2009 GMC ENVOY traction control

Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between the
tires and the road, creating less traction or grip. Wet ice
can occur at about 32°F (0°C) when freezing rain
begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate
gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5improves
vehicle stability during hard stops on a slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on
otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface
of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a serious situation. Stay
with the vehicle unless there is help nearby. If possible,
use theRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-7.
To get help and keep everyone in the vehicle safe:
Turn on theHazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
Tie a red cloth to an outside mirror.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap engine exhaust under the vehicle.
This may cause exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
Clear away snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
Check again from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there.
CAUTION: (Continued)
4-28

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the
area around the front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four-Wheel High. Turn off any
traction or stability system. Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a forward gear, 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 shifting, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions causes a rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the vehicle out after a few
tries, it might need to be towed out. If the vehicle does
need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-38.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it was designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and the Certication/Tire
label.
{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.
4-31

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
the vehicle, they can affect vehicle 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 the vehicle warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize the 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 1-69.
5-3

You need new tires if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut, or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge, or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
cannot be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
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 5-54for additional
information.
5-70

Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size than
your original equipment wheels and tires, this could
affect the way your vehicle performs, including its
braking, ride and handling characteristics, stability, and
resistance to rollover. Additionally, if your vehicle
has electronic systems such as anti-lock brakes, rollover
airbags, traction control, and electronic stability control,
the performance of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your vehicle may
not provide an acceptable level of performance and
safety if tires not recommended for those wheels
are selected. You may increase the chance that you
will crash and suffer serious injury. Only use GM
specic wheel and tire systems developed for your
vehicle, and have them properly installed by a GM
certied technician.
SeeBuying New Tires on page 5-70andAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3for additional information.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
which grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only
to vehicles sold in the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires, space-saver, or temporary
use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters
of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
5-72

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half (1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart signicantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
{WARNING:
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
5-73

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage to
the brakes, suspension, or other vehicle parts. The
area damaged by the tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and you or others may be
injured in a crash. Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer recommends it for
use on the vehicle and tire size combination and
road conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to the vehicle,
drive slowly, re-adjust or remove the device if it is
contacting the vehicle, and do not spin the wheels.
If you do nd traction devices that will t, install
them on the rear tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are driving,
especially if you maintain your vehicle’s tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it is much more likely to leak out
slowly. But if you should ever have a blowout, here
are a few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire creates a drag that pulls
the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel rmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much
like a skid and may require the same correction you
would use in a skid. In any rear blowout remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle
under control by steering the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road
if possible.
5-76

Tires (cont.)
Inspection and Rotation................................5-68
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-92
Pressure Monitor Operation...........................5-64
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-63
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-92
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-89
Secondary Latch System..............................5-97
Spare Tire................................................5-102
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools..........5-100
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit...................5-77
Tire Sidewall Labeling..................................5-54
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-57
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-74
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-74
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-69
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-38
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-46
Your Vehicle...............................................4-38
Traction
StabiliTrak
®System....................................... 4-6
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-25Trip Odometer................................................3-29
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-72
Universal Home Remote System.......................2-46
Operation...................................................2-47
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-3
Loading......................................................4-31
Running While Parked..................................2-38
Symbols......................................................... iii
Vehicle Customization, DIC..............................3-56
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy..................7-16
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)............................................5-111
Service Parts Identication Label..................5-111
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-26
Visors...........................................................2-15
Voltmeter Gage..............................................3-34
13