2009 CHEVROLET UPLANDER wheel

Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
window defogger on or off. An indicator light comes on
when the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger turns off about 15 minutes
after the button is pressed. If turned on again, the
defogger will only run for about ve minutes before
turning off. The defogger can also be turned off
by turning off the engine.
Notice:Do not use anything sharp on the inside of
the rear window. If you do, you could cut or damage
the warming grid, and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not attach a
temporary vehicle license, tape, a decal or anything
similar to the defogger grid.
((Heated Seats):Press to turn on the heated seats.
SeeHeated Seats on page 1-3for additional
information.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the louvers located on the air outlets to change the
direction of the airow.
Use the thumbwheels on the driver side and passenger
side air outlets to open or close the airow from
these outlets.
Operation Tips

Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves from the air
inlets at the base of the vehicle that could block
the ow of air into the vehicle.
Do not use any non-GM approved hood deectors
that could adversely affect the performance of the
system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear of objects
to help circulate the air inside of the vehicle more
effectively.
3-27

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
For vehicles with steering wheel controls, some audio
controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel.
wtux(Seek/Scan):Press to seek or scan radio
stations while the radio is playing, or to select tracks
while a CD is playing.
To seek stations, press and releasewtorux
to go to the next or to the previous radio station
and stay there. The radio only seeks stations that
have a strong signal in the selected band.
To scan stations, press and holdwtoruxfor
two seconds until FREQUENCY SCAN displays.
The radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds,then goes to the next station. Press
wtorux
again to stop scanning. The radio only scans stations
that have a strong signal in the selected band.
To go to the previous or next track on a CD,
press and release
wtoruxif more than
eight seconds have played. If
wtoruxis held
or pressed more than once, the player continues
moving backward or forward through the CD.
BAND:Press to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or
XM1orXM2.
1–6 (Preset Pushbuttons):Press to play stations that
are programmed on the radio presets.
$(Mute//OnStar®):Press to silence the system.
Press again, to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with OnStar
®, press and hold to interact
with the OnStar®system. See theOnStar®System
on page 2-47in this manual for more information.
r(Play):When listening to the radio, press this button
to play a CD.
wux(Volume):Press to increase or decrease the
volume.
3-111

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock Brake
System (ABS) Warning
Light on page 3-36.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
you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you will not have time to apply the brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
4-5

Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let antilock work for you. You might feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When this happens, the system
brakes the spinning wheel(s) and/or reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will come
on in the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the
traction control system is limiting wheel spin. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control.
This warning light will come
on to let you know if there is
a problem with your traction
control system.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
If the SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message in the
DIC comes on and stays on or comes on while you are
driving, there’s a problem with your traction control
system. Have the traction control system serviced by
your dealer/retailer as soon as possible.
When this warning message is on, the TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message in the DIC will come on to
remind you that the system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
4-6

The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should always
leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control
system off if you ever need to. You should turn the
system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or
snow and rocking the vehicle is required. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-18andIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-18.
To turn the system off,
press the traction control
button located on the
center of the instrument
panel.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the
button, the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will
go off, but the system will not turn off until there is no
longer a current need to limit wheel spin. The TRACTION
CONTROL OFF message will come on to remind you the
system is off. You can turn the system back on at any
time by pressing the button again. The traction control
system warning message should go off.Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3for more information.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with StabiliTrak which
combines anti-lock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the SERVICE
STABILITY SYSTEM message will be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). If the vehicle has
gone through heavy acceleration or braking or multiple
turns during the rst two miles of driving after starting
your vehicle, the STABILITY CONTROL OFF message
may appear on the DIC. If this is the case, your
vehicle does not need servicing. You will need to turn
the vehicle off and then restart it to initialize StabiliTrak.
If either message appears on the DIC, and your
vehicle has not gone through hard acceleration, braking
or multiple turns in the rst two miles of driving, your
vehicle should be taken in for service.
4-7

The STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE message will
appear on the DIC only when the system is both on and
activated. It means that an advanced computer-controlled
system has come on to help your vehicle continue to go
in the direction in which you are steering. StabiliTrak
activates when the computer senses that your vehicle
is just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice
or other slippery spot on the road. When the system
activates, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal. When the STABILITY
CONTROL ACTIVE message is on, you should continue
to steer in the direction you want to go. The system is
designed to help you in bad weather or other difficult
driving situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit. For more information on the
stability messages, seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-43.
If the StabiliTrak system turns off, the traction control
system warning light will illuminate, and the STABILITY
CONTROL OFF message will appear on the DIC to
warn the driver that StabiliTrak is no longer available
to assist you with directional control of the vehicle.
Adjust your driving accordingly.To realize the full benets of the stability enhancement
system, you should normally leave StabiliTrak on, but it
may be necessary to turn the system off if your vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to “rock”
your vehicle to attempt to free it. SeeRocking Your
Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-18andIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-18.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine speed management)
and by applying brakes.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle. It will activate and display
the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message in the
DIC if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction while driving.
4-8

If the brake traction-control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high-speed
braking, brake traction-control will be disabled and the
TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will be
displayed. In the limited mode, the traction control
system will only use engine traction-control and is limited
in its ability to provide optimal performance since the
system will not utilize brake traction-control to control
slip on the drive wheels. The system will return to normal
operation after the brakes have cooled. This can take
up to two minutes or longer depending on brake usage.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transaxle. When this happens you may notice
a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise
or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE message
will appear on the DIC and the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to use cruise again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle,
you should see your dealer/retailer for service.Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the condition of the tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is
banked, and your speed. While in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
If you need to reduce speed, do it before you enter the
curve, while the front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust the speed so you can drive through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait
to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-9

Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and nd
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time
for evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply the brakes. SeeBraking on page 4-4.
It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the
object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-10