2008 HUMMER H3 traction control

Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and
cannot do. There are some hills that simply cannot
be driven, no matter how well built the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot control your speed.
If you drive across them, you will roll over.
You could be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt about the steepness,
do not drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it
is one of those hills that is just too steep to climb,
descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a
smooth, constant incline with only a small change in
elevation where you can easily see all the way to
the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper as
you near the top, but you may not see this because the
crest of the hill is hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you
approach a hill:
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block
your path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It is the smart
way to nd out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
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Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill,
you need to take some special steps:
Use transmission and transfer case low gear
and get a rm grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Do not use more power than you
need, because you do not want the wheels to
start spinning or sliding.
Let the traction system work to control any wheel
slippage. The traction control system allows for
moderate wheel spin with some capability to dig
in and power up the hill.
Do not continue if the vehicle shudders or exhibits
suspension hopping. This can cause damage to
the driveline or suspension components. Improper
driving technique is not covered by your vehicle
warranty.
{CAUTION:
Turning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed. When driving up
hills, always try to go straight up.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to
nd another route.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top
of the hill.
Attach a ag to the vehicle to make you more
visible to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
4-23

Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that
you will have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get
moving, poor steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers can
be dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be
dangerous. Deep water can sweep your vehicle
downstream and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow water, it can
still wash away the ground from under your
tires, and you could lose traction and roll the
vehicle over. Do not drive through rushing
water.
Heavy rain can mean ash ooding, and ood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it is deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles,
or exhaust pipe, do not try it — you probably will not get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts. Your vehicle is capable of depths up
to 20 inches (50 cm). Know how to judge whether the
water is deeper than this before proceeding into it.
4-30

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through owing water could
cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police warnings
and be very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going
fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has
little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
Keep the windshield washer uid reservoir lled.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-54.
4-33

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You
have a lot less traction, or grip, and need to be very
careful.What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can
be even more trouble because it can offer the least
traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about
freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
The Traction Control System (TCS) improves your ability
to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. TCS
improves your ability to accelerate. SeeIf Your Vehicle
is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-39. Even
though you have TCS, slow down and adjust your driving
to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you
might want to turn the TCS 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 4-5andStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-7.
4-36

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear
the area around the front wheels. The traction control
system activates when the system senses that the
wheels are spinning. Turn off any traction or stability
system. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-5
andStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-7. Then, with the
wheels straight ahead, shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, or with a manual
transmission, between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2)
and REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that could free your vehicle. If that does not get your
vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to be towed
out. Or, you can use the recovery loops. If your
vehicle does need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-48.
Recovery Loops
{CAUTION:
These loops, when used, are under a lot of
force. Keep people away from the vicinity of
the loops and any chains or cables during use.
Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never pull
on the loops at a sideways angle. The loops
could break off and you or others could be
injured from the chain or cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery loops to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it would
not be covered by warranty.
4-40

Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer/retailer.
You will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When non-dealer/non-retailer accessories are added to
your vehicle they can affect your vehicle’s performance
and safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems like
antilock brakes, traction control and stability control.
Some of these accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your
GM dealer/retailer can accessorize your vehicle using
genuine GM Accessories. When you go to your
GM dealer/retailer and ask for GM Accessories, you will
know that GM-trained and supported service technicians
will perform the work using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-68.
5-3

The rubber in tires degrades over time, even if they are
not being used. This is also true for the spare tire, if
your vehicle has one. Multiple conditions affect how fast
this aging takes place, including temperatures, loading
conditions, and ination pressure maintenance. With
proper care and maintenance tires will typically wear out
before they degrade due to age. If you are unsure
about the need to replace your tires as they get older,
consult the tire manufacturer for more information.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires installed
on your vehicle, when it was new, were designed to
meet General Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specication (TPC spec) system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly recommends that
you get tires with the same TPC Spec rating.This way, your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give the same performance
and vehicle safety, during normal use, as the
original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread design, the
TPC spec number will be followed by a MS,
for mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling
on page 5-55for additional information.
GM recommends replacing tires in sets of four.
This is because uniform tread depth on all
tires will help keep your vehicle performing
most like it did when the tires were new.
5-71