2011 GMC TERRAIN traction control

Black plate (16,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
9-16 Driving and Operating
When driving on sand, wheel
traction changes. On loosely packed
sand, such as on beaches or sand
dunes, the tires will tend to sink
into the sand. This affects steering,
accelerating, and braking. Drive at a
reduced speed and avoid sharp
turns or abrupt maneuvers.
Hard packed snow and ice offer
the worst tire traction. On these
surfaces, it is very easy to lose
control. On wet ice, for example, the
traction is so poor that you will have
difficulty accelerating. And, if the
vehicle does get moving, poor
steering and difficult braking can
cause it to slide out of control.{WARNING
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds,
or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle
could fall through the ice and you
and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{WARNING
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and
you could lose traction and roll
the vehicle over. Do not drive
through rushing water.Heavy rain can mean flash flooding,
and flood waters demand extreme
caution.
Find out how deep the water is
before driving through it. Do not
try it if it is deep enough to cover
the wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe
—you probably will not get
through. Deep water can damage
the axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water is not too deep, drive
slowly through it. At faster speeds,
water splashes on the ignition
system and the vehicle can stall.
Stalling can also occur if you get the
tailpipe under water. If the tailpipe is
under water, you will never be able
to start the engine. When going
through water, remember that when
the brakes get wet, it might take
longer to stop. See Driving on Wet
Roads on page 9‑17.

Black plate (17,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-17
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody,
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, axles,
and exhaust system for damage
and check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
The vehicle requires more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you are going
fast enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-19
.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.
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 9‑37 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
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 on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-21
Repeat this until help arrives
but only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑39.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑65.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal
while shifting, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑79.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement
the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
This vehicle has a Hill Start Assist
(HSA) feature, which may be useful
when the vehicle is stopped on a
grade. This feature is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling,
either forward or rearward, during
vehicle drive off. After the driver
completely stops and holds the
vehicle in a complete standstill on
a grade, HSA will be automatically
activated. During the transition
period between when the driver
releases the brake pedal and starts
to accelerate to drive off on a grade,
HSA holds the braking pressure to
ensure that there is no rolling. The
brakes will automatically release
when the accelerator pedal is
applied within the two‐second
window. It will not activate if the
vehicle is in a drive gear and facing
downhill or if the vehicle is facing
uphill and in R (Reverse).
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin.
On a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the
system operates if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. On an All-Wheel-Drive
(AWD) vehicle, the system will
operate if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens,
the system brakes the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.

Black plate (40,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
9-40 Driving and Operating
TCS is on whenever the vehicle
is started. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road
conditions, the system should
always be left on. But, TCS can
be turned off if needed.
dflashes to indicate that the
traction control system is active.
If there is a problem detected
with TCS, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL and SERVICE
STABILITRAK may be displayed
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) and
dwill be on. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑27. When this message is
displayed and
dcomes on and stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
Notice:
Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system by:
1. Stopping the vehicle.
2. Turning the engine off and waiting 15 seconds.
3. Starting the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
A chime may also sound when the
light comes on steady.
The
gis located on the console.
The TCS off light comes on and
TRACTION CONTROL OFF is
displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) to indicate that the
traction control system has been
turned off. See Ride Control System
Messages on page 5‑27.
TCS can be turned off by
pressing and releasing
g.
When TCS is turned off,
icomes
on and the system will not limit
wheel spin. Driving should be
adjusted accordingly. Press and
release
gagain to turn the system
back on.
When TCS is turned off on AWD
vehicles, the system may still make
noise. This is normal and necessary
with AWD hardware.

Black plate (41,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-41
It may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud, or snow and
rocking the vehicle is required. See
If the Vehicle is Stuck on page 9‑21
for more information. See also
Winter Driving on page 9‑19for
information on using TCS when
driving in snowy or icy conditions.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS activates, cruise control will
automatically disengage. Press the
cruise control button to re‐engage
when road conditions allow. See
Cruise Control on page 9‑42.
Adding non‐GM accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3 for more information.StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure to the
vehicle's brakes to help steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
StabiliTrak is on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started. To
assist with directional control of the
vehicle, the system should always
be left on.
When the stability control system
activates, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak light will
flash on the instrument panel. This
also occurs when traction control is
activated. A noise may be heard or
vibration may be felt in the brake
pedal. This is normal. Continue to
steer the vehicle in the intended
direction.
If there is a problem detected
with StabiliTrak, SERVICE
STABILITRAK is displayed
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) and
dwill stay on. See
Vehicle Messages on page 5‑24.

Black plate (42,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
9-42 Driving and Operating
When this message is displayed
and/or
dcomes on and stays
on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑27.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system by:
1. Stopping the vehicle.
2. Turning the engine off and waiting 15 seconds.
3. Starting the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
gis located on the console.
Both StabiliTrak and Traction
Control can be turned off if
needed by pressing and
holding
guntilgandicome
on the instrument panel. When
StabiliTrak is turned off, the system
will not assist with directional
control of the vehicle or limit
wheel spin. Driving should be
adjusted accordingly. Press and
release
gagain to turn the system
back on.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
Press the cruise control button to
re‐engage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑42 for more information.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, the vehicle can
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
If the brakes are applied, the cruise
control is disengaged.
If the vehicle has the StabiliTrak
®
system and begins to limit wheel
spin while using cruise control,
the cruise control automatically
disengages. See StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑41 orTraction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑39. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again,
the cruise control can be turned
back on.