2006 GMC YUKON Owner's Manual

StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with the StabiliTrak®
system which combines antilock 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 ensure 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. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately
two miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed. If the vehicle has gone through
heavy acceleration or braking during the rst two miles
after starting your vehicle, the STABILITY SYS
DISABLED message may appear. If this is the case,
your vehicle does not need servicing. Turn your
vehicle off and back on again to reset the system.
If either message appears on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), and your vehicle hasn’t gone through
hard acceleration or braking in the rst two miles, your
vehicle should be taken in for service.The STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) only when the
system is both on and activated. You may also feel or
hear the system working; this is normal. For more
information on the stability messages, seeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-52.
The StabiliTrak
®button
is located on the
instrument panel.
StabiliTrak
®and part of the traction control system can
be turned off or back on by pressing the StabiliTrak®
button. The vehicle must be in 2HI, 4HI or AUTO 4WD
to turn the system on or off.
When the system is turned off, the traction off light
will illuminate, and the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message will appear on the DIC to warn the driver
that both the stability system and part of the traction
control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when StabiliTrak
®is off, but
will not be able to use the engine speed management
system. See “Traction Control Operation” next for
more information.
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When the StabiliTrak®system has been turned off,
you may still hear system noises as a result of
the brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, 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. It may also be necessary to turn off
the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions
where high wheel spin is required. SeeIf Your Vehicle
is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-44.
When the transfer case is in 4LO, the stability system
is automatically disabled, and the STABILITY SYS
DISABLED message will appear on the DIC. In 4LO,
the StabiliTrak
®button only turns the traction control
system on and off.
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, and it will activate
and display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC) if it senses that any of
the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If you turn off StabiliTrak
®, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this state, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This
can cause the brake-traction control to activate
constantly. For more information on the traction active
message, seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-52.
Notice:If the traction off light comes on due to
heavy braking and/or because the traction control
system has been continuously active, do not
allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin excessively.
If you do, you may be causing damage to the
transfer case. This could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty.
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 SYS LIMITED message will be displayed.
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In the limited mode, the traction-control system will only
use engine traction-control and is limited in it’s 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.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the traction off, ABS
and brake warning lights and the SERVICE
STABILITY message are displayed, you could
damage the transfer case. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Reduce engine power
and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights and this message are displayed.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, you may
notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise
or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will
appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC), and
the cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use cruise again, you
may re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-11.StabiliTrak®may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject
to the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you will understand this.
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The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you
are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. SeeStabiliTrak
®System
on page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your
front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through
the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed.
Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the straightaway.Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and nd
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You
can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action — steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel
at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
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Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a
better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and
lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.A broken center line usually indicates it is all
right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear.
Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or
a double solid line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you are following a larger
vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do
not get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into
the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will
have a running start that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
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If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone is not
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder
and check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. Remember that if
your passenger side outside mirror is convex, the
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther
away from you than it really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ashing,
it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
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.
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Remember: StabiliTrak®helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-9.
If the StabiliTrak®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.
Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive or all-wheel drive. Also, seeBraking on page 4-6.
If your vehicle does not have four-wheel drive or
all-wheel drive, you should not drive off-road unless
you are on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some denite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this guide.
You will nd many driving tips and suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
If you think you will need some more ground clearance
at the front of your vehicle, you can remove the front
bumper lower air dam.
4-16