2010 HUMMER H3 traction control

5-16 Instruments and Controls
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The StabiliTrak system or the
Traction Control System (TCS)
indicator/warning light comes on
briefly while starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light will then go off.
The indicator/warning light flashes
while the StabiliTrak or TCS system
is working to control the vehicle on
a low traction surface.
If the TCS warning light comes on
and stays on while driving, the
vehicle needs service.The light comes on when the TCS
and the StabiliTrak system is turned
off. If the TCS is off, wheel spin is
not limited. If the StabiliTrak system
is off, the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
TCS and the StabiliTrak system and
the warning light turns off.
See
StabiliTrak System
on
page 9‑53and Traction Control
System (TCS)on page 9‑52for
more information
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a tire pressure
monitoring system, this light comes
on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System. When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more
of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
can accompany the light. See
Tire
Messages
on page 5‑25for
more information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the tire
loading information label. See Tire
Pressure
on page 10‑51for more
information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be
a problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
on page 10‑53for
more information.

5-24 Instruments and Controls
Fuel System Messages
FUEL CAP
This message displays if the
vehicle's fuel cap is either off or
loose. Pull over as soon as possible
and check to see if the fuel cap is
secure. You may also see the check
engine light on the instrument panel
cluster. If the check engine light
does come on when the fuel cap
was loose, it may take a few driving
trips before the light turns off.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on
page 5‑12for more information if
the light still remains on. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
LOW FUEL
This message displays if the level of
fuel in the vehicle is low. Also check
the fuel gauge. See Fuel Gauge
on
page 5‑8for more information.
Refill the fuel tank as soon as
possible.
Lamp Messages
TURN SIGNAL
This message displays when the
turn signal is on for about 1.2 km
(0.75 miles) of travel. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
Ride Control System
Messages
SERVICE STAB (Stability)
SYS (System)
This message displays if there is
a problem with the StabiliTrak®
system. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer. See StabiliTrak
System
on page 9‑53for more
information.
STAB (Stability)
SYS (System) OFF
This message displays when the
StabiliTrak®system is turned off.
See StabiliTrak Systemon
page 9‑53for more information.
TRAC (Traction) OFF
This message along with the
traction off light displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
turned off by pressing the TCS
button. See Traction Control System
(TCS)
on page 9‑52and Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak®
Lighton page 5‑16for more
information.

Instruments and Controls 5-25
TRACTION FAILED
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Traction Control
System (TCS). Check the TCS as
soon as possible and have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Lighton page 5‑16for
more information. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERV (Service) VEH (Vehicle)
This message displays if the vehicle
needs service. Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible.
Tire Messages
LOW TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a low tire
pressure is detected in any of the
vehicle's tires. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display. The message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tires
are inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. See Tires
on page 10‑44andTire Pressureon page 10‑51for
more information on tires and the
correct inflation pressures.
SERV (Service)
TPM (Tire Pressure Monitor)
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly.
The tire pressure light also flashes and then remains on during the
same ignition cycle. See
Tire
Pressure Light
on page 5‑16.
Several conditions may cause this
message to appear. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 10‑53for more information.
If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
Transmission Messages
SERV (Service)
4WD (Four-Wheel Drive)
This message displays when
there is a problem with the transfer
case control system. Check the
transfer case on the vehicle and
have it serviced by your dealer.
See Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 9‑46for more information
about the transfer case. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.

Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-22
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-23
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-26
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-36
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-41
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-44
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-52
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Locking Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Object Detection Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-65
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65

Driving and Operating 9-3
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
Police records show that
almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem is
for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system
can make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been
drinking
—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of
the vehicle. See Traction Control
System (TCS)
on page 9‑52and
StabiliTrak System on page 9‑53. Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Lighton page 5‑14.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three‐fourths of a second. But that is
only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and
eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But
even in three‐fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 100 km/h
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft).

9-4 Driving and Operating
That could be a lot of distance in
an emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition
of the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

9-6 Driving and Operating
Turn the steering wheel 8 to 13 cm
(3 to 5 inches), about one-eighth
turn, until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface —and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.

Driving and Operating 9-11
The vehicle can climb a 40.6 cm
(16 inch) vertical step. Step climbing
is best done by approaching the
step at an angle rather than
straight on.
Brake and Accelerator
Operation Techniques for
Off-Road Driving
For logs, walls, rocks, severe
ditches, hills, sand, etc.
1. Bring the vehicle to a completestop. Do not rev the engine.
2. Select the proper transmission and transfer case gear
range; usually 1 (First) gear,
Four‐Wheel‐Low Lock for
such obstacles.
3. If wheel spin is experienced, maintain steady throttle, with
your foot off the brake pedal,
to allow the Traction Control
System (TCS) to control the
wheel spin. TCS might not
operate if the brakes are
applied. 4. If wheel spin cannot be
controlled by the TCS system,
fully press the brake pedal with
your left foot so all wheel spin is
stopped.
5. Back away from the obstacle so that a new approach can be
tried.
6. As the first wheel crosses the obstacle, be prepared to
alternate the brake and
accelerator pedal to maintain
control and avoid tire drop-off
from obstacles. Repeat this
process for the other wheels.