
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare
from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so much
road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes
moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as the headlamps should be checked
regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be
examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not
even aware of it.
4-32

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
4-36

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do
not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road in less than a second, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. SeeOff-Road
Driving on page 4-19for information about driving off-road.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
4-38

Driving with a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you have a rear-most window open and you
pull a trailer with your vehicle, carbon
monoxide (CO) could come into your vehicle.
You can not see or smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness or death. SeeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-34. To maximize your safety
when towing a trailer:
Have your exhaust system inspected for
leaks, and make necessary repairs before
starting on your trip.
Keep the rear-most windows closed.
If exhaust does come into your vehicle
through a window in the rear or another
opening, drive with your front, main
heating or cooling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This will bring fresh,
outside air into your vehicle. Do not use
the climate control setting for maximum air
because it only recirculates the air inside
your vehicle. SeeDual Climate Control
System on page 3-20.Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connection, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
4-64

Locking Rear Axle............................................ 4-9
Lockout Protection..........................................2-12
Locks
Delayed Locking........................................... 2-9
Door ........................................................... 2-8
Lockout Protection.......................................2-12
Power Door .................................................. 2-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-10
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-12
Loss of Control...............................................4-18
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-49
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-57
Lumbar
Manual Controls............................................ 1-3
Power Controls............................................. 1-4
MMaintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-9
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-9
At Least Once a Year..................................6-10
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Maintenance Footnotes.................................. 6-7
Maintenance Record....................................6-15
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........6-14
Owner Checks and Services........................... 6-9Maintenance Schedule (cont.)
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.............6-12
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Using.......................................................... 6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-42
Manual Lumbar Controls.................................... 1-3
Manual Seats................................................... 1-2
Memory Seat.................................................2-62
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-54
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview with Compass....2-43
Automatic Dimming Rearview with Compass
and Temperature Display...........................2-44
Automatic Dimming Rearview with OnStar
®
and Compass..........................................2-39
Automatic Dimming Rearview with OnStar®,
Compass and Temperature Display.............2-40
Manual Rearview Mirror................................2-36
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®.............2-36
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar®,
Compass, and Temperature Display............2-37
Outside Convex Mirror.................................2-48
Outside Curb View Assist Mirror....................2-48
Outside Heated Mirrors................................2-48
Outside Manual Mirrors................................2-47
Outside Power Mirrors..................................2-47
MyGMLink.com................................................ 7-3
8

N
Navigation/Radio System, see
Navigation Manual.....................................3-124
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-19
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts............6-14
O
Odometer......................................................3-33
Odometer, Trip...............................................3-33
Off-Road Driving.............................................4-19
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-16
Oil
Change Engine Oil Light...............................3-46
Engine.......................................................5-16
Pressure Gage............................................3-45
Oil, Engine Oil Life System..............................5-20
Older Children, Restraints................................1-32
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-3
OnStar
®System, see OnStar®Manual...............2-49
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-27
Outlet(s), Accessory Power...............................3-19
Outside
Convex Mirror.............................................2-48
Curb View Assist Mirror................................2-48
Heated Mirrors............................................2-48Outside (cont.)
Manual Mirrors............................................2-47
Power Mirrors.............................................2-47
Overhead Console..........................................2-56
Owner Checks and Services.............................. 6-9
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
P
Paint, Damage...............................................5-99
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-32
Shifting Out of............................................2-33
Parking
Brake........................................................2-31
Over Things That Burn.................................2-34
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.....................3-36
Passenger Sensing System..............................1-67
Passing.........................................................4-16
Passlock
®......................................................2-18
Power
Accessory Outlet(s)......................................3-19
Door Locks.................................................. 2-9
Electrical System.......................................5-102
Lumbar Controls........................................... 1-4
Rear Quarter Windows.................................2-16
Reduced Engine Light..................................3-47
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-20
9

Power (cont.)
Seat ............................................................ 1-3
Steering Fluid.............................................5-36
Windows....................................................2-15
Pretensioners, Safety Belt................................1-31
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.................2-10
Q
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts.........1-18
R
Radiator Pressure Cap....................................5-28
Radios..........................................................3-66
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player...............3-141
Care of Your CD and DVD Player................3-142
Care of Your CDs and DVDs .......................3-142
Navigation/Radio System, see
Navigation Manual..................................3-124
Radio with Cassette and CD.........................3-96
Radio with CD....................................3-68, 3-80
Radio with Six-Disc CD..............................3-110
Rear Seat Audio........................................3-137
Setting the Time..........................................3-68
Theft-Deterrent..........................................3-139
Understanding Reception............................3-140
Rainsense™ Wipers.......................................... 3-9
Reading Lamps..............................................3-18Rear Axle......................................................5-47
Locking........................................................ 4-9
Rear Climate Control System............................3-28
Rear Compartment Storage Panel/Cover............2-58
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-12
Rear Floor Storage Lid....................................2-60
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides......................1-28
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)..................................3-137
Rear Seat Entertainment System.....................3-124
Rear Seat Operation......................................... 1-9
Rear Seat Passengers, Safety Belts..................1-26
Rear Windshield Washer/Wiper.........................3-10
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming
with Compass.............................................2-43
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
Compass and Temperature Display................2-44
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
OnStar
®and Compass.................................2-39
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
OnStar
®, Compass and Temperature Display.....2-40
Rearview Mirror with OnStar®...........................2-36
Rearview Mirror with OnStar®, Compass,
and Temperature Display..............................2-37
Rearview Mirrors.............................................2-36
Reclining Seatbacks.......................................... 1-5
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.................6-12
Recreational Vehicle Towing.............................4-50
Reduced Engine Power Light............................3-47
Remote Keyless Entry System............................ 2-5
Remote Keyless Entry System, Operation............ 2-6
10