2009 HUMMER H3 Owners Manual

R (Reverse):To back up, stop the
vehicle. Press the clutch pedal
and shift into R (Reverse). Slowly let
up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal. If it is hard
to shift, let the shift lever return
to Neutral and release the clutch
pedal. Then press the clutch again
and shift into R (Reverse). Do not
attempt to shift into the fth gear
position prior to shifting into
R (Reverse). The transmission has
a lock out feature which prevents
a 5 (Fifth) gear to R (Reverse)
gear shift.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
Use R (Reverse), along with the
parking brake, for parking the
vehicle.Up-Shift Light
This light will show you when to
shift to the next higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can
shift to the next higher gear if
weather, road and traffic conditions
permit. For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal
for the light to go on and off if
you quickly change the position of
the accelerator. Ignore the shift light
when you downshift.
Disregard the shift light when the
transfer case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, seeUp-Shift
Light on page 3-27.
Shift Speeds
{CAUTION
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
Hill Start Assist
H3 and H3T vehicles have a Hill
Start Assist feature, which may be
useful when stopped on a grade.
SeeBraking on page 4-3for
more information.
Features and Controls 2-23

Full-Time Four-Wheel
Drive
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive sends
engine power to all four wheels
for extra traction. To get the most
out of Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive,
you must be familiar with its
operation.
Transfer Case Buttons
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the instrument
panel cluster. Use these switches to
shift into and out of the different
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive modes.4
m(Four-Wheel High):This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
You can also use this setting for
light or variable off-road conditions.
N (Neutral):Shift the transfer
case to Neutral only when towing
the vehicle. SeeRecreational
Vehicle Towing on page 4-40or
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-40
for more information.
Notice:Driving on pavement in
Four-Wheel High Lock or Four
Wheel Low Lock for extended
periods may cause premature
wear on the vehicle powertrain
and tires. Do not drive in
Four-Wheel High Lock or
Four-Wheel Low Lock on
pavement for extended periods.
4
mQ(Four-Wheel-High Lock):
Use this setting when you need
extra traction in most off-road
situations such as sand, mud, snow
or level, rocky trails.Notice:Operating the vehicle in
Four-Wheel-Low Lock above
30 mph (48 km/h) for any
extended period of time could
cause damage to the transfer
case. Do not operate the vehicle
in Four-Wheel-Low Lock above
30 mph (48 km/h) for extended
periods.
4
nQ(Four-Wheel-Low Lock):
This setting delivers extra torque to
all four wheels and is used for
extreme off-road conditions.
If the vehicle has locking axles,
they can be locked for additional
traction in extreme off-road
situations. SeeLocking Rear Axle
on page 4-8andLocking Front Axle
on page 4-9.
Indicator lights in the buttons show
which setting the transfer case
is in. The indicator lights will come
on briey when the ignition is in
ON/RUN. The If the lights do
not come on, take the vehicle to
your dealer/retailer for service.
2-24 Features and Controls

An indicator light will ash while
shifting the transfer case. If the
transfer case cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting.
If the SERV 4WD message on the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
stays on, take the vehicle to
your dealer/retailer for service.
See Service 4WD message under
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-37.
Shifting between Four-Wheel
High and Four-Wheel-High Lock
With the vehicle traveling less
than 75 mph (120 km/h), press and
release the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock button.
It may be necessary to drive
backwards while turning for a
distance of 25 feet (7.5 m) to get
the lock feature to disengage.Shifting into Four-Wheel Low Lock
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the indicator
light stops ashing could cause
damage to the transfer case.
Always wait until the indicator
light stops ashing before putting
the transmission back in gear.
To shift into Four-Wheel-Low Lock,
the ignition must be in ON/RUN
and the vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h)
with the transmission in N (Neutral).
The preferred method for shifting
into Four-Wheel Low is to have
the vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release
the Four-Wheel-Low Lock button.
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, the clutch pedal must
be pressed to the oor while you
press the Four-Wheel-Low Lock
button, or the shift will not be
completed. You must wait for theFour-Wheel-Low Lock indicator
light to stop ashing and remain lit
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
It is normal for the vehicle to have
engagement noise and bump
when shifting between Four-Wheel
Low and Four-Wheel High ranges
or from Neutral.
If the Four-Wheel-Low Lock button
is pressed when the vehicle is
in gear and/or moving too fast, the
Four-Wheel-Low Lock indicator
light will ash for 15 seconds and
not complete the shift.
Features and Controls 2-25

