, you’ll go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may want to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers nd this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise switch to off, or
Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-14
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems, so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take about one minute for
the automatic headlamp system to change to DRL if it is
light outside. During that delay, your instrument panel
cluster may not be as bright as usual. Make sure
your instrument panel brightness control is in the full
bright position.
To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp system
off, set the parking brake while the ignition is off. Then
start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp system will
stay off until you release the parking brake, shift out of
park or turn the exterior lamp control to the off position as
described in “Exterior Lamps” listed previously.Fog Lamps
Your vehicle may have this feature. Use your fog lamps
for better vision in foggy or misty conditions. Your
ignition must be in RUN for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is
located on the instrument
panel to the right of
the exterior lamps knob.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on. Press the
button again to turn them off. A light will glow near the
button while the fog lamps are on. Fog lamps will
turn off whenever your high-beam headlamps are on.
3-17
Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem. A chime
may also sound when the light comes on.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on brie y when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-51.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
United States
Canada
3-40
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. A chime may also
sound when the light
comes on.
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 3-40
earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on brie y 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.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area, it means that
your engine coolant has overheated. If you have been
operating your vehicle under normal driving conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-28for
more information.
United StatesCanada
3-41
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
If the passenger’s door is not fully closed, this message
will appear on the display and you will hear a chime.
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC. Press the select
button to acknowledge this message and clear it from
the DIC display.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
If the liftgate or liftglass is open while the ignition is in
RUN, this message will appear on the DIC and you will
hear a chime. Turn off the vehicle and check the
liftgate and liftglass. SeeLiftgate/Liftglass on page 2-13.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message on the
DIC display. Press the select button to acknowledge this
message and clear it from the DIC display.
RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the passenger’s side rear door is not fully closed this
message will appear on the display and you will
hear a chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the
door for obstacles, and close the door again. Check
to see if the message still appears on the DIC. Press the
select button to acknowledge this message and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have your
GM dealer inspect the system for problems. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-36andAirbag System on
page 1-48for more information. Press the select button
to acknowledge this message and clear it from the
DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If a problem occurs with the brake system this message
will appear on the DIC. 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 your GM dealer.
3-58
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-9
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-11
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle....................................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-30Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-31
City Driving..................................................4-34
Freeway Driving...........................................4-35
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-36
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-37
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-37
Winter Driving..............................................4-39
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . .4-43
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-44
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-44
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-51
Towing..........................................................4-51
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-51
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-51
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-56
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-8.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the
road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
4-2