2009 HUMMER H3 tow

A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specic
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-58for more information
about modications that can affect
how the system operates.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing the vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an airbag can still
inate during improper service.
You can be injured if you are close
to an airbag when it inates.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Avoid yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the airbag
system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make
sure the person performing work
for you is qualied to do so.
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to
or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
1-58 Seats and Restraint System

From the inside, use the manual lock
levers or power door lock switch.
Power Door Locks
The power door lock switches are
located on the driver’s and the front
passenger doors.Press L (lock) to lock all the doors
at once. To unlock all the doors,
press U (Unlock).
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks
With an automatic transmission,
the vehicle is pre-programmed to
automatically lock the doors when
shifted out of P (Park). All doors
unlock when the vehicle is shifted
back into P (Park).
With a manual transmission, the
vehicle is pre-programmed to
automatically lock the doors when
the vehicle speed reached 15 mph
(24 km/h). Removing the key
from the ignition unlocks the doors.
To program the automatic door
locks, see “Automatic Door Locks”
underDIC Operation and Displays
on page 3-34.
Rear Door Security Locks
Each rear door can be locked so it
cannot be opened from the inside.
The rear door security lock is
located on the inside edge of
each rear door.
To engage a security lock:
1. Open one of the rear doors.
2. Use the ignition key to turn the
lock toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Close the door.
4. Repeat these steps on the
other rear door.
Driver’s side shown
2-6 Features and Controls

Removing the Tailgate
To remove the tailgate:
1. Open the tailgate fully and
remove the retainer clip from the
driver’s side hinge.
It is recommended that the
retainer clip be stored in a safe
place, like the glove box.2. Lift up slightly on the entire
tailgate assembly.
Remove the retaining cables
from both sides of the pickup box
by pulling the clips away from
the bolt heads while pushing the
cable bracket forward. When
the larger part of the hole on the
bracket is over the bolt, slide
the bracket off of the bolt.
3. With the tailgate partially down,
lift up on the passenger’s side
and pull the tailgate toward you,
then move the tailgate to the
right to release the driver’s side.
Reverse the procedure to reinstall
the tailgate. Make sure it is secure.To partially lower the tailgate:
1. With the tailgate fully open, lift up
slightly on the entire tailgate
assembly.
2. Remove the retaining cable from
the passenger side of the pickup
box by pulling the clip away
from the bolt head while pushing
the cable bracket forward.
When the larger part of the hole
on the bracket is over the bolt,
slide the bracket off of the bolt.
Tailgate Partially Down
2-8 Features and Controls

Press the button again to turn the
lockout off. A red band on the
side of the button is lit when the
windows are not locked out.
Sun Visors
Pull the visor toward you, or move it
to the side to help reduce glare.
Pull out the extenders for further
coverage.
On a visor with a mirror, lift the
cover to use it.
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
Vehicle theft is big business,
especially in some cities. This
vehicle has theft-deterrent features,
however, they do not make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
This vehicle has a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
The security light is located on the
instrument panel cluster.
To arm the system:
1. Close all the doors.
2. Lock the doors with the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
The security light ashes.If the lock button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed, but a door
is open, the doors lock, the lights
may ash and the horn may sound.
Close the open door to arm the
system.
The alarm goes off if a locked
door is not opened using the
RKE transmitter, or by OnStar
®.
A pre-alarm sounds the horn at
reduced intensity for 10 seconds.
Then, the front turn signal lamps
ash for two minutes, and the horn
sounds for two minutes. The alarm
then turns off to save battery power.
Start the engine to turn off the alarm.
The theft-deterrent system does not
activate if the doors are locked with
the key, the manual door lock, or
power door lock switch. The system
can only be activated using the
RKE transmitter, or by OnStar.
SeeOnStar
®System on page 2-39
for additional information. The
vehicle can be started with the
correct key if the alarm has been
set off.
Features and Controls 2-11

5. After the engine has started, turn
the key to LOCK/OFF, and
remove the key. Insert the key to
be programmed and turn it to
ON/RUN within ten seconds of
removing the previous key.
The security light turns off once
the key has been programmed.
6. Repeat the Steps 1 through 5
if additional keys are to be
programmed.
If the security light comes on and
stays on while driving, the engine
will restart if you turn it off. However,
the theft-deterrent system is not
working properly and must be
serviced by your dealer/retailer.
The vehicle is not protected by the
theft-deterrent system at this time.
In an emergency, contact Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside Service
on page 7-6.
Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the theft
deterrent system in the vehicle.Starting and
Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does
not need an elaborate break-in.
But it will perform better in
the long run if you follow these
guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph
(88 km/h) or less for the
rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for
the rst 200 miles (322 km)
or so. During this time the
new brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with new
linings can mean premature
wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get
new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. SeeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-42for the
trailer towing capabilities of the
vehicle and more information.
Following break-in, engine
speed and load can be gradually
increased.
Features and Controls 2-15

Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), turn the
ignition to ON/RUN and apply
the regular brake pedal.Notice:Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct key,
make sure it is all the way in, and
turn it only with your hand. If the
key cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer/retailer.
(A) LOCK/OFF:This position
locks the ignition. It also locks
the transmission on automatic
transmission vehicles. It locks
the steering wheel on manual
transmission vehicles. The key can
only be removed in LOCK/OFF.
On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) to turn the ignition
switch to LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turningthe key to ACC/ACCESSORY.
If this doesn’t work, then the vehicle
needs service.
(B) ACC/ACCESSORY:This is the
position in which you can operate
the electrical accessories or items
plugged into the accessory power
outlets. On automatic transmission
vehicles, this position unlocks
the ignition. On manual transmission
vehicles, it unlocks the ignition
and steering wheel. Use this position
if the vehicle must be pushed or
towed.
(C) ON/RUN:This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. The switch stays
in this position when the engine is
running. The transmission is
also unlocked in this position on
automatic transmission vehicles.
2-16 Features and Controls

It features an electronic shift
position indicator within the
instrument cluster.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P (Park):This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. 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, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park (Automatic Transmission) on
page 2-29. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-42.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock controlsystem. You must fully apply the
regular brakes rst and then press
the shift lever button before you
can shift from P (Park) when
the ignition key is in ON/RUN. If you
cannot shift out of P (Park), ease
pressure on the shift lever and push
the shift lever all the way into
P (Park) as you maintain brake
application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. See
Shifting Out of Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-30
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
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.
2-20 Features and Controls

To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-33
N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “Skidding” under
Loss of Control on page 4-12.D (Drive) can be used when towing
a trailer. You may want to shift
the transmission to 3 (Third) or,
if necessary, a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads or in hilly
conditions.
3 (Third):This position is also used
for normal driving. However it
reduces vehicle speed more than
D (Drive) without using the brakes.
You might choose 3 (Third) instead
of D (Drive) when driving on hilly or
winding roads, or when towing a
trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears, or when going
down a steep hill.
2 (Second):This position reduces
vehicle speed even more than
3 (Third) without using the brakes.
You can use 2 (Second) on hills.
It can help control vehicle speed as
you go down steep mountain roads,
but then you would also want to use
the brakes off and on.
Features and Controls 2-21