2007 GMC ACADIA Owner's Manual

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 vehicle’s mirrors
and 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.
353

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.
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.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could
get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine assist
the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
354

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let the engine
do some of the slowing down. Shift to a
lower gear when you go down a steep or
long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift
down to a lower gear. The lower gears help
cool the engine and transmission, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not
swing wide or cut across the center of the
road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert.
There could be something in your lane,
like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains
that warn of special problems. Examples
are long grades, passing or no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area, or winding roads.
Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
355

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 435.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.
356

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires
meet the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the 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.What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
StabiliTrak
®improves your ability to accelerate
when driving on a slippery road. Even with
StabiliTrak
®, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to the road conditions. Under certain
conditions, you might want to turn the traction
control part of the StabiliTrak
®System off, such as
when driving through deep snow and loose
gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower
speeds. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 337and
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or
Snow on page 360.
357

The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 335.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice
ahead of you, brake before you are on it.
Try not to brake while you are actually on the
ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in
a serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow.
Here are some things to do to summon help
and keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on the hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets
or extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
358

You can run the engine to keep warm, but be
careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see
it or smell it, so you might not know it is
in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially
any that is blocking the exhaust pipe.
And check around again from time to time
to be sure snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.
Run the engine only as long as you must.
This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery charged.
359

You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
the headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as
little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want
to spin the wheels too fast. The method known
as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. And, the transmission or
other parts of the vehicle can overheat.
That could cause an engine compartment
re or other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy parts
of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting
the transmission back and forth, you can
destroy the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 456.
360