2007 HUMMER H2 traction control

Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it is
one of those hills that is just too steep to climb,
descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a
smooth, constant incline with only a small change in
elevation where you can easily see all the way to
the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper
as you near the top, but you may not see this
because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you
approach a hill:
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will
the surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so
you will not have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can
block your path, such as boulders, trees, logs,
or ruts?
What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It is the smart
way to nd out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often
have ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks
because they are more susceptible to the
effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill,
you need to take some special steps:
Use transmission and transfer case low gear
and get a rm grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to
maintain your speed. Do not use more power
than you need, because you do not want
your wheels to start spinning or sliding.
Let the traction system work to control any
wheel slippage. The traction control system
allows for moderate wheel spin with some
capability to dig in and power up the hill.
328

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand, your
wheels will not get good traction. You cannot
accelerate as quickly, turning is more difficult, and
you will need longer braking distances.
It is best to use a low gear when you are in
mud —the deeper the mud, the lower the gear.
In really deep mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle
moving so you do not get stuck. Be careful to keep
mud from building up and washing onto the engine
cooling system.
When you drive on sand, you will sense a change
in wheel traction. But it will depend upon how
loosely packed the sand is. On loosely packed
sand, such as on beaches or sand dunes,
your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating, and braking.
Drive at a reduced speed and avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire
traction. On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose
control. On wet ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will have difficulty accelerating.
And if you do get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can cause you to slide out of
control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers
can be dangerous. Underwater springs,
currents under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle could
fall through the ice and you and your
passengers could drown. Drive your
vehicle on safe surfaces only.
336

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.
The Traction Control System (TCS) improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. If you are driving in deep snow, turn
your TCS to the TC2 mode. It will improve your
ability to accelerate. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 357.
Even though your vehicle has TCS, you will
want to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may
want to turn the TCS off, such as when driving
through deep snow and loose gravel, to help
maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 309.
354

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
Your vehicle has a traction control system that
will activate when the system senses that
the wheels are spinning. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 309for more information.
Then, with the wheels straight ahead, shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little
as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to
be towed out. Or, you can use the recovery loops.
If your vehicle does need to be towed out, see
Towing Your Vehicle on page 369.
Recovery Loops
{CAUTION:
These loops, when used, are under a lot
of force. Keep people away from the
vicinity of the loops and any chains or
cables during use. Always pull the vehicle
straight out. Never pull on the loops at a
sideways angle. The loops could break off
and you or others could be injured from
the chain or cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery loops to tow
the vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged
and it would not be covered by warranty.
358

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all
GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and
safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems
like anti-lock brakes, traction control and
stability control. Some of these accessories may
even cause malfunction or damage not covered
by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle.
Your GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories. When you go to
your GM dealer and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained and supported
service technicians will perform the work using
genuine GM Accessories.
392

Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires
for your vehicle. The original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle, when it was new,
were designed to meet General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria Specication (TPC spec)
system rating. If you need replacement tires,
GM strongly recommends that you get tires with
the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to
give the same performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire manufacturer.
If the tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC spec number will be followed by a MS,
for mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on
page 449for additional information.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types (radial and
bias-belted tires) the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes, brands,
or types may also cause damage to your
vehicle. Be sure to use the correct size,
brand, and type of tires on your vehicle’s
wheels.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.
460

If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information label. This label
is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar).
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 362, for
more information about the Tire and Loading
Information label.
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size
than your original equipment wheels and tires,
this may affect the way your vehicle performs,
including its braking, ride and handling
characteristics, stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction control,
and electronic stability control, the performance
of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable
level of performance and safety if tires
not recommended for those wheels are
selected. You may increase the chance
that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use GM specic wheel and
tire systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a
GM certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 460and
Accessories and Modications on page 392for
additional information.
461

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform to
federal safety requirements and additional General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half (1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart signicantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
462