2007 SATURN RELAY wheel

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio
controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel.
They include the following:
wtux(Seek):Press the up or the down
arrow to go to the next or previous station and
stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold either arrow for
two seconds until FREQUENCY SCAN appears
on the display. The radio will go to a station, play
for a few seconds, then go to the next station.
Press either arrow again to stop scanning.
The sound will mute while seeking or scanning.
The radio will only seek or scan stations with
a strong signal that are in the selected band.When a CD is playing, press either arrow to
go to the previous or next track, if more than
eight seconds have played. If either arrow is held or
pressed more than once, the player will continue
moving backward or forward through the CD.
BAND:Press this button to switch between FM1,
FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped).
1-6:Press this button to scan the stations that
are programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons.
The radio will go to the next preset station
stored on the pushbuttons, play for a few seconds,
then go on to the next preset station. Press this
button again to stop scanning. The radio will
only scan preset stations with a strong signal that
are in the selected band.
$(Mute):Press this button to silence the system.
Press this button again, to turn the sound on.
r(Play):When listening to the radio, press this
button to play a CD.
wux(Volume):Press the up or down arrow
to increase or decrease the volume.
353
ProCarManuals.com

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each
wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed
to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
364
ProCarManuals.com

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 your 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 anti-lock work for you.
You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, 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 has a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, the system brakes the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will
come on in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the traction control system is limiting wheel
spin. You may feel or hear the system working,
but this is normal.
365
ProCarManuals.com

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.
This warning light will
come on to let you
know if there is
a problem with your
traction control system.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
If the SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message in
the DIC comes on and stays on or comes on
while you are driving, there’s a problem with your
traction control system. Have the traction
control system serviced by your Saturn retailer as
soon as possible.
When this warning message is on, the TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message in the DIC will come
on to remind you that the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you
should always leave the system on. But you
can turn the traction control system off if you ever
need to. You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and
rocking the vehicle is required. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 391andIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 390.
To turn the system off,
press the traction
control button located
on the center of
the instrument panel.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press the button, the TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message will go off, but the system will
not turn off until there is no longer a current
need to limit wheel spin. The TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message will come on to remind
you the system is off.
366
ProCarManuals.com

When the STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE
message is on, you should continue to steer in the
direction you want to go. The system is designed
to help you in bad weather or other difficult driving
situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit. For more information on the
stability messages, seeDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 234.
If the StabiliTrak
®system turns off, the traction
control system warning light will illuminate, and
the STABILITY CONTROL OFF message
will appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
StabiliTrak
®is no longer available to assist you
with directional control of the vehicle. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
To realize the full benets of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak
®on, but it may be necessary to
turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your
vehicle to attempt to free it. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 391and
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or
Snow on page 390.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
StabiliTrak®system. Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power to the wheels
(engine speed management) and by applying
brakes.
The traction control system is enabled
automatically when you start your vehicle. It will
activate and display the TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message in the DIC if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction while driving.
If the brake traction-control system activates
constantly or if the brakes have heated up due
to high-speed braking, brake traction-control will be
disabled and the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
message will be displayed. In the limited mode,
the traction control system will only use engine
traction-control and is limited in its ability to provide
optimal performance since the system will not
utilize brake traction-control to control slip on the
drive wheels. The system will return to normal
operation after the brakes have cooled. This can
take up to two minutes or longer depending
on brake usage.
368
ProCarManuals.com

The traction control system may activate on
dry or rough roads or under conditions such as
heavy acceleration while turning or abrupt
upshifts/downshifts of the transaxle. When this
happens you may notice a reduction in
acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration.
This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE
message will appear on the DIC and the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use cruise again,
you may re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise
Control on page 188.
StabiliTrak
®may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself after restarting
the vehicle, you should see your retailer for
service.
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 your 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.
369
ProCarManuals.com

Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both
control systems — steering and braking — have
to do their work where the tires meet the road.
Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes,
adding the hard braking can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering
through a sharp curve and you suddenly
accelerate. Those two control systems — steering
and acceleration — can overwhelm those
places where the tires meet the road and make
you lose control. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 365andStabiliTrak
®System
on page 367.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease
up on the brake or 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
your 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-Saturn accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 412.
370
ProCarManuals.com

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 your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 362. 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.
371
ProCarManuals.com