2009 SATURN VUE HYBRID engine

Automatic Engine Start/Stop
{CAUTION
There is something about the
vehicle that can make it move
suddenly, and you or others can
be seriously injured. This can
happen if the vehicle is in the
Auto Stop mode, and the shift
lever is in D (Drive). Because the
vehicle has the Automatic Engine
Start/Stop feature, the vehicle’s
engine might seem to be shut off
when you come to a complete
stop. However, if you then start to
exit the vehicle, as soon as you
take your foot off the brake pedal,
the engine will start again and the
vehicle can move forward. If you
are going to exit the vehicle,
rst shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF. Then exit.The vehicle has an automatic
engine start/stop feature that is
a part of the hybrid system. After the
engine is started and has reached
operating temperature, the AUTO
STOP feature may turn the
engine off when you apply the
brakes and come to a complete
stop. When you take your foot
off the brake pedal or press the
accelerator pedal, the engine
will start. The engine will continue
to run until the next AUTO STOP.
The AUTO STOP mark on the
tachometer indicates that the engine
is in AUTO STOP mode. If the
driver door is opened while in AUTO
STOP mode, a chime will sound.If you are on an incline, the vehicle
may roll backwards a short distance
until the engine performs an AUTO
START. The Hill Start Assist feature
will help start the vehicle on a
moderate or steep incline. To restart
the engine during the AUTO STOP,
release the brake pedal or press the
accelerator pedal. The engine starts
immediately. The vehicle continues
to run until the next stop.
There are several conditions that
may prevent an AUTO STOP
or cause an AUTO START.
Features and Controls 2-17
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The Engine Will Remain
Running When:
The engine, transmission, or
hybrid battery is not warmed
up yet.
The outside temperature is
high — usually above
95°F (35°C) and the climate
control system is working to
cool the vehicle in A/C mode
(yellow light illuminated on
A/C button) or if defrost is
selected. SeeAutomatic Climate
Control System on page 3-17
for more information.
The shift lever is in P (Park),
R (Reverse), N (Neutral) or
M (Manual Mode).
The hybrid battery pack
charge is low.
The 12V vehicle battery charge
is low, or loads are high.
The hood is not fully closed.The Engine Will Restart When:
The brake pedal is released.
The accelerator pedal is applied.
When shifting from D (Drive)
to P (Park), R (Reverse),
N (Neutral) or M (Manual Mode),
the engine will restart
immediately.
If the A/C button (green light
illuminated on A/C) button is
selected, the duration of
the AUTO STOP will depend on
the outside temperature. This
economy mode improves
fuel economy by limiting the
effects of the air conditioning.
The warmer it is outside,
the shorter the time before the
engine is restarted to provide
cabin cooling.
The climate control system is
turned from Off to On (econ
or normal A/C, or oor/
defog/defrost) SeeAutomatic
Climate Control System on
page 3-17for more information.
The engine is required to run for
either heater or climate control
performance. See “Air
Conditioning and Engine
Start/Stop” underAutomatic
Climate Control System on
page 3-17for more information.
The hybrid battery pack charge is
low and requires recharging.
Auto Stop time is greater than
two minutes.
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Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below 0°F (−18°C). Vehicles
with an engine coolant heater should
be plugged in at least four hours
before starting. Some models
may have an internal thermostat
in the cord which will prevent engine
coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The engine
coolant heater cord is located
near the air cleaner box on
the passenger side of the engine
compartment. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for more information
on location.
3. Plug the cord into a normal,
grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a re. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be
sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be
parking the vehicle for the best
advice on this.
Features and Controls 2-19
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Automatic Transmission
Operation
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are several different positions
for the automatic transmission.
P (Park):This position locks the
front 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 on page 2-23. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-26.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
regular brakes rst and then pressthe shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
key is in 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. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 2-25.
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.
To rock the vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-17.
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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. Also, use
N (Neutral) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{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 with the automatic
transmission. 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),
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 4-11.
M (Manual Mode):This position
allows you to change gears similar
to a manual transmission. If the
vehicle has this feature, see Manual
Shift Mode.
Notice:Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair
will not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping
on a hill, use the brakes to
hold the vehicle in place.
Features and Controls 2-21
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Manual Shift Mode (MSM)
(Automatic Transmission)
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) rearward to the
M (Manual Mode).
The display will show a 3 for
third gear.
When coming to a stop in
the manual position, the
vehicle will automatically shift
to 1 (First) gear.
2. Press the plus (+) button to
upshift or the minus (−) button
to downshift.
While driving in MSM, the vehicle
will have sportier performance. Use
this when you want the vehicle
to stay in gear longer or to downshift
for more power or engine braking.The transmission will only allow you
to shift into a gear range appropriate
for the vehicle speed.The transmission will not
automatically shift to the next
higher gear range without
pressing the button on the
shifter handle.
The transmission will not allow
shifting to the next lower gear
if the vehicle speed is too high.
If the vehicle does not respond to a
gear change, or detects a problem
with the transmission, the range
of gears may be reduced and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
will come on. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-30.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located in
the center console between the
front seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition
is in ON/RUN, the brake system
warning light will come on.
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To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold
the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
Release the parking brake
before driving the vehicle.
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.Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking takes some of
the energy from the moving
vehicle and turns it back into
electrical energy. This energy is
then stored back into the vehicle’s
hybrid battery system, contributing
to increased fuel efficiency.
The system works whenever you
take your foot off the accelerator
pedal while the vehicle is moving in a
forward gear. This causes the
vehicle to slow down more quickly. It
may feel like the brake pedal is being
pressed, even when it is not.
Shifting Into Park
{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 4-26.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 2-22for
more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by pressing the button on the
shift lever and pushing the lever
all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
Features and Controls 2-23
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3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the key, the vehicle is in
P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{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. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from P (Park)
without rst pressing the button
on the console shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the transmission.You may nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of P (Park). This is
called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park) properly
before you leave the driver seat. To
nd out how, seeShifting Into Park
on page 2-23.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle
push yours a little uphill to take
some of the pressure from the
parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
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