Audio System
When using the in-vehicle Bluetooth system, sound
comes through the vehicle’s front audio system speakers
and overrides the audio system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to change the volume level.
The adjusted volume level remains in memory for later
calls. To prevent missed calls, a minimum volume level
is used if the volume is turned down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use thegbutton located on the steering wheel to
operate the in-vehicle Bluetooth system. SeeAudio
Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-109for more
information.
g(Push To Talk):Press to answer incoming calls,
to con rm system information, and to start speech
recognition.
Pairing
A Bluetooth enabled cell phone must be paired to the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system rst and then connected to
the vehicle before it can be used. See the cell phone
manufacturers user guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone is not
connected, calls will be made using OnStar
®Hands-Free
Calling, if available. Refer to the OnStar owner’s guide for
more information.
Pairing Information:
Up to ve cell phones can be paired to the in-vehicle
Bluetooth system.
The pairing process is disabled when the vehicle is
moving.
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system automatically links
with the rst available paired cell phone in the
order the phone was paired.
Only one paired cell phone can be connected to the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system at a time.
Pairing should only need to be completed once,
unless changes to the pairing information have
been made or the phone is deleted.
To link to a different paired phone, see Linking to a
Different Phone later in this section.
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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.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 3-37.
Along with ABS, the vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights come on
accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer/retailer for
service.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 front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
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.
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.
4-5
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 curve causes 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 could cause 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.
4-13
Controlling the vehicle is the key to successful off-road
driving. One of the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed. At higher speeds:
You approach things faster and have less time to
react.
There is less time to scan the terrain for obstacles.
The vehicle has more bounce when driving over
obstacles.
More braking distance is needed, especially on an
unpaved surface.
{CAUTION:
When you are driving off-road, bouncing and quick
changes in direction can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to lose control and
crash. So, whether you are driving on or off the
road, you and your passengers should wear
safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. Be familiar with the terrain and its many
different features.
Surface Conditions:Off-roading surfaces can be
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow,
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the vehicle’s
steering, acceleration, and braking in different ways.
Depending on the surface, slipping, sliding, wheel
spinning, delayed acceleration, poor traction, and longer
braking distances can occur.
Surface Obstacles:Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or bump can startle
you if you are not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow, or even
the rise and fall of the terrain itself.
Some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly?
4-18
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, decide if it is 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 might not see this because the
crest of the hill is hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Consider this 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.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide it is safe to drive up the hill:
Use a low gear and get a rm grip on the steering
wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
speed. Not using more power than needed can
avoid spinning the wheels or sliding.
{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 the speed as you approach the top of
the hill.
4-20
Stalling on an Incline
{CAUTION:
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous. If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the rollover path.
If the vehicle stalls when crossing an incline, be sure you,
and any passengers, get out on the uphill side, even if the
door there is harder to open. If you get out on the downhill
side and the vehicle starts to roll over, you will be right in
its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take if it does roll over.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand, the wheels do not
get good traction. Acceleration is not as quick, turning is
more difficult, and braking distances are longer.
It is best to use a low gear when in mud — the deeper
the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
keep the vehicle moving so it does not get stuck.When driving on sand, wheel traction changes.
On loosely packed sand, such as on beaches or sand
dunes, the tires will tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and braking. Drive at a
reduced speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
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 the vehicle
does get moving, poor steering and difficult braking can
cause it 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.
4-25
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel ash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lamps also ash, telling other drivers the vehicle is
turning, changing lanes or stopping.When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument panel
ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned
out. For this reason you may think other drivers are
seeing the 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 gearbeforestarting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let
the engine run while parked, preferably on level ground,
with the transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, seeEngine Overheating on page 5-35.
4-56