Shifting Out of
Four-Wheel-Low Lock
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the indicator
light stops ashing could cause
damage to the transfer case.
Always wait until the indicator
light stops ashing before putting
the transmission back in gear.
To shift out of Four-Wheel-Low Lock,
the vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h)
with the transmission in N (Neutral)
and the ignition in ON/RUN.
The preferred method for shifting out
of Four-Wheel-Low Lock is to have
the vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and
release the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock button.If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, the clutch pedal must
be pressed to the oor while you
press the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock button, or the
shift will not be completed. You must
wait for the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator light
to stop ashing and remain lit before
shifting the transmission into gear.
It is normal for the vehicle to have
engagement noise and bump
when shifting between Four-Wheel
Low and Four-Wheel High ranges
or from Neutral.
If the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock button is
pressed when the vehicle is in
gear and/or moving too fast,
the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator
light will ash for 15 seconds but
will not complete the shift.Shifting Into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to Neutral:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Put the transmission in
N (Neutral). If the vehicle has a
manual transmission, press and
hold the clutch pedal down while
you perform Steps 5 through 9.
4. Shift the transfer case to
Four-Wheel High.
{CAUTION
Shifting an all-wheel-drive
vehicle’s transfer case into
Neutral can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the automatic
transmission is in P (Park) or the
manual transmission is in any
gear. You or others could be
injured. Make sure the parking
brake is rmly set before you shift
the transfer case to Neutral.
2-26 Features and Controls

5. Simultaneously press and hold
the Four-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel-Low Lock buttons for
10 seconds. The Neutral light
will come on when the transfer
case shift to Neutral is complete.
6. Press and hold the regular brake
pedal and shift the transmission
to R (Reverse), then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for an
automatic transmission, or
1 (First) for vehicles have a
manual transmission and then let
out the clutch. This is to ensure
the transfer case is in Neutral.
If not, repeat this procedure
starting at Step 3.
7. Turn the engine off.
8. Place the transmission shift lever
in P (Park) for an automatic
transmission, or 1 (First) for
vehicles that have a manual
transmission.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift out of Neutral:
1. Set the parking brake and apply
the regular brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral) for an automatic
transmission, or press the clutch
pedal for vehicles that have a
manual transmission. Then turn
the ignition to ON/RUN but
do not start the engine.
3. Press the button for the desired
transfer case shift position
(Four-Wheel High,
Four-Wheel-High Lock or
Four-Wheel-Low Lock).
After the transfer case has
shifted out of Neutral the light
will go out.
4. Release the parking brake.Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the indicator
light stops ashing could cause
damage to the transfer case.
Always wait until the indicator
light stops ashing before putting
the transmission back in gear.
5. You may start the engine and
shift the transmission to the
desired position.
Features and Controls 2-27

Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is located
to the left of the regular brake
pedal, near the driver door.
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then push
the parking brake pedal down to
its fully-applied position.A chime will sound and the brake
warning light will ash when the
parking brake is applied and
the vehicle is moving at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) for at least three seconds.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 3-27.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the park brake release lever, located
above the parking brake pedal.Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the
brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to
brake system parts. Make
sure that the parking brake is
fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-42.
2-28 Features and Controls

Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake rmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-42.
1. Hold the brake pedal down,
then set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 2-28
for more information.
{CAUTION
With all-wheel drive, the vehicle
will be free to roll — even if the
shift lever is in P (Park) — if the
transfer case is in Neutral. So, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear, four-wheel high (4H) or
four-wheel low (4L) — not in
Neutral.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by pressing the shift lever button
and moving the lever as far
forward as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key from the
ignition.
Leaving Your Vehicle
With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running,
it could overheat and even catch
re. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is rmly set before you
leave it. After you have moved the
shift lever into P (Park), hold
the regular brake pedal down.
Features and Controls 2-29

Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without
rst pressing the shift lever button.
If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force
on the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting
the transmission into P (Park) is
not done properly and then it
is difficult to shift out of P (Park).
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park). To nd out how, see
“Shifting Into P (Park)” listed
previously.
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so
you can shift out of P (Park).Shifting Out of Park
(Automatic
Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to:
Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in P (Park)
with the shift lever button fully
released, and
Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless
the ignition is in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the
regular brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of
a an uncharged or low voltage
(less than 9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-34for more information.To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Then press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out
of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever
button.
2. While holding down the brake
pedal, press the shift lever
button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer/retailer or a professional
towing service.
2-30 Features and Controls