2009 HUMMER H3 tires

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)...................4-5
Braking in Emergencies......4-6
StabiliTrak®System............4-6
Traction Control
System (TCS)...................4-7
Locking Rear Axle..............4-8
Locking Front Axle..............4-9
Steering............................4-10
Off-Road Recovery............4-11
Passing.............................4-12
Loss of Control.................4-12
Off-Road Driving...............4-13
Assist Steps......................4-28
Driving at Night.................4-28
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads......................4-29
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip........................4-30
Highway Hypnosis.............4-30
Hill and Mountain Roads. . .4-30
Winter Driving...................4-31
If Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow
...................4-33
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out.......................4-34
Recovery Loops................4-34
Loading the Vehicle..........4-35
Truck-Camper Loading
Information......................4-39
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........4-40
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................4-40
Towing a Trailer................4-42
Trailer
Recommendations...........4-53
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
inated.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1

Combine several trips into a
single trip.
Replace the vehicle’s tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire’s sidewall
near the size.
Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The
rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt — See
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
on page 1-11.
{CAUTION
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
4-2 Driving Your Vehicle

Police records show that almost
40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated
with the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is
against the law in every U.S. state
to drink alcohol. There are good
medical, psychological, and
developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can
make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who hasbeen drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been
drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving — brakes, steering,
and accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy
to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can
provide. Meaning, you can lose
control of the vehicle. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-7.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-27.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing
it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination,
and eyesight all play a part. So
do alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle
and others is important.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-3

2. Press the rear axle locking
button with the vehicle moving
less than 16 mph (26 km/h).
The light in the button stops ashing
and remains illuminated when the
rear axle is locked.
Notice:If you try to lock the axle
while the vehicle is stuck and
the tires are spinning, the
vehicle’s drivetrain could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always lock the axle
before attempting situations
and/or navigating terrain which
could possibly cause the vehicle
to become stuck.
The locking rear axle will be
disengaged when the wheel speed
is greater than 40 mph (64 km/h),
if the vehicle’s battery is low and/or
the transfer case is shifted out of
4LO Lock mode.Notice:If the vehicle’s axle is
locked while driving on pavement,
the drivetrain could be damaged.
Repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do
not use the locking axle on
pavement. If four-wheel drive is
needed when traveling on
pavement, use only 4HI.
Locking Front Axle
For vehicles with this feature, the
locking front axle, used with
the locking rear axle, can give the
vehicle additional traction when
traveling in off-road situations such
as mud, snow, sand, steep hills
and uneven terrain.
The button used to turn the locking
front axle on or off is located on
the instrument panel.Before the front axle can be locked,
the rear axle must be locked.
To lock the front and rear axles:
1. Place the transfer case in
the 4LO Lock mode. This is the
only mode which allows the
front and rear axles to lock. See
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive
on page 2-24for more
information regarding the transfer
case and 4LO Lock mode.
2. Press the rear axle locking
button with the vehicle moving
less than 16 mph (26 km/h).
3. Wait for the light in the button
to stop ashing and remain
illuminated to show that the rear
axle is locked.
4. Press the front axle locking
button with the vehicle stopped
or moving less than 16 mph
(26 km/h).
Driving Your Vehicle 4-9

5. Wait for the light in the button
to stop ashing and remain
illuminated to show that the front
axle is locked.
Notice:If you try to lock the axle
while the vehicle is stuck and
the tires are spinning, the
vehicle’s drivetrain could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always lock the axle
before attempting situations
and/or navigating terrain which
could possibly cause the vehicle
to become stuck.
Locking axles will be disengaged
when the wheel speed is greater
than 40 mph (64 km/h), if the
vehicle’s battery is low and/or the
transfer case is shifted out of
4LO Lock mode.Notice:If the vehicle’s axle is
locked while driving on pavement,
the drivetrain could be damaged.
Repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do
not use the locking axle on
pavement. If four-wheel drive is
needed when traveling on
pavement, use only 4HI.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system is not functioning, the vehicle
can be steered but it will take
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 vehicle
speed. While in a curve, speed is
the one factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve,
while the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you
can drive through the curve.
Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until out
of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
4-10 Driving Your Vehicle

Turn the steering wheel 3 to
5 inches, 8 to 13 cm, (about
one-eighth turn) until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane road can be dangerous. To
reduce the risk of danger while
passing:
Look down the road, to the sides,
and to crossroads for situations
that might affect a successful
pass. If in doubt, wait.
Watch for traffic signs,
pavement markings, and lines
that could indicate a turn or
an intersection. Never cross a
solid or double-solid line on your
side of the lane.
Do not get too close to the
vehicle you want to pass. Doing
so can reduce your visibility.
Wait your turn to pass a slow
vehicle.
When you are being passed,
ease to the right.
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
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the
acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
Remember: Any traction control
system helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. If the traction
system is off, then an acceleration
skid is best handled by easing
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-7andStabiliTrak
®
System on page 4-6.
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.
4-12 Driving Your Vehicle

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 will be 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 may 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.Off-Road Driving
The airbag system is designed to
work properly under a wide range
of conditions, including off-road
usage. Always wear your safety belt
and observe safe driving speeds,
especially on rough terrain.
Drinking and driving can be very
dangerous on any road and this is
certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your
reexes, perceptions, and judgment
can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious — or even
fatal — accident if you drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking.Off-roading can be great fun
but has some denite hazards. The
greatest of these is the terrain
itself. When off-road driving, traffic
lanes are not marked, curves are not
banked, and there are no road
signs. Surfaces can be slippery,
rough, uphill, or downhill.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers. Failure to operate the
vehicle correctly off-road could result
in loss of vehicle control or vehicle
rollover.
Off-roading involves some new
skills. That is why it is very important
that you read these driving tips
and suggestions to help make
off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-13

You will nd other important
information underLoading the
Vehicle on page 4-35andTires on
page 5-44.
Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide
wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises
environmental concerns. We
recognize these concerns and urge
every off-roader to follow these
basic rules for protecting the
environment:
Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have
been specially set aside for public
off-road recreational driving
and obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that
could damage shrubs, owers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife. This includes
wheel-spinning, breaking down
trees, or unnecessary driving
through streams or over
soft ground.
Always carry a litter bag and
make sure all refuse is removed
from any campsite before
leaving.
Take extreme care with open
res (where permitted), camp
stoves, and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry
grass or other combustible
materials that could catch re
from the heat of the vehicle’s
exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your
trip, especially when going to a
remote area. Know the terrain and
plan your route. Get accurate
maps of trails and terrain. Check to
see if there are any blocked or
closed roads.
It is also a good idea to travel
with at least one other vehicle in
case something happens to one
of them.
For vehicles with a winch, be sure
to read the winch instructions.
In a remote area, a winch can be
handy if you get stuck but you
will want to know how to use
it properly.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-15