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Driving and Operating 223
Disconnect the wiring to the trailer before
backing the trailer into the water to prevent
damage to the electrical circuits on the
trailer. Reconnect the wiring to the trailer
after removing the trailer from the water.
If the trailer has electric brakes that can
function when the trailer is submerged, it
might help to leave the electrical trailer
connector attached to maintain trailer brake
functionality while on the boat ramp.
To back the trailer into the water:1. If equipped, place the vehicle in four-wheel-drive high.
2. Slowly back down the boat ramp until the boat is floating, but no further than
necessary.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet.
4. Have someone place chocks under the front wheels of the vehicle.
5. Gradually release the brake pedal to allow the chocks to absorb the load of
the trailer. 6. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the
parking brake and shift into P (Park).
7. Release the brake pedal.
Pulling the Trailer from the Water
To pull the trailer of the water: 1. Press and hold the brake pedals.
2. Start the engine and shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Let up on the brake pedal.
5. Drive slowly until the tires are clear of the chocks.
6. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
7. Slowly pull the trailer from the water.
8. Once the vehicle and trailer have been driven from the sloped part of the boat
ramp, the vehicle can be shifted from
four-wheel-drive high. Shift into the drive
mode that is appropriate for the road
conditions.Caution
If the vehicle tires begin to spin and the
vehicle begins to slide toward the water,
remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal and apply the brake pedal. Seek
help to have the vehicle towed up
the ramp.
Maintenance when Trailer Towing
The vehicle needs service more often when
used to tow trailers. See Maintenance
Schedule 0312. It is especially important to
check the automatic transmission fluid,
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling
system, and brake system before and during
each trip.
Check periodically to see that all nuts and
bolts on the trailer hitch are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating conditions.
See Engine Overheating 0250.
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228 Driving and Operating
Towing Equipment
Hitches
Always use the correct hitch equipment for
your vehicle. Crosswinds, large trucks going
by, and rough roads can affect the trailer
and the hitch.
Proper hitch equipment for your vehicle
helps maintain control of the vehicle-trailer
combination. Many trailers can be towed
using a weight-carrying hitch which has a
coupler latched to the hitch ball, or a tow
eye latched to a pintle hook. Other trailers
may require a weight-distributing hitch that
uses spring bars to distribute the trailer
tongue weight between your vehicle and
trailer axles. See“Maximum Trailer Tongue
Weight” underTrailer Towing 0224 for
weight limits with various hitch types.
Avoid sharp turns when using a step-bumper
hitch to prevent damage. Make wider turns
to prevent contact between your trailer and
your bumper.
Consider using mechanical sway controls
with any trailer. Ask a trailering professional
about sway controls or refer to the trailer
manufacturer's recommendations and
instructions.
Weight-Distributing Hitch and
Adjustment
A weight-distributing hitch may be useful
with some trailers.
1. Front of Vehicle
2. Body to Ground Distance
When using a weight-distributing hitch,
measure the front fender height distance (2)
before connecting the trailer. Adjust the
spring bars until the front fender height
distance (2) is the same height before the
trailer was connected. Do not reduce the
front fender height below the initial
distance (2).
Tires
.Do not tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire on the vehicle.
.Tires must be properly inflated to support
loads while towing a trailer. See Tires
0 268 for instructions on proper tire
inflation.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the vehicle
and the trailer, and attach the chains to the
holes on the trailer hitch platform.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue from
contacting the road if it becomes separated
from the hitch. Always leave just enough
slack so the combination can turn. Never
allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Loaded trailers over 900 kg (2,000 lb) must
be equipped with brake systems and with
brakes for each axle. Trailer braking
equipment conforming to Canadian
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Driving and Operating 233
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) have a Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) feature. Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while towing.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at each wheel,
to help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If equipped with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC may
also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/ESC warning light
will flash on the instrument cluster. Reducevehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control
0
202.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash and in
serious injury or death, even if the
vehicle is equipped with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway, reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. Then pull over
to check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes, including an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly inflated or
incorrect vehicle or trailer tires. See
Towing Equipment 0228 for trailer
ratings and hitch setup recommendations.
Aftermarket Electronic Trailer Sway
Control Devices
Some trailers may come equipped with an
electronic device designed to reduce or
control trailer sway. Aftermarket equipment
manufacturers also offer similar devices that
connect to the wiring between the trailer
and the vehicle. These devices may interfere
with the vehicle’s trailer brake or other
systems, including integrated anti-sway
systems, if equipped. Messages related to
trailer connections or trailer brakes could
appear on the DIC. The effects of these
aftermarket devices may have on vehicle
handling or trailer brake performance is not
known.
{Warning
Use of aftermarket electronic trailer sway
control devices could result in reduced
trailer brake performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and result
in a crash. You or others could be
seriously injured or killed. Before using
one of these devices: (Continued)
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234 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.Ask the device or trailer manufacturer
if the device has been thoroughly
tested for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of your vehicle
and any optional equipment installed
on your vehicle.
