2009 HUMMER H3 traction control

Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, decide
if it is too steep to climb, descend, or
cross. Steepness can be hard to
judge. On a very small hill, for
example, there may be a smooth,
constant incline with only a
small change in elevation where
you can easily see all the way to the
top. On a large hill, the incline
may get steeper as you near the
top, but you might not see this
because the crest of the hill
is hidden by bushes, grass, or
shrubs.
Consider this as you approach
a hill:
Is there a constant incline, or
does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the
hillside, or will the surface
cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or
down the hill so you will not have
to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill
that can block your path, such
as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
What is beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a
drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It
is the smart way to nd out.
Is the hill simply too rough?
Steep hills often have ruts,
gullies, troughs, and exposed
rocks because they are
more susceptible to the effects
of erosion.
See “Hill Start Assist” underBraking
on page 4-3for information on
vehicles stopped on a grade.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide it is safe to drive
up the hill:
Use transmission and transfer
case low gear and get a rm
grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain speed.
Not using more power than
needed can avoid spinning the
wheels or sliding.
Let the traction system work to
control any wheel slippage.
The traction control system
allows for moderate wheel spin
with some capability to dig in and
power up the hill.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-21

Stalling on an Incline
{CAUTION
Getting out on the downhill (low)
side of a vehicle stopped across
an incline is dangerous. If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be
crushed or killed. Always get out
on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
If the vehicle stalls when crossing
an incline, be sure you, and
any passengers, get out on the
uphill side, even if the door there is
harder to open. If you get out on
the downhill side and the vehicle
starts to roll over, you will be right in
its path.
If you have to walk down the slope,
stay out of the path the vehicle
will take if it does roll over.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow,
or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or
sand, the wheels do not get good
traction. Acceleration is not as quick,
turning is more difficult, and braking
distances are longer.
It is best to use a low gear when in
mud — the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. In really deep mud,
keep the vehicle moving so it
does not get stuck.
When driving on sand, wheel
traction changes. On loosely packed
sand, such as on beaches or
sand dunes, the tires will tend to
sink into the sand. This affects
steering, accelerating, and braking.
Drive at a reduced speed and
avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it is very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so
poor that you will have difficulty
accelerating. And, if the vehicle does
get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can cause it to slide
out of control.
{CAUTION
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or
rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle
could fall through the ice and you
and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
4-26 Driving Your Vehicle

Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
owing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under your vehicle’s
tires so they actually ride on
the water. This can happen if the
road is wet enough and you
are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or
no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is
to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
Keep the windshield washer uid
reservoir lled.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. SeeTires on page 5-44.
Turn off cruise control.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-29

{CAUTION
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something
could be in your lane (stalled car,
accident).
Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
SeeOff-Road Driving on page 4-13
for information about driving
off-road.
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 wheelsto 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.
TheTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-7improves the ability
to accelerate on slippery roads, but
slow down and adjust your driving
to the road conditions. When driving
through deep snow, turn off the
traction control system to help
maintain vehicle motion at lower
speeds.
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.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-31

Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around
the front wheels. The traction control
system activates when the system
senses that the wheels are spinning.
Turn off any traction or stability
system. With the wheels straight
ahead, shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a forward gear,
or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), 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. The recovery loops can beused. If the vehicle does need to be
towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-40.
Recovery Loops
{CAUTION
These loops, when used, are
under a lot of force. Keep people
away from the vicinity of the loops
and any chains or cables during
use. Always pull the vehicle
straight out. Never pull on the
loops at a sideways angle. The
loops could break off and you or
others could be injured from the
chain or cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use the recovery
loops to tow the vehicle. Your
vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by
warranty.The vehicle has two recovery loops
at the front of the vehicle and
one at the rear of the vehicle.
Use them if the vehicle is stuck
off-road and needs to be pulled to
some place where the driver
can continue driving.
4-34 Driving Your Vehicle

Electrical System
Add-On Electrical
Equipment.......................5-91
Windshield Wiper Fuses. . . .5-91
Power Windows and
Other Power Options.......5-91
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers.........................5-91
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block......................5-92
Capacities and
Specications
Capacities and
Specications..................5-96
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.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from the installation or use
of non-GM certied parts, including
control module modications,
are not covered under the terms of
the vehicle warranty and may
affect remaining warranty coverage
for affected parts.
Service and Appearance Care 5-3

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 5-45for additional
information.
GM recommends replacing tires
in sets of four. This is because
uniform tread depth on all
tires will help keep your vehicle
performing most like it did
when the tires were new.Replacing less than a full set of
tires can affect the braking and
handling performance of your
vehicle. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 5-57
for information on proper tire
rotation.
{CAUTION
Mixing tires could cause you
to lose control while driving.
If you mix tires of different
sizes, brands, or types
(radial and bias-belted tires)
the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could have
a crash. Using tires of different
sizes, brands, or types may
also cause damage to your
vehicle. Be sure to use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on your vehicle’s
wheels.
{CAUTION
If you use bias-ply tires on the
vehicle, the wheel rim anges
could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail
suddenly, causing a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s
tires with those that do not have a
TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size, load
range, speed rating, and
construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your
vehicle’s original tires.
5-60 Service and Appearance Care

Vehicles equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system may
give an inaccurate low-pressure
warning if non-TPC spec rated
tires are installed on your
vehicle. Non-TPC Spec rated
tires may give a low-pressure
warning that is higher or lower
than the proper warning level
you would get with TPC
Spec rated tires. SeeTire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 5-52.
Your vehicle’s original equipment
tires are listed on the Tire and
Loading Information Label.
SeeLoading the Vehicle
on page 4-35, for more
information about the Tire and
Loading Information Label
and its location on your vehicle.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 5-59
andAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3for additional
information.
Service and Appearance Care 5-61