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 0°C (32°F) 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 wheels to 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.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 5-4improves
vehicle stability during hard stops on a slippery roads,
but apply the brakes sooner than when on dry
pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on
otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface
of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
5-16
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
Audio System(s).............................................4-62
Automatic Door Lock.......................................3-11
Automatic Door Unlock....................................3-11
Automatic Headlamp System............................4-11
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..................................................6-21, 6-24
Operation...........................................3-27, 3-32
Axle, Rear.....................................................6-50
B
Battery..........................................................6-43
Electric Power Management..........................4-13
Run-Down Protection...................................4-14
Belt Routing, Engine.......................................7-15
Brake
Emergencies................................................ 5-5
Brakes..........................................................6-40
Antilock....................................................... 5-4
Parking......................................................3-36
System Warning Light..................................4-27
Braking........................................................... 5-3
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 5-5
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................3-22
Bulb Replacement...........................................6-58
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)........6-56
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Parking
Lamps ....................................................6-55
Halogen Bulbs............................................6-53Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps.................................................6-53
License Plate Lamps....................................6-58
Taillamps....................................................6-56
Buying New Tires...........................................6-79
C
Calibration.....................................................4-42
California
Perchlorate Materials Requirements................. 6-4
Warning....................................................... 6-4
California Fuel.................................................. 6-6
Canadian Owners............................................... iii
Capacities and Specifications..........................6-116
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust...........................................3-40
Winter Driving.............................................5-16
Care of
Safety Belts..............................................6-104
Cargo Door Relocking.....................................3-10
CD, MP3 .......................................................4-72
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)...........6-56
Chains, Tire...................................................6-84
Charging System Light....................................4-26
Check
Engine Lamp..............................................4-30
Checking Things Under the Hood......................6-12
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................6-108
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