Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings
while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, find a safe
place to park your vehicle and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan the road ahead
and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments
often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different
than driving on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for driving in
these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, cooling
system, and transmission.
.Going down steep or long hills, shift to a
lower gear.
{WARNING:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could get so
hot that they would not work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
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{WARNING:
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down and they could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in gear when
going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that
let you stay in your own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert—something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
See Off-Road Driving
on page 5‑12for information
about driving off-road.
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.
The Antilock 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.
5-27
Towing a Trailer
Do not tow a trailer during break‐in. SeeNew Vehicle
Break-Inon page 3‑24for more information.
{WARNING:
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. 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.
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Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more than 2,000 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.
Since the vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak
®, the
trailer brakes cannot tap into the vehicle's hydraulic
system.
Integrated Trailer Brake Control System
The vehicle may have an
Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system for
electric trailer brakes.
This symbol is located on the Trailer Brake Control
Panel on vehicles with an Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System. The power output to the trailer brakes
is based on the amount of brake pressure being applied
by the vehicle’ s brake system. This available power
output to the trailer brakes can be adjusted to a wide
range of trailering situations. The ITBC system is integrated with the vehicle’s brake,
anti‐lock brake and StabiliTrak systems. In trailering
conditions that cause the vehicle’s anti‐lock brake or
StabiliTrak systems to activate, power sent to the
trailer's brakes will be automatically adjusted to
minimize trailer wheel lock-up. This does not imply that
the trailer has the StabiliTrak system.
If the vehicle’s brake, anti‐lock brake or StabiliTrak
systems are not functioning properly, the ITBC system
may not be fully functional or may not function at all.
Make sure all of these systems are fully operational to
ensure full functionality of the ITBC system.
The ITBC system is powered through the vehicle's
electrical system. Turning the ignition off will also turn
off the ITBC system. The ITBC system is fully functional
only when the ignition is in ON or in RUN.
5-49
The ITBC system can only be used with trailers with
electric brakes.
{WARNING:
Connecting a trailer that is not compatible with the
ITBC system may result in reduced or complete
loss of trailer braking. There may be an increase
in stopping distance or trailer instability which
could result in personal injury or damage to the
vehicle, trailer, or other property. An aftermarket
controller may be available for use with trailers
with surge, air or electric‐over‐hydraulic trailer
brake systems. To determine the type of brakes
on the trailer and the availability of controllers,
check with your trailer manufacturer or dealer/
retailer.When trailering, make sure of the following:
.The ITBC system is used only with trailers that are
equipped with electric brakes.
.All applicable local and federal laws and
regulations are followed.
.All electrical and mechanical connections to the
trailer are made correctly.
.The trailer
’s brakes are in proper working
condition.
.The trailer and vehicle are properly loaded for the
towing condition.
The ITBC system is a factory installed item.
Out‐of‐factory installation of this system should not be
attempted. GM is not responsible for warranty or
performance of the system resulting from out‐of‐factory
installation.
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Trailer Brake Control Panel
A. Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever
B. Trailer Gain Adjustment Buttons
The ITBC system has a control panel located on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering column. See
Instrument Panel
on page 1‑2. The control panel
allows adjustment to the amount of output, referred to
as trailer gain, available to the electric trailer brakes and
allows manual application the trailer brakes. The Trailer
Brake Control Panel is used along with the Trailer Brake
Display Page on the DIC to adjust and display power
output to the trailer brakes.
Trailer Brake DIC Display Page
The ITBC system displays messages into the vehicle’s
Driver Information Center (DIC). See DIC Warnings and
Messages
on page 4‑56for more information.
The display page indicates Trailer Gain setting, power
output to the electric trailer brakes, trailer connection
and system operational status.
The Trailer Brake Display Page can be displayed by
performing any of the following actions:
.Scrolling through the DIC menu pages using the
odometer trip stem or the DIC Vehicle Information
button (if equipped).
