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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 the 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 antilock work for you.
You might hear the antilock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
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
reduces engine power and may also upshift
the transmission to limit wheel spin. You may feel
or hear the system working, but this is normal.
Also, the traction control system activates
the appropriate corner brakes to gain even quicker
control to limit wheel spin. The LOW TRACTION
message will appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when the traction control system is
limiting wheel spin.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control.
SeeCruise Control on page 145.
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Electronic Stability Control
Your vehicle may have an Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system which combines antilock
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 ensure 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. The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h). In
some cases, it may take approximately two
miles of driving before the system initializes.
The ESC light is located
on the instrument panel
cluster.If the system fails to turn on or activate, the ESC
light will be on solid, and the ESC OFF or
SERVICE ESC message will be displayed in the
DIC. If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking during the rst two miles
after starting your vehicle, these messages and the
ESC light may also appear. If this is the case,
your vehicle does not need servicing. Turn your
vehicle off and back on again to reset the system.
If the SERVICE ESC message appears on the
Driver Information Center (DIC), and your vehicle
hasn’t gone through hard acceleration or
braking in the rst two miles, your vehicle should
be taken in for service.
When the ESC off light is on and either the
SERVICE ESC or ESC OFF message is displayed,
the system will not assist the driver to maintain
directional control of the vehicle. Adjust your
driving accordingly. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 182
The traction control part of ESC can be turned off
or back on by pressing the ESC button. To
disable both traction control and ESC, press and
hold the button brie y.
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Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more
effective than braking. For example, you come
over a hill and nd a truck stopped in your lane, or
a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked cars and
stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That
is the time for evasive action — steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply the brakes. SeeBraking
on page 214. It is better to remove as much speed
as you can from a possible collision. Then steer
around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.An emergency like this requires close attention
and a quick decision. If you are holding the
steering wheel at the recommended 9 and
3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you
have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are
always possible is a good reason to practice
defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts
properly.
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Learn to recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, slow down and
keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They might cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
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The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS) on
page 215.
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
can 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 warning 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.
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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 your 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.
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Tire and Loading Information Label
A vehicle speci c Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar
(B-pillar). With the driver’s door open, you will nd
the label attached below the door lock post
(striker). The Tire and Loading Information label
lists the number of occupant seating positions (A),
and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.The Tire and Loading Information label also lists the
tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire in ation pressures (D). For
more information on tires and in ation, seeTires on
page 298andIn ation - Tire Pressure on page 304.
There is also important loading information on the
Certi cation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle, see
“Certi cation Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your
vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
Label Example
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4. To prevent the battery from draining while the
vehicle is being towed, remove the following
fuse from the instrument panel fuse block:
(IGN SENSOR). SeeInstrument Panel Fuse
Block on page 343for more information.
5. Turn the ignition key to ACC.
6. Shift your transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to reinstall the IGN SENSOR fuse
once you have reached your destination.
Notice:If you exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while
towing your vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while towing
your vehicle.Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs would not
be covered by the warranty. Never have your
vehicle towed from the rear.
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