2006 Pontiac Solstice Owners Manual

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(cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) This radio system is intended to: (cid:127) Keep drivers’ eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. (cid:127) Minimize the number of steps required to perform a task. (cid:127) Create a common interface in how drivers interact with the system. Lock-out the use of systems that create unnecessary and excessive attention demands on the driver. Notice: Before adding any sound equipment to your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player, CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can be added by checking with your dealer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile radio and telephone units. If sound equipment can be added, it is very important to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has been added. 3-46 Notice: The chime signals related to seat belts, parking brake, and other functions of your vehicle operate through the GM radio/entertainment system. If that equipment is replaced or additional equipment is added to your vehicle, the chimes may not work. Make sure that replacement or additional equipment is compatible with your vehicle before installing it. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, ﬁnd out what your audio system can do, and how to operate all of its controls. Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be played even after the ignition is turned off. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-19 for more information. Your vehicle may have a navigation radio system. The navigation system has built-in features intended to minimize driver distraction. However, GM recognizes the need to help educate drivers themselves about the importance of minimizing their own distraction while they are driving. Technology alone, no matter how advanced, can never replace the driver’s own judgment. Some tips to help you reduce distractions while driving are contained in the Navigation System Manual. For information on how to use this system, see the “Navigation System” manual. (cid:127) Setting the Time (Without Date Display) If your vehicle has a base AM/FM radio with a single CD player and preset buttons numbered one through six, the radio will have a clock button for setting the time. You can set the time by following these steps: 1. Press the clock button until the hour numbers begin ﬂashing on the display. Press the clock button a second time and the minute numbers will begin ﬂashing on the display. 2. While either the hour or the minute numbers are ﬂashing, rotate the tune knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the time. Instead of using the tune knob, you can also press the SEEK, FWD, or REV buttons to adjust the time. 3. Press the clock button again until, the clock display stops ﬂashing to set the currently displayed time; otherwise, the ﬂashing will stop after ﬁve seconds and the current time displayed will be automatically set. Setting the Time (With Date Display) If your vehicle has a radio with a single CD player, the radio will have a clock button for setting the time and date. Press the clock button and the HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY will appear on the display. Press the pushbutton located under any one of the labels that you want to change. Everytime the pushbutton is pressed again, the time or the date if selected, will increase by one. Another way to increase the time or date, is to press the right SEEK arrow or FWD button. To decrease, press the left SEEK arrow or REV button. You can also rotate the tune knob to adjust the selected setting. If your vehicle has a radio with a six-disc CD player, the radio will have a MENU button instead of the clock button to set the time and date. Press the MENU button. Once the clock option is displayed, press the pushbutton located under that label. The HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY will appear on the display. To change the time or date, follow the instructions given earlier in this section. To change the time default setting from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change the date default setting from month/day/year to day/month/year, press the clock button and then the pushbutton located under the forward arrow label. Once the time 12H and 24H, and the date MM/DD/YYYY and DD/MM/YYYY are displayed, press the pushbutton located under the desired option. Press the clock or MENU button again to apply the selected default, or let the screen time out. 3-47 Radio with CD (Base) Finding a Station BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2 or AM. The display will show the selection. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select radio stations. © SEEK ¨: Press the right or left SEEK arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for a few seconds until you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. The radio will only seek and scan stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. 4 (Information): Press this button to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. When the ignition is off, press this knob to display the time. Playing the Radio O (Power/Volume): Press this knob to turn the system on and off. Turn this knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the volume. The radio remembers the previous volume setting whenever the radio is turned on. You can still manually adjust the volume by using the volume knob. 3-48 Setting Preset Stations Up to 18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons for three seconds until you hear a beep. Whenever that pushbutton is pressed and released, the station that was set will return. 5. Repeat the Steps 2-4 for each pushbutton. Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) BASS/TREB (Bass/Treble): To adjust the bass or treble, press the tune knob or bass/treble button until the desired tone control label appears on the display. Turn the tune knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the setting. You can also adjust the setting by pressing either the SEEK, FWD, or REV buttons. The display will show the current bass or treble level. If a station’s frequency is weak, or if there is static, decrease the treble. EQ (Equalization): Press this button to select preset equalization settings. To return to the manual mode, press the EQ button until Manual appears on the display or start to manually adjust the bass or treble by pressing the tune knob. Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) ` BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To adjust the balance or fade, press this button or the tune knob until the desired speaker control label appears on the display. Turn the tune knob clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the setting. You can also adjust the setting by pressing either the SEEK, FWD, or REV buttons. Radio Messages Calibration Error: The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If Calibration Error appears on the display, it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for your vehicle and it must be returned to your dealer for service. Locked: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up the radio. Take the vehicle to your dealer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. 3-49 If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a soft marker instead. Notice: than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the CD player. When using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If you add any label to a CD, insert more Playing a CD (Single CD Player) Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing. If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the radio display. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see “Care of Your CDs” later in this section. 