2005 SATURN RELAY warning

The traction control system automatically comes 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
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 4-30andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow on page 4-30.
To turn the system off,
press the traction control
button located on the
center of the instrument
panel.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the
button, the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message
will go off, but the system will not turn off until there is no
longer a current need to limit wheel spin. The
TRACTION CONTROL OFF message will come on to
remind you the system is off. You can turn the
system back on at any time by pressing the button
again. The traction control system warning message
should go off.StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with StabiliTrak®which
combines anti-lock brake, traction and stability
control systems and helps the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the SERVICE
STABILITY SYSTEM message will be displayed on
the Driver information Center (DIC). If the vehicle has
gone through heavy acceleration or braking or multiple
turns during the rst two miles of driving after starting
your vehicle, the STABILITY CONTROL OFF message
may appear on the DIC. If this is the case, your
vehicle does not need servicing. You will need to turn
the vehicle off and then restart it to initialize StabiliTrak
®.
If either message appears on the DIC, and your
vehicle has not gone through hard acceleration, braking
or multiple turns in the rst two miles of driving, your
vehicle should be taken in for service.
The STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE message will
appear on the DIC only when the system is both on and
activated. It means that an advanced computer-controlled
system has come on to help your vehicle continue to go
in the direction in which you are steering.
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StabiliTrak®activates when the computer senses that
your vehicle is just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a
patch of ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the
system activates, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration
in the brake pedal. This is normal. When the STABILITY
CONTROL ACTIVE message is on, you should continue
to steer in the direction you want to go. The system is
designed to help you in bad weather or other difficult
driving situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit. For more information on the
stability messages, seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-43.
If the StabiliTrak
®system turns off, the traction control
system warning light will illuminate, and the STABILITY
CONTROL OFF message will appear on the DIC to
warn the driver that StabiliTrak
®is no longer available
to assist you with directional control of the vehicle.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize the full benets of the
stability enhancement system, you should normally
leave traction control on, but it may be necessary to turn
the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud,
ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your vehicle
to attempt to free it. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It
Out on page 4-30andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-30.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak®
system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle. It will activate and display
the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message in the
DIC if it senses that any of the wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction while driving an all-wheel-drive
vehicle, or if one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction while driving a
front-wheel-drive vehicle.
If the brake traction-control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high-speed
braking, brake traction-control will be disabled and the
TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will be
displayed. In the limited mode, the traction control
system will only use engine traction-control and is limited
in its ability to provide optimal performance since the
system will not utilize brake traction-control to control
slip on the drive wheels. The system will return to normal
operation after the brakes have cooled. This can take
up to two minutes or longer depending on brake usage.
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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
are not 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.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control 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.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will 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.
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Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps — not just your
parking lamps — to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-52.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and energy.
SeeFreeway Driving on page 4-22.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 5-52.Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight, a red
cloth, and a couple of reective warning triangles. And,
if you will be driving under severe conditions, include
a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of
burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You
will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be
very careful.
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Service
Your Saturn retailer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go to your
retailer for all your service needs. You will get genuine
Saturn parts and Saturn-trained and supported
service people.
We hope you will want to keep your Saturn vehicle
all Saturn.
Genuine Saturn parts have one of these marks.
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
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{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open
the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll the
tank and wait a few seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle. Clean fuel
from painted surfaces as soon as possible. See
Washing Your Vehicle on page 5-91.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise until it
clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. This would allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-38.The CHECK GAS CAP message will be displayed in the
Driver Information Center (DIC) if the fuel cap is not
properly installed. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-49for more information.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling, do not
remove the nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by notifying the
station attendant. Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not t properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-38.
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