.Before driving, check the trailer brakes
are working properly, if equipped.
Drive the vehicle with the trailer
attached on a level road surface that
is free of traffic at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply the
manual trailer brake apply lever. Also,
check the trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning correctly.
.If the trailer brakes are not operating
properly at any time, or if a DIC
message indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer brakes,
carefully pull the vehicle over to the
side of the road when traffic
conditions allow.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from vehicle
tires. Trailer tires are designed with stiff
sidewalls to help prevent sway and tosupport heavy loads. These features can
make it difficult to determine if the trailer
tire pressures are low only based on a visual
inspection.
Always check all trailer tire pressures before
each trip when the tires are cool. Low trailer
tire pressure is a leading cause of trailer tire
blowouts.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time. The trailer
tire sidewall will show the week and year
the tire was manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend replacing tires
more than six years old.
Overloading is another leading cause of
trailer tire blowouts. Never load your trailer
with more weight than the tires are
designed to support. The load rating is
located on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed rating for
the trailer tires before driving. This may be
significantly lower than the vehicle tire
speed rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed rating is
not shown, the default trailer tire speed
rating is 105 km/h (65 mph).
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is used for
vehicle service and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. See
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) 086.
A device connected to the DLC —such as
an aftermarket fleet or driver-behavior
tracking device —may interfere with
vehicle systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash. Such devices
may also access information stored in the
vehicle’s systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can damage
the vehicle or cause components to not
work and would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check with your
dealer before adding electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the vehicle's
12-volt battery, even if the vehicle is not
operating.
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236 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 237
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 237
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 238
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 240
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 256
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 259
Taillamps, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 262
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . 266
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 272 Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 275
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 279
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . 281
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 281
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 283
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 296
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
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252 Vehicle Care
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs to be
added, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. Use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall below
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview0240 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
.When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer instructions
for adding water.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators
that make a high-pitched warning sound
when the brake pads are worn and new
pads are needed. The sound can come and
go or be heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the brake
pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound means
that soon the brakes will not work well.
That could lead to a crash. When the
brake wear warning sound is heard, have
the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does not
mean something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary
to help prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper
sequence to torque specifications in
Capacities and Specifications 0325.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
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268 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
F40 –
F41 Auxiliary power outlet 1/ Cigarette lighter
F42 Left power window
F43 Driver power seat
F44 Auxillary power outlet F45 Right power window
F46 Passenger power seat
Relays Usage
K1 Retained accessory power
K2 Run/Crank
K3 –
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has high-quality
tires made by a leading tire
manufacturer. See the warranty manual
for information regarding the tire warranty and where to get service. For
additional information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{Warning
.Poorly maintained and improperly
used tires are dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can cause
overheating as a result of too
much flexing. There could be a
blowout and a serious crash. See
Vehicle Load Limits
0179.
.Underinflated tires pose the same
danger as overloaded tires. The
resulting crash could cause serious
injury. Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be
checked when the tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more likely
to be cut, punctured, or broken by
a sudden impact —such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at the
recommended pressure.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly worn,
replace them.
.Replace any tires that have been
damaged by impacts with
potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires can cause
a crash. Only the dealer or an
authorized tire service center
should repair, replace, dismount,
and mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in excess of
56 km/h (35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow, mud, ice,
etc. Excessive spinning may cause
the tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with all-season tires.
These tires are designed to provide good
overall performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original equipment
tires designed to GM's specific tire
performance criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall. Original
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Vehicle Care 269
equipment all-season tires can be identified
by the last two characters of this TPC code,
which will be“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on the
vehicle if frequent driving on snow or
ice-covered roads is expected. All-season tires
provide adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they may not
offer the same level of traction or
performance as winter tires on snow or
ice-covered roads. See Winter Tires0269.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally equipped
with winter tires. Winter tires are designed
for increased traction on snow and
ice-covered roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent driving on ice
or snow covered roads is expected. See your
dealer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection. Also,
see Buying New Tires 0280.
With winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road noise, and
shorter tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking. If using winter tires:
.Use tires of the same brand and tread
type on all four wheel positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the same size,
load range, and speed rating as the
original equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed rating as
the original equipment tires may not be
available for H, V, W, Y, and ZR speed rated
tires. If winter tires with a lower speed
rating are chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
All-Terrain Tires
This vehicle may have all-terrain or
mud-terrain tires. These tires provide good
performance on most road surfaces, weather
conditions, and for off-road driving. See
Off-Road Driving 0173.
The tread pattern on these tires may wear
more unevenly than other tires. Consider
rotating the tires more frequently than at
12 000 km (7,500 mi) intervals if irregular
wear is noted when the tires are inspected.
See Tire Inspection 0278.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The examples
show a typical passenger vehicle tire
and a compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
(1) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and numbers
used to define a particular tire's width,
height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire
Size” illustration later in this section.