3-50 If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. Z EJECT: Press the CD eject button to eject the CD. If the CD is not removed, after several seconds, the CD will be automatically pulled back into the player. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select tracks on the CD currently playing. © SEEK ¨: Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next track. If either SEEK arrow is held or pressed multiple times, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD. s REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse playback quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. \ FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance playback quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. RDM (Random): With random, you can listen to CD tracks in random, rather than sequential order. To use random, do the following: 1. Press this button to play tracks from the CD you are listening to in random order. The random icon will appear on the display. 2. Press this button again to turn off random play. The random icon will disappear from the display. 4 (Information): Press this button to switch the display between the track number, elapsed time of the track, and the time. When the ignition is off, press this button to display the time. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. The CD icon and track number will appear on the display when a CD is in the player. Press this button again and the system will automatically search for an auxiliary input device such as a portable audio player. 3-51 CD Messages CHECK DISC: If this message appears on the display and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. (cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. There may have been a problem while burning the CD-R. The label may be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. 3-52 Listening to a Portable Audio Player To listen to a portable audio player such as an MP3 player or cassette player over the radio and speakers, use a cable to connect your portable audio player to the auxiliary input located on the lower right side of the radio faceplate. When a device is connected, the radio automatically begins playing audio from the device over the car speakers. O (Power/Volume): Turn this knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the volume of the portable player. You may need to do additional volume adjustments from the portable device if the volume does not go loud or soft enough. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a portable audio device is playing. The portable audio device will continue playing, so you may want to stop it or power it off. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when a portable audio device is playing. Press this button again and the system will begin playing audio from the connected portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, “no input device found” will be displayed. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Radio with CD (MP3) In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ is a satellite radio service that is based in the 48 contiguous United States and in Canada (if available). XM™ offers over 100 coast-to-coast channels including music, news, sports, talk, traffic/weather, and children’s programming. XM™ provides digital quality audio and text information that includes song title and artist name. A service fee is required in order to receive the XM™ service. For more information, contact XM™ at www.xmradio.com or call 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). Radio with CD shown, Radio with Six-Disc CD (MP3) similar Radio Data System (RDS) The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). The RDS feature is available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. While the radio is tuned to an FM-RDS station, the station name or call letters will appear on the display. 3-53 Playing the Radio Finding a Station O (Power/Volume): Press this knob to turn the system on and off. Turn this knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the volume. Speed Compensated Volume (SCV): The radio is also equipped with Speed Compensated Volume (SCV). When SCV is on, the radio volume automatically adjusts to compensate for road and wind noise as you speed up or slow down while driving. That way, the volume level should sound about the same as you drive. To activate SCV: 1. Set the radio volume to the desired level. 2. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu. 3. Press the pushbutton under the AUTO VOLUM label on the radio display. 4. Press the pushbutton under the desired Speed Compensated Volume setting (OFF, Low, Med, or High) to select the level of radio volume compensation. The display will time out after approximately 10 seconds. Each higher setting allows for more radio volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. 3-54 BAND: Press this button to switch between AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped). The display will show the selection. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select radio stations. © SEEK ¨: Press the right or left SEEK arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for a few seconds until you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. The radio will only seek and scan stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. 4 (Information) (XM™ Satellite Radio Service, MP3, and RDS Features): Press the information button to display additional text information related to the current FM-RDS or XM™ station, or MP3 song. A choice of additional information such as: Channel, Song, Artist, and CAT may appear. Continue pressing the information button to highlight the desired label, or press the pushbutton positioned under any one of the labels and the information about that label will be displayed. When information is not available, No Info will appear on the display. The number of favorites pages can be setup using the MENU button. To setup the number of favorites pages, perform the following steps: 1. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu. 2. Press the pushbutton located below the FAV 1-6 label. 3. Select the desired number of favorites pages by pressing the pushbutton located below the displayed page numbers. 4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the original main radio screen showing the radio station frequency labels and to begin the process of programming your favorites for the chosen amount of numbered pages. Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to your favorite stations using the presets, favorites button, and steering wheel controls (if equipped). See Defensive Driving on page 4-2. FAV (Favorites): A maximum of 36 stations can be programmed as favorites using the six pushbuttons positioned below the radio station frequency labels and by using the radio favorites page button (FAV button). Press the FAV button to go through up to six pages of favorites, each having six favorite stations available per page. Each page of favorites can contain any combination of AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped) stations. To store a station as a favorite, perform the following steps: 1. Tune to the desired radio station. 2. Press the FAV button to display the page where you want the station stored. 3. Press and hold one of the six pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that pushbutton is pressed and released, the station that was set will return. 4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton radio station you want stored as a favorite. 