
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM
signals, causing the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM,
tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite
radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out.
In addition, traveling or standing under heavy
foliage, bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause
loss of the XM™ signal for a period of time.
The radio may display NO SIGNAL to indicate
interference.
Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from
direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the
bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a
CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken,
or scratched, the CD will not play properly or not
at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a
soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in
a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with
water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process
starts from the center to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while
handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up
CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of
the hole and the outer edge.
Care of the CD and DVD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens
of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the
CD mechanism.
343

This warning light will
come on to let you
know if there is
a problem with your
traction control system.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
If the SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message in
the DIC comes on and stays on or comes on
while you are driving, there’s a problem with your
traction control system. Have the traction
control system serviced by your GM dealer as
soon as possible.
When this warning message is on, the TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message in the DIC will come
on to remind you that the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.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 378andIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 377.
To turn the system off,
press the traction
control button located
on the center of
the instrument panel.
354

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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modi cations on page 400for more information.
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. 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.
355

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 transaxle. 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 CONTROL ACTIVE
message will appear on the 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 177.
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.
357

When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After
driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may
tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If
you must start when you are not fresh — such
as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too
many miles that rst part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily
drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out.Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts in GM dealerships all across North
America. They will be ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir
full? Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you
checked all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses
clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough
for long-distance driving? Are the tires
all in ated to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather
outlook along your route? Should you
delay your trip a short time to avoid a major
storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
370

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.
371

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing
service if you need to have your disabled vehicle
towed. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on
page 532.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes (such as behind
a motorhome), see “Recreational Vehicle
Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your
vehicle behind another vehicle – such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common types of
recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy
towing” (towing your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground) and “dolly towing” (towing
your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device know as a “dolly”).With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See
“Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following.
Here are some important things to consider before
you do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing
vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle
manufacturer’s recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they
can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and equipment
recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as
you would prepare your vehicle for a long
trip, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is
prepared to be towed. SeeBefore Leaving on
a Long Trip on page 370.
384

Dinghy Towing
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with
all of its wheels on the ground. It can be towed
with the two rear wheels on the ground. See “Dolly
Towing” following for more information.
Dolly Towing
To dolly tow your vehicle, do the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove
the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a clamping device designed for
towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
Level Control
With this feature, the rear of the vehicle is
automatically kept level as you load or unload
your vehicle. However, you should still not exceed
the GVWR or the GAWR. SeeLoading Your
Vehicle on page 378.
You may hear the compressor operating when you
load or unload your vehicle, and periodically as
the system self-adjusts. This is normal. The
compressor should operate for brief periods of
time. If the sound continues for an extended period
of time, your vehicle needs service.
Using heavier suspension components to get
added durability might not change your weight
ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load
your vehicle the right way.
385