2008 CHEVROLET UPLANDER ABS

If your vehicle has a traction system, it will improve your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. But
you can turn the traction system off if you ever need to.
You should turn the traction system off if your vehicle
ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. SeeIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-20. Even if your vehicle has a traction system,
slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you might want to turn the
traction system off, such as when driving through deep
snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at
lower speeds. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-6andStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-7.
If your vehicle does not have a traction system,
accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin
and polish the surface under the tires even more.
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. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5.
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 asaround 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.
4-18

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring.
The arrows on your instrument panel will ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also ash, telling other drivers
you are about to turn, change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It
is important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you do not shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than
1,000 lbs (450 kg), you may prefer to drive in THIRD (3)
instead of DRIVE (D) or, as you need to, a lower
gear. This will minimize heat build-up and extend the life
of your transmission.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, do the
following:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P).
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-36

To inspect or replace the air cleaner/lter, do the
following:
1. Remove the two clamps on the duct.
2. Remove the duct.
3. Unlatch the two hooks on top of the engine air
cleaner/lter housing.
4. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/lter.
5. Align the tabs located on the bottom of the panel
with the slots at the bottom of the housing.
6. Latch the hooks to secure the panel in place. If the
panel moves easily, check that the tabs are seated
correctly in the slots.
7. Put the duct back on and reinstall the clamps.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps
to stop ames if the engine backres. If it is
not there and the engine backres, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
5-19

Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for wear
and cracking. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
seeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 6-13.
To replace the windshield wiper blade assembly
do the following:
1. Lift the wiper arm and turn the blade
until it is facing away from the
windshield.2. Squeeze the tabs (B) on each side of the wiper
blade assembly to remove the wiper arm (A)
from the blade (C).
Allowing the wiper blade arm to touch the windshield
when no wiper blade is installed could damage
the windshield. Any damage that occurs would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not allow the
wiper blade arm to touch the windshield.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on the wiper
arm until you hear the tabs on each side of the
wiper blade assembly click into place.
To replace the rear wiper blade, follow the steps
listed above.
5-47

There may be an accessory inator kit stored in the rear
compartment on the passenger’s side. It includes a
20-foot (6 m) hose with an air pressure gage and nozzle
adapters.
{CAUTION:
Inating something too much can make it
explode, and you or others could be injured.
Be sure to read the inator instructions, and
inate any object only to its recommended
pressure.
To use your accessory inator system:
1. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY or RUN.
2. Attach the appropriate nozzle adapter, if required,
to the end of the hose that has the pressure gage.
3. Attach that end of the hose to the object you wish
to inate.
4. Remove the protective cap covering the outlet.
5. Attach the other end of the hose to the outlet.
6. Press the accessory inator switch. The light in the
switch will come on to show the system is working.If the accessory inator system does not turn on or the
light does not come on, the fuse may be blown or
installed incorrectly. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-100or see your dealer/retailer for service.
Your accessory inator will automatically shut off after
about 10 minutes. The light in the switch will blink.
After about one minute you can use the system again.
Press the switch and the indicator light will come on.
Notice:If you run the accessory inator longer than
30 minutes at a time, you could damage the inator.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Run the inator for short periods of time only.
After running the accessory inator for 30 minutes, wait
at least 10 minutes before restarting the accessory
inator.
To turn off the inator:
1. Press the switch and detach the hose, rst from the
inated object, then from the outlet.
2. Put the protective cap back on.
3. Place the inator kit tools in the pouch, and store in
the rear compartment on the passenger’s side.
To put the cover back on, line up the tabs at the bottom
of the cover and put it in place. Push down the tab to
secure the cover.
5-71

Storing the Tools
A. Strap
B. Bag and Tools
C. JackPut back all tools as they were stored in the jack
storage compartment and put the compartment cover
back on.
To replace the cover, line up the tabs on the right of the
cover with the slots in the cover opening. Push the
cover in place and push down the tab so that it rests in
the groove. This secures the cover in place.
Store the center cap or the plastic bolt-on wheel covers
until a full size tire is put back on the vehicle.
When you replace the compact spare with a full-size
tire, reinstall the bolt-on wheel covers or the center cap.
Hand-tighten them over the wheel nuts, using the
folding wrench.
5-88

Use only mild, neutral-pH soaps. Avoid laundry
detergents or dishwashing soaps with degreasers.
Using too much soap will leave a residue that
leaves streaks and attracts dirt. For liquid cleaners,
about 20 drops per gallon (3.78 L) of water is a
good guide.
Do not heavily saturate your upholstery while
cleaning.
Damage to your vehicle’s interior may result from
the use of many organic solvents such as naptha,
alcohol, etc.
Fabric/Carpet
Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment
frequently to remove dust and loose dirt. A canister
vacuum with a beater bar in the nozzle may only
be used on oor carpet and carpeted oor mats.
For soils, always try to remove them rst with plain
water or club soda. Before cleaning, gently remove as
much of the soil as possible using one of the following
techniques:
For liquids: gently blot the remaining soil with a
paper towel. Allow the soil to absorb into the
paper towel until no more can be removed.
For solid dry soils: remove as much as possible
and then vacuum.To clean, use the following instructions:
1. Saturate a lint-free, clean white cloth with water or
club soda.
2. Wring the cloth to remove excess moisture.
3. Start on the outside edge of the soil and gently rub
toward the center. Continue cleaning, using a clean
area of the cloth each time it becomes soiled.
4. Continue to gently rub the soiled area until the
cleaning cloth remains clean.
5. If the soil is not completely removed, use a mild
soap solution and repeat the cleaning process
that was used with plain water.
If any of the soil remains, a commercial fabric cleaner or
spot lifter may be necessary. When a commercial
upholstery cleaner or spot lifter is to be used, test a
small hidden area for colorfastness rst. If the locally
cleaned area gives any impression that a ring formation
may result, clean the entire surface.
After the cleaning process has been completed, a paper
towel can be used to blot excess moisture from the
fabric or carpet.
5-91

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-90
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment............................5-99
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-18
Air Conditioning......................................3-24, 3-27
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-38
Readiness Light..........................................3-37
Airbag System................................................1-77
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-84
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-82
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-80
Airbag Systems
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-90
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-83
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-85
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-90
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-83
Antenna, Fixed Mast......................................3-121
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . 3-121
Antilock Brake System (ABS)............................. 4-5
Antilock Brake, System Warning Light................3-42Appearance Care
Aluminum Wheels........................................5-95
Care of Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness.....................................5-93
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-96
Child Restraint Pad......................................5-92
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-94
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-91
Finish Care.................................................5-94
Finish Damage............................................5-96
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-92
Interior Cleaning..........................................5-90
Leather......................................................5-92
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-96
Tires
..........................................................5-96
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-96
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-97
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-93
Weatherstrips..............................................5-93
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades.......5-95
Appointments, Scheduling Service....................... 7-9
Audio System.................................................3-84
Audio Steering Wheel Controls....................3-119
Chime Level Adjustment.............................3-121
Fixed Mast Antenna...................................3-121
1