.Pressing a Trailer Gain button –If the Trailer Brake
Display Page is not currently displayed, pressing a
Trailer Gain button will first recall the current Trailer
Gain setting. After the Trailer Brake Display Page
is displayed, each press and release of the gain
buttons will then cause the Trailer Gain setting to
change.
.Activating the Manual Trailer Brake Apply lever
.Connecting a trailer equipped with electric trailer
brakes
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All DIC warning and service messages must first be
acknowledged by the driver by pressing the odometer
trip stem or the DIC Vehicle Information button
(if equipped) before the Trailer Brake Display Page can
be displayed and Trailer Gain can be adjusted.
TRAILER GAIN–This setting is displayed anytime the
Trailer Brake Display Page is active. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either a trailer connected
or disconnected. To adjust the Trailer Gain, press one of
the Trailer Gain adjustment buttons located on the
Trailer Brake Control Panel. Press and hold a gain
button to cause the Trailer Gain to continuously adjust.
To turn the output to the trailer off, adjust the Trailer
Gain setting to 0.0 (zero).
0.0 (zero) gain is the factory default setting. To properly
adjust trailer gain, see the Trailer Gain Adjustment
Procedure later in this section.
TRAILER OUTPUT –This is displayed any time a trailer
with electric brakes is connected. Output to the electric
brakes is based on the amount of vehicle braking
present and relative to the Trailer Gain setting. Output is
displayed from 0 to 10 bars for each gain setting. The Trailer Output will indicate
“- - - - - -“on the Trailer
Brake Display Page whenever the following occur:
.No trailer is connected.
.A trailer without electric brakes is connected
(no DIC message is displayed).
.A trailer with electric brakes has become
disconnected (a CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message will also be displayed on the DIC).
.There is a fault present in the wiring to the electric
trailer brakes (a CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message will also be displayed on the DIC).
.There is a fault in the ITBC system (a SERVICE
TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM message will also be
displayed in the DIC).
5-52
Manual Trailer Brake Apply
The Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever is located on the
Trailer Brake Control Panel and is used to apply the
trailer’s electric brakes independent of the vehicle’ s
brakes. This lever is used in the Trailer Gain Adjustment
Procedure to properly adjust the power output to the
trailer brakes. Sliding the lever to the left will apply only
the trailer brakes. The power output to the trailer is
indicated in the Trailer Brake Display Page in the DIC.
If the vehicle’s service brakes are applied while using
the Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever, the trailer output
power will be the greater of the two.
The trailer and the vehicle's brake lamps will come on
when either vehicle braking or manual trailer brakes are
applied.
Trailer Gain Adjustment Procedure
Trailer Gain should be set for a specific trailering
condition and must be adjusted any time vehicle
loading, trailer loading or road surface conditions
change.
Setting the Trailer Gain properly is needed for the best
trailer stopping performance. A trailer that is
over-gained may result in locked trailer brakes. A trailer
that is under-gained may result in not enough trailer
braking. Both of these conditions may result in poorer
stopping and stability of the vehicle and trailer. Use the following procedure to correctly adjust Trailer
Gain for each towing condition:
1. Make sure the trailer brakes are in proper working condition.
2. Connect a properly loaded trailer to the vehicle and make all necessary mechanical and electrical
connections. See Loading the Vehicle
on
page 5‑31for more information.
3. After the electrical connection is made to a trailer equipped with electric brakes:
.A TRAILER CONNECTED message will be
briefly displayed on the DIC display.
.The Trailer Brake Display Page will appear on
the DIC showing TRAILER GAIN and TRAILER
OUTPUT.
.In the Trailer Output display on the
DIC, “- - - - - -“ will disappear if there is no error
present. Connecting a trailer without electric
brakes will not clear the six dashed lines.
4. Adjust the Trailer Gain by using the gain adjustment (+ / -) buttons on the Trailer Brake
Control Panel.
5-53