4(Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service,
MP3, and RDS Features):Press the information
button to display additional text information
related to the current FM-RDS or XM™ station, or
MP3 song. A choice of additional information
such as: Channel, Song, Artist, and CAT
(category) can appear. Continue pressing the
information button to highlight the desired label, or
press the pushbutton positioned under any one
of the labels and the information about that
label displays.
When information is not available, No Info
displays.
Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to
your favorite stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls, if the
vehicle has them. SeeDefensive Driving on
page 322.
FAV (Favorites):A maximum of 36 stations can
be programmed as favorites using the
six pushbuttons positioned below the radio station
frequency labels and by using the radio favorites
page button (FAV button).Press the FAV button to go through up to
six pages of favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each page of favorites
can contain any combination of AM, FM, or
XM™ (if equipped) stations. To store a station as
a favorite, perform the following steps:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page
where you want the station stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six pushbuttons
until a beep sounds. When that pushbutton
is pressed and released, the station that was
set, returns.
4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton radio
station you want stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites pages can be setup using
the MENU button. To setup the number of
favorites pages, perform the following steps:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the pushbutton located below the
FAV 1-6 label.
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PROG (Program):Press this button to go to the
next preset radio station or channel set on the
main radio. This function is inactive, with
some radios, if the front seat passengers are
listening to the radio.
When a CD or DVD audio is playing, press this
button to go to the beginning of the CD or DVD
audio. This function is inactive, with some radios, if
the front seat passengers are listening to the disc.
When a disc audio is playing in the CD or DVD
changer, press this button to select the next disc, if
multiple discs are loaded. This function is inactive,
with some radios, if the front seat passengers are
listening to the disc.
When a DVD video menu is being displayed, press
the PROG button to perform the menu function,
enter.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of
your vehicle’s radio. The feature works
automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identi cation Number (VIN). If the radio is
moved to a different vehicle, it does not operate
and LOCKED displays.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has audio
steering wheel controls,
they could differ
depending on the
vehicle’s options. Some
audio controls can
be adjusted at
the steering wheel.
They include the
following:
xw(Next/Previous):Press the up or the down
arrow to go to the next or to the previous radio
station stored as a favorite.
While a CD/DVD is playing, press the up or the
down arrow to go to the next or previous track or
chapter.
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Your Driving, the Road,
and Your Vehicle..................................... 322
Defensive Driving...................................... 322
Drunken Driving........................................ 323
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 326
Braking...................................................... 326
Antilock Brake System (ABS).................... 327
Braking in Emergencies............................. 329
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 329
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 332
Steering.................................................... 332
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 334
Passing..................................................... 335
Loss of Control.......................................... 336
Driving at Night......................................... 337Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 339
City Driving............................................... 342
Freeway Driving........................................ 342
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 343
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 344
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 345
Winter Driving........................................... 347
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 352
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 352
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 353
Towing........................................................ 358
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 358
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 358
Towing a Trailer........................................ 362
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
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Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your
vehicle while driving — brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control
systems than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of your vehicle. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 329.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 377.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 217.
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 the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
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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.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle has the StabiliTrak®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.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the
StabiliTrak
®light along with one of the following
messages will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC): TRACTION CONTROL
OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
SERVICE STABILITRAK. If you see these
conditions, turn the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds,
and then turn it back on again to reset the system.
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All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has this feature, engine power is
sent to all four wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is
no separate lever or switch to engage or
disengage the front axle. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road conditions.
When using a compact spare tire on your AWD
equipped vehicle, the AWD system automatically
detects the presence of the compact spare and the
AWD is disabled. To restore the AWD operation
and prevent excessive wear on the clutch in your
AWD system, replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 463for more information.
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.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on
the condition of the tires and the road surface, the
angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one
factor you can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to
do their work where the tires meet the road.
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Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 329.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up
on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you
should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted
speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while
the front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive”
through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of
the curve, and then accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 377.
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 326. 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.
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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.
Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your vehicle’s right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off
the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge
of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering
wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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