2009 SATURN VUE HYBRID weight

A.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=1,000 lbs
(453 kg).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×2=300 lbs
(136 kg).
C.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight=700 lbs
(317 kg).
A.Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 2=1,000 lbs
(453 kg).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs
(340 kg).
C.Available Cargo
Weight=250 lbs (113 kg).
A.Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 3=1,000 lbs
(453 kg).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
200 lbs
(91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs
(453 kg).
C.Available Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg).
Refer to your vehicle’s tire and
loading information label for
specic information about your
vehicle’s capacity weight and
seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
your vehicle’s capacity weight. Example 1
Example 2Example 3
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Certication/Tire Label
A vehicle specic
Certication/Tire label is
attached to the lower area of
the center pillar (B-Pillar).
The label shows the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, cargo, and trailer tongue
weight, if the vehicle is pulling a
trailer.
The Certication/Tire label also
tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear
axles, called the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To nd
out the actual loads on your
front and rear axles, you need to
go to a weigh station and
weigh your vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out
your load equally on both sides
of the centerline.Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle or the GAWR
for either the front or rear axle.
{CAUTION
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or
rear Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). If you do, parts on
the vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your
vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and
crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Notice
:Overloading your
vehicle may cause damage.
Repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Do not
overload your vehicle.
Label Example
Driving Your Vehicle 4-21
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If you put things inside your
vehicle — like suitcases, tools,
packages, or anything else, they
will go as fast as the vehicle
goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash,
they will keep going.
{CAUTION
Things you put inside your
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash.
Put things in the cargo
area of your vehicle. Try to
spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not leave an unsecured
child restraint in your
vehicle.
When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure it
whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
To avoid damage, the disabled
vehicle should be towed with all
four wheels off the ground. Consult
your dealer/retailer or a professional
towing service if the disabled
vehicle must be towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 7-5.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motorhome, see
“Recreational Vehicle Towing”
following.
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Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too heavy,
the brakes may not work well — or
even at all. The driver and
passengers could be seriously
injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer only
if all the steps in this section have
been followed. Ask your dealer/
retailer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle.Notice:Pulling a trailer
improperly can damage the
vehicle and result in costly
repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in
this section and see your
dealer/retailer for important
information about towing a trailer
with the vehicle.
The vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment.
To identify the trailering capacity of
the vehicle, read the information
in “Weight of the Trailer” that
appears later in this section.
Trailering is different than just
driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering
tips and safety rules. Many of these
are important for your safety and
that of your passengers. So please
read this section carefully before
pulling a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transmission, rear
axle, wheel assemblies and tires are
forced to work harder against the
drag of the added weight. The
engine is required to operate
at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating
extra heat. The trailer also
adds considerably to wind
resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements.
The vehicle has Trailer Sway
Control (TSC). See “Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)” inStabiliTrak
®
System on page 4-7for more
information.
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Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
There are many different
laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with
trailering. Make sure the rig will
be legal, not only where you
live but also where you will be
driving. A good source for
this information can be state or
provincial police.
Do not tow a trailer at all during
the rst 500 miles (800 km) the
new vehicle is driven. The
engine, axle or other parts could
be damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles
(800 km) that a trailer is towed,
do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of
the vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a
lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often under heavy loads
and/or hilly conditions.
Obey speed limit restrictions
when towing a trailer. Do not
drive faster than the maximum
posted speed for trailers, or
no more than 55 mph (90 km/h),
to save wear on the vehicle’s
parts.
Do not tow a trailer when the
outside temperature is above
100°F (38°C).
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
The total weight on the vehicle’s
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,500 lbs (680 kg). But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude,
road grades, outside temperature
and how much the vehicle is used to
pull a trailer are all important. It
can depend on any special
equipment on the vehicle, and the
amount of tongue weight the vehicle
can carry. See “Weight of the
Trailer Tongue” later in this section
for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Ask your dealer/retailer for trailering
information or advice.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle.
