2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you
do, parts on the vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of the vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components to get
added durability might not change your vehicle’s
weight ratings. Ask your dealer/retailer to help
you load your vehicle correctly if you are using
these components.
Notice:Overloading your vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not overload your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else — they
will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to
stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will
keep going.
{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can
strike and injure people in a sudden stop
or turn, or in a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight
evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above the tops of
the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
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Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
To avoid vehicle damage, a platform or atbed trailer
should be used to transport this vehicle. Consult
your dealer/retailer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground
and two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing” following in this section.Here are some important things to consider before
you do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer/retailer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to
be towed. SeeBefore Leaving on a Long Trip
on page 4-16.
Dinghy Towing
Front-wheel-drive vehicles equipped with a manual or
automatic transmission may be dinghy towed from
the front. These vehicles may also be towed by putting
the front wheels on a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” later
in this section.
For vehicles being dinghy towed, the vehicle should
be run at the beginning of each day and at each RV
fuel stop for about ve minutes. This will ensure proper
lubrication of transmission components.
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To tow your vehicle from the front with all four wheels
on the ground:
1. Position and attach the vehicle to tow it behind
the recreational vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn fog lamps and all accessories off.
5. Remove the IGN SW fuse from the instrument
panel fuse block. SeeInstrument Panel Fuse
Block on page 5-90for more information.Notice:If you tow your vehicle without performing
each of the steps listed under “Dinghy Towing,”
you could damage the automatic transmission.
Be sure to follow all steps of the dinghy towing
procedure prior to and after towing your vehicle.
Notice:If your vehicle has a four-speed automatic
transmission, it can be dinghy towed from the
front for unlimited miles at 65 mph (105 km/h).
If you exceed 65 mph (105 km/h) while towing your
vehicle, it could be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Never exceed
65 mph (105 km/h) while towing your vehicle.
Once you have reached your destination:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to PARK (P).
3. Reinstall the IGN SW fuse into the instrument panel
fuse block.
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF and remove
the key from the ignition.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage
the transmission. Be sure that the transmission
uid is at the proper level before towing with all
four wheels on the ground.
Notice:Don’t tow a vehicle with the front drive
wheels on the ground if one of the front tires is
a compact spare tire. Towing with two different tire
sizes on the front of the vehicle can cause severe
damage to the transmission.
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Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
To tow your front-wheel-drive vehicle from the front with
two wheels on the ground, do the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear could
damage it. Also, repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Never have your vehicle towed
from the rear.
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Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you do not use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well — or
even at all. You and your passengers could
be seriously injured. You may also damage
your vehicle; the resulting repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Pull a trailer
only if you have followed all the steps in this
section. Ask your dealer/retailer for advice
and information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part and see your dealer/retailer
for important information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify the trailering
capacity of your vehicle, you should read the information
in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this
section. Trailering is different than just driving your
vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in handling,
acceleration, braking, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment,
and it has to be used properly.
That is the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that
of your passengers. So please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, rear axle, wheel assemblies and tires are
forced to work harder against the drag of the added
weight. The engine is required to operate at relatively
higher speeds and under greater loads, generating
extra heat. What’s more, the trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed
limit restrictions, having to do with trailering.
Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where
you live but also where you will be driving.
A good source for this information can be state
or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. See “Hitches”
later in this section.
Do not tow a trailer at all during the rst 500 miles
(805 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (805 km) that you
tow a trailer, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of your
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
You may want to shift the transmission to a lower
gear selection if the transmission shifts too often
(e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
Using a lower gear will minimize heat buildup
and extend the life of your transmission.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Do not drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers, or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h),
to save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
Do not tow a trailer when the outside temperature
is above 100°F (38°C).
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires
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Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,500 lbs (680 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to
pull a trailer are all important. It can also depend on
any special equipment that you have on your vehicle,
and the amount of tongue weight the vehicle can
carry. See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue” later in
this section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
You can ask your dealer/retailer for trailering
information or advice.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. If you have a lot of options, equipment,
passengers or cargo in your vehicle, it will reduce
the tongue weight your vehicle can carry, which will
also reduce the trailer weight your vehicle can tow.
And if you tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load
to the GVW because your vehicle will be carrying
that weight, too. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-22
for more information about your vehicle’s maximum
load capacity.
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If you are using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B). If you are using a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent
of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you have loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.Trailering may be limited by the vehicle’s ability to carry
tongue weight. Tongue weight cannot cause the vehicle
to exceed the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or
the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating). The effect
of additional weight may reduce your trailering capacity
more than the total of the additional weight.
Consider the following example:
A vehicle model base weight is 5,500 lbs (2 495 kg);
2,800 lbs (1 270 kg) at the front axle and 2,700 lbs
(1 225 kg) at the rear axle. It has a GVWR of 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg), a RGAWR of 4,000 lbs (1 814 kg) and a
GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating) of
14,000 lbs (6 350 kg). The trailer rating should be:
You can expect tongue weight to be at least 10 percent of
trailer weight (850 lbs (386 kg)) and because the weight
is applied well behind the rear axle, the effect on the
rear axle will be greater than just the weight itself, as
much as 1.5 times as much. The weight at the rear axle
could be 850 lbs (386 kg) X 1.5 = 1,275 lbs (578 kg).
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