2009 SATURN VUE fuel type

Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle..............4-1
Driver Behavior.....................4-2
Driving Environment...............4-2
Vehicle Design......................4-2
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy............................4-3
Defensive Driving..................4-3
Drunk Driving.......................4-4
Control of a Vehicle...............4-4
Braking................................4-5
Antilock Brake
System (ABS).....................4-6
Braking in Emergencies..........4-6
StabiliTrak
®System...............4-7
Traction Control
System (TCS).....................4-8
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System..............................4-9
Steering...............................4-9Off-Road Recovery..............4-11
Passing..............................4-11
Loss of Control...................4-12
Off-Road Driving..................4-13
Driving at Night...................4-22
Driving in Rain and
on Wet Roads...................4-23
Before Leaving on
a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis...............4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads......4-24
Winter Driving.....................4-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow......4-27
Rocking Your Vehicle
toGetItOut.....................4-27
Loading the Vehicle.............4-28
TowingTowing Your Vehicle............4-32
Recreational Vehicle Towing. . .4-32
Towing a Trailer..................4-35
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle
Whenever we drive, we are taking
on an important responsibility.
This is true for any motor
vehicle — passenger car, van,
truck, sport utility. Driver behavior,
the driving environment, and the
vehicle’s design all affect how well a
vehicle performs. But statistics show
that the most important factor, by far,
is how we drive.
Knowing how these three factors
work together can help you
understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to
avoid many types of crashes,
including a rollover crash.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1
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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. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program on page 7-6.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motorhome,
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing”
following.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle – such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as dinghy towing anddolly towing. Dinghy towing is towing
the vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the
vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational
vehicle towing:
What is the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read
the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer/retailer or trailering
professional for additional advice
and equipment recommendations.
Is the vehicle ready to be towed?
Just as preparing the vehicle for a
long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed. SeeBefore
Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-24.
Dinghy Towing
Front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive
vehicles may be dinghy towed from
the front. These vehicles can also be
towed by placing them on a platform
trailer with all four wheels off of the
ground. For other towing options,
see “Dolly Towing” following in this
section.
For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about ve minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components.
4-32 Driving Your Vehicle
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If the octane rating is less than 87,
you might notice an audible knocking
noise when you drive, commonly
referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87
octane or higher as soon as possible.
If you are using gasoline rated at 87
octane or higher and you hear heavy
knocking, the engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication D 4814
in the United States or CAN/
CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-6for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehicle
might fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-35. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now required
to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits
from forming, allowing the emission
control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not
have to add anything to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of additive
required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To
help keep fuel injectors and intake
valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline.
5-6 Service and Appearance Care
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To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly
counterclockwise. The fuel cap has a
spring in it; if the cap is released too
soon, it will spring back to the right.
To avoid fuel contact on the painted
surface of the vehicle when lling the
fuel tank, place the tethered cap on
the fuel ller door.
{CAUTION
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly. If
you spill fuel and then something
ignites it, you could be badly
burned. This spray can happen if
the tank is nearly full, and is more
likely in hot weather. Open the
fuel cap slowly and wait for any
hiss noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top
off or overll the tank and wait a few
seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as
soon as possible. SeeWashing Your
Vehicle on page 5-75.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn
it clockwise until it clicks. Make
sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would
allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-35.
{CAUTION
If a re starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer/retailer can get one for
you. If you get the wrong type, it
might not t properly. This can
cause the malfunction indicator
lamp to light and can damage the
fuel tank and emissions system.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-35.
Service and Appearance Care 5-9
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Roadside Assistance is not a part of
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Saturn and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notication.
Saturn and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
limit services or payment to an
owner or driver if they decide the
claims are made too often, or
the same type of claim is made
many times.
Services Provided

Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for
the vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
Lock-Out Service:Service is
provided to unlock the vehicle
if you are locked out. A remote
unlock may be available if
you have OnStar
®. For security
reasons, the driver must
present identication before this
service is given.
Emergency Tow From a Public
Road or Highway:Tow to the
nearest Saturn retailer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is also
given when the vehicle is stuck
in sand, mud, or snow.
Flat Tire Change:Service is
provided to change a at tire
with the spare tire. The spare tire,
if equipped, must be in good
condition and properly inated. It
is the owner’s responsibility
for the repair or replacement of
the tire if it is not covered by
the warranty.
Battery Jump Start:Service is
provided to jump start a dead
battery.
Trip Interruption Benets and
Assistance:If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
failure, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed during the 5 years/
100,000 miles (160 000 km)
Powertrain warranty period. Items
considered are hotel, meals, and
rental car.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance

Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
Legal nes.
Mounting, dismounting or
changing of snow tires, chains,
or other traction devices.
Towing or services for vehicles
driven on a non-public road or
highway.
Customer Assistance Information 7-7
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Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
Your Saturn vehicle has a number
of sophisticated computers that
record information about the
vehicle’s performance and how it is
driven. For example, your vehicle
uses computer modules to monitor
and control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment
and deploy airbags in a crash and,
if so equipped, to provide antilock
braking to help the driver control the
vehicle. These modules may
store data to help your
dealer/retailer technician service
your vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate
of fuel consumption or average
speed. These modules may
also retain the owner’s personal
preferences, such as radio pre-sets,
seat positions, and temperature
settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event
Data Recorder (EDR). The main
purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road
obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety
systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:
How various systems in your
vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was
travelingThis data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries
occur.
Important:EDR data is recorded
by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data
is recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) is
recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
7-16 Customer Assistance Information
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