P(Power):Press to turn the RSA
on or off.
Volume: Turn to increase or to
decrease the volume of the wired
headphones. The left knob controls
the left headphones and the
right knob controls the right
headphones.
SRCE (Source): Press to switch
between the radio (AM/FM/XM™),
CD, and if the vehicle has these
features, DVD, front auxiliary, and
rear auxiliary.©¨(Seek): Press to go to the
previous or to the next station
and stay there. This function is
inactive, with some radios, if
the front seat passengers are
listening to the radio.
Press and hold
©or¨until the
display ashes to tune to an
individual station. The display stops
ashing after the buttons have
not been pushed for more than
two seconds. This function is inactive, with some radios, if the
front seat passengers are listening
to the radio.
While listening to a disc, press
¨
to go to the next track or chapter on
the disc. Press
©to go back to
the start of the current track or
chapter (if more than ten seconds
have played). This function is
inactive, with some radios, if the
front seat passengers are listening
to the disc.
When a DVD video menu is being
displayed, press
©or¨to
perform a cursor up or down on the
menu. Hold
©or¨to perform
a cursor left or right on the menu.
PROG (Program): Press to go
to the next preset radio station or
channel set on the main radio. This
function is inactive, with some
radios, if the front seat passengers
are listening to the radio.
3-112 Instrument Panel
Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy...........................4-1
Defensive Driving................4-2
Drunk Driving.....................4-2
Control of a Vehicle............4-3
Braking...............................4-3
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)...................4-4
Braking in Emergencies......4-5
StabiliTrak®System............4-5
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System.............................4-7
Steering..............................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.............4-9
Passing..............................4-9
Loss of Control.................4-10
Driving at Night.................4-10
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads......................4-11
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip........................4-12
Highway Hypnosis.............4-12
Hill and Mountain
Roads.............................4-13
Winter Driving...................4-13
If Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
..........................4-15
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out.......................4-16
Loading the Vehicle..........4-16
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........4-21
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................4-21
Towing a Trailer................4-24
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
Always follow posted speed limits
or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
Keep vehicle tires properly
in ated.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of
the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking — rather
than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes might
not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with
the traffic and allowing realistic
following distances eliminates a lot
of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer
brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there
will still be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake
is applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to
stop and the brake pedal will be
harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle’
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might
be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 3-34.
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 the 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
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
4-4 Driving Your Vehicle
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot
up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you
get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough
time to apply the brakes if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down rmly and
let antilock work. The antilock pump
or motor operating might be
heard and the brake pedal might be
felt to pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a Brake Assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied
the brake pedal in an attempt to
quickly stop or slow down the
vehicle. The stability system
hydraulic brake control module
increases brake pressure at each
corner of the vehicle until the
ABS activates. Minor brake pedal
pulsations or pedal movement
during this time is normal and the
driver should continue to apply
the brake pedal as the drivingsituation dictates The Brake Assist
feature will automatically disengage
when the brake pedal is released
or brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start the vehicle and
begin to drive away, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h).
In some cases, it may take
approximately two miles of driving
before the system initializes.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-5
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when
the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do
not have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control
of the vehicle. Defensive drivers
avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing
conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle’s three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curvecauses tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the
acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels
to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, the vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for
a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping
distance is longer and vehicle
control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes couldcause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues — such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface — and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving because some drivers
are likely to be impaired — by alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems,
or by fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare by
adjusting the inside rearview
mirror.
4-10 Driving Your Vehicle