2007 SATURN VUE wheel

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 228
Driver Behavior......................................... 228
Driving Environment.................................. 229
Vehicle Design.......................................... 229
Defensive Driving...................................... 230
Drunken Driving........................................ 231
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 234
Braking...................................................... 234
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 235
Braking in Emergencies............................. 237
Traction Control System (TCS).................. 238
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 239
Steering.................................................... 240
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 243
Passing..................................................... 243
Loss of Control.......................................... 245
Off-Road Driving........................................ 247Driving at Night......................................... 262
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 264
City Driving............................................... 267
Freeway Driving........................................ 268
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 269
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 270
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 270
Winter Driving........................................... 272
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow................................. 276
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 277
Recovery Hook.......................................... 277
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 279
Towing........................................................ 284
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 284
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 285
Towing a Trailer........................................ 290
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
227
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Environment
You can also help avoid a rollover or other
type of crash by being prepared for driving in
inclement weather, at night, or during other times
where visibility or traction may be limited, such
as on curves, slippery roads, or hilly terrain.
Unfamiliar surroundings can also have hidden
hazards.
To help you learn more about driving in different
conditions, this section contains information
about city, freeway, and off-road driving,
as well as other hints for driving in various
weather conditions.
Vehicle Design
According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, utility vehicles have a signicantly
higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
Utility vehicles do have higher ground clearance
and a narrower track or shorter wheelbase than
passenger cars, to make them more capable
for off-road driving. Specic design characteristics
like these give the driver a better view of the
road, but also give utility vehicles a higher center
of gravity than other types of vehicles. This means
that you should not expect a utility vehicle to
handle the same way a vehicle with a lower center
of gravity, like a car, would in similar situations.
But driver behavior factors are far more often
the cause of a utility vehicle rollover than are
environmental or vehicle factors. Safe driver
behavior and understanding the environment
in which you will be driving can help avoid
a rollover crash in any type of vehicle, including
utility vehicles.
229
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, the computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
236
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 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 anti-lock work for you.
You might feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a
situation that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS,
your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal
hard and hold it down — might be the wrong
thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling.Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to your
steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped
rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to
squeeze the brakes hard without locking the
wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding,
ease off the brake pedal. This will help you
retain steering control. If you do have ABS, it is
different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
on page 235.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
237
ProCarManuals.com

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system
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 to
limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your traction
control system is
limiting wheel spin.
SeeLow Traction Light on page 173. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
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,
ice or snow and rocking the vehicle is required.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 277andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 276for more
information.
If your vehicle is
equipped with the
2.2L L4 engine, the
traction control system
can be turned off by
pressing the traction
control button.
It is located on the instrument panel above the
audio system.
If your vehicle is equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine,
the traction control system will be turned off when
the shift lever is in REVERSE (R) or LOW (L).
The traction control system warning light will be
displayed on the instrument panel. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 172
for more information.
238
ProCarManuals.com

The traction control system can be activated again
by pressing the traction control button for the
2.2L L4 engine, or by selecting DRIVE (D)
or INTERMEDIATE (I) for the 3.5L V6 engine.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press
the button, the system will not turn off until there
is no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. If the traction control
warning light does not come on, you may not have
traction control and your vehicle should be
serviced at a retailer.
Adding non-Saturn accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 304for more information.All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive (AWD), the
AWD system operates automatically without any
action required by the driver. If the front drive
wheels begin to slip, the rear wheels will
automatically begin to drive the vehicle as
required. There may be a slight engagement
noise during hard use but this is normal.
During heavy AWD applications, the engine
torque may be reduced to protect AWD system
components. If the vehicle is exposed to extended
heavy AWD usage, the AWD system will shut
itself off to protect the system from overheating.
When the system cools down, the AWD system
will activate itself again automatically; this
cool-down can take up to 20 minutes depending
on outside temperature and vehicle use.
239
ProCarManuals.com

Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the engine stalls while you are driving, the
power steering assist system will continue
to operate until you are able to stop your vehicle.
If you lose power steering assist because the
electric power steering system is not functioning,
you can steer, but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in either direction
several times until it stops, or hold the steering
wheel in the stopped position for an extended
amount of time, you may notice a reduced amount
of power steering assist. The normal amount of
power steering assist should return shortly after a
few normal steering movements.
The electric power steering system does not
require regular maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems and/or the Service
Vehicle Soon light comes on, contact your
dealer/retailer for service repairs.
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.
240
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 238.
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
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 Modications on page 304.
241
ProCarManuals.com