Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning
light will come on when you set the parking brake.
If you try to drive with the parking brake engaged,
a chime will sound when the vehicle speed is
greater than 3 mph (5 km/h).
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts. If one part is not working, the other
part can still work and stop you. For good
braking, though, you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds
there could be a brake problem. Have your brake
system inspected right away.
This light may also come on due to low brake uid.
SeeBrakes on page 463for more information.This light should come on brie y when you turn
the ignition key to RUN. If it does not come
on then, have it xed so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off
the road and stop carefully. You may notice
that the pedal is harder to push or may go closer
to the oor. It may take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle towed for service.
SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 400.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light
is on. Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you have pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
United StatesCanada
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come on when you start
your engine and may
stay on for several
seconds.
That’s normal. If the light does not come on then,
have it xed so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.If the light stays on, or comes on when you are
driving, your vehicle needs service. You will
also hear a chime sound when the light is on
steady. If the regular brake system warning light is
not on, you still have brakes, but you do not
have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on you do not have anti-lock
brakes and there is a problem with your regular
brakes. In addition to both lights, you will also hear
a chime sound on the rst occurrence of a
problem and each time the vehicle is shut off and
then restarted. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 232.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should
come on brie y when you turn the ignition
key to RUN. If the light does not come on then,
have it xed so it will be ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
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SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
On some vehicles, if there is a problem with the
battery charging system, this message will display.
Under certain conditions, the battery warning
light may also turn on in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light on page 230.
Driving with this problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories. Have
the electrical system checked as soon as possible.
See your GM dealer.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will display along with the brake system
warning light. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 232. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message on
the DIC display. If the message is still displayed
or appears again when you begin driving, the
brake system needs service as soon as possible.
See your GM dealer.
SERVICE BRAKES SOON
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will display. If this message appears,
stop as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed
or appears again when you begin driving, the
brake system needs service. See your GM dealer.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system, this message will display
if there is a problem with the URPA system. Do not
use this system to help you park. SeeUltrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) on page 205for more
information. See your GM dealer for service.
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SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when there is a problem with the traction
control system. When this message is displayed,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly. See your GM dealer for
service. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 348
for more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when you turn off StabiliTrak®, or when
the stability control has been automatically
disabled. To limit wheel spin and realize the full
bene ts of the stability enhancement system, you
should normally leave StabiliTrak
®on. However,
you should turn StabiliTrak®off if your vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and you want
to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if you
are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 388.
To turn the StabiliTrak
®system on or off, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 348.There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear.
One condition is overheating, which could
occur if StabiliTrak®activates continuously
for an extended period of time.
The message will also be displayed if the
brake system warning light is on. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 232.
The message could be displayed if the stability
system takes longer than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving conditions.
If an engine or vehicle related problem has
been detected and the vehicle needs
service, the message will appear. See your
GM dealer.
The message will also appear if the vehicle is
shifted into 4LO.
The message will turn off as soon as the conditions
that caused the message to be displayed are no
longer present.
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Notice:The chime signals related to safety
belts, parking brake, and other functions
of your vehicle operate through the
radio/entertainment system. If that equipment
is replaced or additional equipment is added
to your vehicle, the chimes may not work. Make
sure that replacement or additional equipment
is compatible with your vehicle before
installing it. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 426.
Your vehicle may have a feature called Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio
system can be played even after the ignition
is turned off. SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 138for more information.Setting the Time (Radio with a
Single CD Player)
If your vehicle has a radio with a single CD player,
the radio will have a clock button for setting the
time and date.
To set the time and date, follow the instructions
below:
1. Press the clock button and the HR, MIN, MM,
DD, YYYY (hour, minute, month, day, and
year) will appear on the display.
2. Press the pushbutton located under any one
of the labels that you want to change. Every
time the pushbutton is pressed again, the time
or the date if selected, will increase by one.
Another way to increase the time or date, is
to press the right SEEK arrow or the FWD
button.
3. To decrease, press the left SEEK arrow or the
REV button. You can also rotate the tune
knob to adjust the selected setting.
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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle.............................................340
Defensive Driving.......................................340
Drunken Driving.........................................341
Control of a Vehicle...................................344
Braking......................................................344
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)...................345
Braking in Emergencies..............................347
Locking Rear Axle......................................347
StabiliTrak
®System....................................348
Steering.....................................................351
Off-Road Recovery.....................................353
Passing......................................................353
Loss of Control..........................................355
Off-Road Driving.........................................356
Driving at Night..........................................373
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads.............375
City Driving................................................378
Freeway Driving.........................................379Before Leaving on a Long Trip...................380
Highway Hypnosis......................................381
Hill and Mountain Roads............................382
Winter Driving............................................384
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow...........................................388
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out............388
Recovery Hooks.........................................389
Loading Your Vehicle.................................390
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar
Equipment..............................................396
Towing.........................................................400
Towing Your Vehicle..................................400
Recreational Vehicle Towing.......................401
Level Control..............................................404
Autoride
®....................................................405
Towing a Trailer.........................................405
Trailer Recommendations...........................422
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
339
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. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 348.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modi cations on page 426.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 232.
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 your 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. Your brakes may
not have time to cool between hard stops. Your
brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of
heavy braking.
344
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 engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump your brakes.
If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down.
If your 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
Modi cations on page 426.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 233.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP
problem, both the brake and ABS warning lights will
come on accompanied by a 10-second chime. The
lights and chime will come on each time the ignition
is turned on until the problem is repaired. See your
dealer for service.
345