If there are a lot of options,
equipment, passengers or cargo in
the vehicle, it will reduce the
tongue weight the vehicle can carry,
which will also reduce the trailer
weight the vehicle can tow. If towing
a trailer, the tongue load must be
added to the GVW because
the vehicle will be carrying that
weight, too. SeeLoading the Vehicle
on page 4-18for more information
about the vehicle’s maximum
load capacity.For a weight-carrying hitch, the
trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Trailering may be limited by the
vehicle’s ability to carry tongue
weight. Tongue weight cannot
cause the vehicle to exceed the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) or the RGAWR (Rear
Gross Axle Weight Rating).The effect of additional weight
may reduce the trailering capacity
more than the total of the additional
weight.
Consider the following example:
A vehicle model base weight
is 5,500 lbs (2 495 kg); 2,800 lbs
(1 270 kg) at the front axle and
2,700 lbs (1 225 kg) at the rear
axle. It has a GVWR of 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg), a RGAWR of 4,000 lbs
(1 814 kg) and a GCWR (Gross
Combination Weight Rating)
of 14,000 lbs (6 350 kg). The
trailer rating should be:
Expect tongue weight to be at least
10 percent of trailer weight (850 lbs
(386 kg)) and because the weight
is applied well behind the rear axle,
the effect on the rear axle is greater
than just the weight itself, as
much as 1.5 times as much.
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The weight at the rear axle could be
850 lbs (386 kg) X 1.5 = 1,275 lbs
(578 kg). Since the rear axle already
weighs 2,700 lbs (1 225 kg), adding
1,275 lbs (578 kg) brings the total to
3,975 lbs (1 803 kg). This is very
close to, but within the limit for
RGAWR as well. The vehicle is set to
trailer up to 8,500 lbs (3 856 kg).
If the vehicle has many options and
there is a front seat passenger
and two rear seat passengers with
some luggage and gear in the
vehicle as well, 300 lbs (136 kg)
could be added to the front
axle weight and 400 lbs (181 kg) to
the rear axle weight. The vehicle
now weighs:
Weight is still below 7,200 lbs
(3 266 kg) and you might think 700
additional pounds (318 kg) should
be subtracted from the trailering
capacity to stay within GCWR limits.The maximum trailer would only be
7,800 lbs (3 538 kg). You may go
further and think the tongue weight
should be limited to less than
1,000 lbs (454 kg) to avoid
exceeding GVWR. But the effect on
the rear axle must still be considered.
Because the rear axle now weighs
3,100 lbs (1 406 kg), 900 lbs
(408 kg) can be put on the rear axle
without exceeding RGAWR. The
effect of tongue weight is about
1.5 times the actual weight. Dividing
the 900 lbs (408 kg) by 1.5 leaves
only 600 lbs (272 kg) of tongue
weight that can be handled. Since
tongue weight is usually at least
10 percent of total loaded trailer
weight, expect that the largest trailer
the vehicle can properly handle is
6,000 lbs (2 721 kg).
It is important that the vehicle
does not exceed any of its
ratings — GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR,
Maximum Trailer Rating or Tongue
Weight. The only way to be sure it is
not exceeding any of these ratings is
to weigh the vehicle and trailer.Total Weight on the Vehicle’s
Tires
Be sure the vehicle’s tires are
inated to the upper limit for cold
tires. These numbers can be found
on the Certication label or see
Loading the Vehicle on page 4-18
for more information. Make sure not
to go over the GVW limit for the
vehicle, or the GAWR, including the
weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It is important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds,
large trucks going by and rough
roads are a few reasons why
the right hitch is needed.
The rear bumper on the vehicle is
not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
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Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If so, be
sure to seal the holes when the
hitch is removed. If they are not
sealed, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from the engine’s
exhaust can get into the vehicle.
SeeEngine Exhaust on
page 2-26. Sealing the holes will
also prevent dirt and water from
entering the vehicle.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains
may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailermanufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation
for attaching safety chains and do
not attach them to the bumper.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 1,000 lbs (900 kg) needs
to have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted
and maintained properly. Because
the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®,do
not try to tap into the vehicle’s
hydraulic brake system. If you do,
both brake systems will not
work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
{CAUTION
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most window
is open.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
To maximize safety when towing
a trailer:
Have the exhaust system
inspected for leaks and make
necessary repairs before
starting a trip.
Never drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
(Continued)
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