Page 267 of 440

Driving with a Trailer
{WARNING:
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.
•Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air and set the fan
speed to the highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3-40Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Get to know the rig before setting out for the open
road. Get acquainted with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now
longer and not as responsive as the vehicle is by itself.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustments. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start the vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This checks the electrical
connection at the same time.
During the trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving the vehicle without a trailer. This
can help to avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when towing a trailer.
Because the rig is longer, it is necessary to go much
farther beyond the passed vehicle before returning to
the lane.
5-39
Page 351 of 440

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
which grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters
of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform
to federal safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1.5) times as well
on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
6-81
Page 429 of 440

Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children...........................2-33
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children..........2-42
Older Children.............................................2-30
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position..................................................2-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position...........................2-52, 2-56
Systems.....................................................2-37
Where to Put the Restraint...........................2-40
Cigarette Lighter.............................................4-15
Circuit Breakers............................................6-110
Cleaning
Aluminum Wheels......................................6-107
Exterior Lamps/Lenses................................6-105
Fabric/Carpet............................................6-103
Finish Care...............................................6-106
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces...............................................6-104
Interior.....................................................6-102
Tires........................................................6-107
Underbody Maintenance.............................6-108
Washing Your Vehicle.................................6-105
Weatherstrips............................................6-105
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................6-106
Climate Control System...................................4-15
Outlet Adjustment........................................4-17
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System......4-18
Rear Heating System...................................4-18
Climate Controls.............................................1-13Clock, Setting.................................................4-60
Collision Damage Repair..................................8-13
Compass.......................................................4-42
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 5-3
Coolant
Engine.......................................................6-29
Engine Temperature Gage............................4-29
Cooling System..............................................6-28
Courtesy Transportation Program......................8-11
Cruise Control.................................................. 4-6
Light..........................................................4-35
Customer Assistance......................................... 8-6
Offices......................................................... 8-6
Text Telephone (TTY) Users........................... 8-6
Customer Information
Service Publications Ordering Information........8-17
Customer Satisfaction Procedure........................ 8-2
D
Damage Repair, Collision.................................8-13
Data Recorders, Event....................................8-18
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).........................4-10
Defensive Driving............................................. 5-2
Delayed Locking.............................................3-10
DIC Compass.................................................4-42
Disc, MP3......................................................4-72
Doing Your Own Service Work........................... 6-4
Dome Lamp Override......................................4-12
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