2007 BUICK LACROSSE brake

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle.... 286
Defensive Driving...................................... 286
Drunken Driving........................................ 287
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 290
Braking...................................................... 290
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 291
Braking in Emergencies............................. 293
Traction Control System (TCS).................. 294
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).............. 295
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 296
Steering.................................................... 297
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 300
Passing..................................................... 300
Loss of Control.......................................... 302
Driving at Night......................................... 303
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 305City Driving............................................... 308
Freeway Driving........................................ 309
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 310
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 311
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 312
Winter Driving........................................... 314
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow ................................. 318
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 319
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 319
Towing........................................................ 325
Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 325
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 326
Towing a Trailer........................................ 327
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
285

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 294.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 341.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 186.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds
or more with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But even in
three-fourths of a second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.
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If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 341.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will
come on briey
when you start your
vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your ABS will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while this test is going on, and you may even
notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a
little. This is normal.
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Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each
wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
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Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal
or always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a
situation that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS, your
rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and
hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling.Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to your
steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped
rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to
squeeze the brakes hard without locking the
wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease
off the brake pedal. This will help you retain
steering control. If you do have ABS, it is different.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 291.
In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
293

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System
(TCS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The system
operates only if it senses that one or both of the
front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system works the
front brakes and reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin. It may also upshift the transaxle to limit
wheel spin. You may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
The TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) will be
displayed when the system is limiting wheel spin.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when the TCS
begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions
allow safe use of the cruise control, it can be used
again. SeeCruise Control on page 154.The TCS operates in all transaxle shift lever
positions. But the system can upshift the transaxle
only as high as the shift lever position that was
chosen, so use the lower gears only when
necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation
on page 114.
This light, along with the
TRACTION CONTROL
OFF message, will
display on the DIC for
three seconds when the
TCS is not on.
If there is a problem with the system, the
SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message will also
come on in the DIC. When this warning light is
on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
driving accordingly.
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The ETS operates in all transaxle shift lever
positions. But the system can upshift the transaxle
only as high as the chosen shift lever position,
so use the lower gears only when necessary. See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 114.
This light, along with the
TRACTION CONTROL
OFF message, will
display on the DIC for
three seconds when the
ETS is not on.
If there is a problem with the system, the
SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message will also
come on in the DIC. When this warning light is
on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the ETS on.
But you can turn the system off if you ever
need to. The ETS should be turned off if the
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and
rocking the vehicle is required.To turn the ETS on or off, press the ETS button
located above the radio.
When the ETS is turned off, the ETS warning light
will come on along with the TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message on the DIC. It will
disappear when the ETS is turned back on. If the
ETS is limiting wheel spin when the traction
control button is pressed, the ETS warning light
will come on and the ETS will turn off right away.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle
stability enhancement system called StabiliTrak®.
It is an advanced computer controlled system
that assists you with directional control of
the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®activates when the computer senses
a discrepancy between your intended path
and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak
®selectively applies braking pressure
at any one of the vehicle’s brakes to help steer the
vehicle in the direction which you are steering.
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When the system activates, a STABILITY
CONTROL ACTIVE message will be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 208. You may
also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle
in the direction you want it to go.
If there is a problem detected with StabiliTrak
®,a
SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM or STABILITY
CONTROL OFF message will be displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC). A warning light
will also appear on the instrument panel cluster.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 208.
When this message is displayed, the system is not
operational. Driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
StabiliTrak
®activates, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage
the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 154for more information.
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.
297