3-55 Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To adjust balance or fade, press the tune knob until the speaker control labels appear on the display. Continue pressing to highlight the desired label, or press the pushbutton positioned under the desired label. Turn the tune knob clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the highlighted setting. You can also adjust the highlighted setting by pressing either the SEEK, FWD, or REV button until the desired levels are obtained. To quickly adjust balance or fade to the middle position, press the pushbutton positioned under the BAL or FADE label for more than two seconds. You will hear a beep and the level will be adjusted to the middle position. To quickly adjust all speaker and tone controls to the middle position, press the tune knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange, or Treble): To adjust bass, midrange, or treble, press the tune knob until the tone control labels appear on the display. Continue pressing to highlight the desired label, or press the pushbutton positioned under the desired label. Turn the tune knob clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the highlighted setting. You can also adjust the highlighted setting by pressing either the SEEK, FWD or REV button until the desired levels are obtained. If a station’s frequency is weak, or if there is static, decrease the treble. To quickly adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle position, press the pushbutton positioned under the BASS, MID, or TREB label for more than two seconds. You will hear a beep and the level will be adjusted to the middle position. To quickly adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press the tune knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. EQ (Equalization): Press this button to select preset equalization settings. To return to the manual mode, press the EQ button until Manual appears on the display or start to manually adjust the bass, midrange, or treble by pressing the tune knob. 3-56 Finding a Category (CAT) Station CAT (Category): The CAT button is used to ﬁnd XM™ stations when the radio is in the XM™ mode. To ﬁnd XM™ channels within a desired category, perform the following: 1. Press the BAND button until the XM™ frequency is displayed. Press the CAT button to display the category labels on the radio display. Continue pressing the CAT button until the desired category name is displayed. 2. Press either of the two buttons below the desired category label to immediately tune to the ﬁrst XM™ station associated with that category. 3. Rotate the tune knob, press the buttons below the right or left arrows displayed, or press the right or left SEEK buttons to go to the next or previous XM™ station within the selected category. 4. To exit the category search mode, press the FAV button or BAND button to display your favorites again. Undesired XM™ categories can be removed through the setup menu. To remove an undesired category, perform the following: 1. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu. 2. Press the pushbutton located below the XM CAT label. 3. Rotate the tune knob to display the category you want removed. 4. Press the pushbutton located under the Remove label until the category name along with the word Removed appears on the display. 5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories. Removed categories can be restored by pressing the pushbutton under the Add label when a removed category is displayed or by pressing the pushbutton under the Restore All label. The radio will not allow you to remove or add categories while the vehicle is moving faster than ﬁve MPH (eight KmH). 3-57 Radio Messages Calibration Error: The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If Calibration Error appears on the display, it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for your vehicle and it must be returned to your dealer for service. Locked: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up the radio. Take the vehicle to your dealer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. XM™ Radio Messages Condition Action Required Radio Display Message XL (Explicit Language Channels) XM Updating XL on the radio display, after the channel name, indicates content with explicit language. Updating encryption code No XM Signal Loss of signal Loading XM Acquiring channel audio (after 4 second delay) Channel Off Air Channel not in service 3-58 These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. The system is functioning correctly, but the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™ signal. When you move into an open area, the signal should return. The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. This channel is not currently in service. Tune to another channel. XM™ Radio Messages (cont’d) Radio Display Message Channel Unavail No Artist Info No Title Info No CAT Info No Information CAT Not Found XM Theftlocked Condition Channel no longer available Artist Name/Feature not available Song/Program Title not available Category Name not available No Text/Informational message available No channel available for the chosen category Theft lock active XM Radio ID Radio ID label (channel 0) Unknown Radio ID not known (should only be if hardware failure) Action Required This previously assigned channel is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station was one of the presets, choose another station for that preset button. No artist information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No song title information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No category information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. The XM™ receiver in the vehicle may have previously been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM™ receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this message appears after having your vehicle serviced, check with your dealer. If tuned to channel 0, this message will alternate with the XM™ Radio eight digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there may be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer. 3-59 Radio Display Message XM™ Radio Messages (cont’d) Condition Action Required Check XM Receivr Hardware failure XM Not Available XM Not Available If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver may have a fault. Consult with your dealer. If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver may have a fault. Consult with your dealer. Playing a CD (Single CD Player) Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing. Playing a CD(s) (Six-Disc CD Player) LOAD ^: Press this button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player will hold up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. Press and release the load button. 2. Wait for the message to insert the disc. 3. Load a CD. Insert the CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the CD in. 3-60 To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. Press and hold the load button for two seconds. You will hear a beep and Load All Discs will be displayed. 2. Follow the displayed instruction on when to insert the discs. The CD player takes up to six CDs. 3. Press the Load button again to cancel loading more CDs. If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the CD. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see “Care of Your CDs” later in this section. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a soft marker instead. Notice: than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the CD player. When using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. If you add any label to a CD, insert more Z EJECT: Press the CD eject button to eject CD(s). To eject the CD that is currently playing, press and release this button. You will hear a beep and Ejecting Disc will be displayed. Once the disc is ejected, Remove Disc will appear on display. The CD can be removed. If the CD is not removed, after several seconds, the CD will be automatically pulled back into the player and begin playing. For the Six-Disc CD player, press and hold the eject button for two seconds to eject all discs. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select tracks on the CD currently playing. © SEEK ¨: Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next track. If either SEEK arrow is held, or pressed multiple times, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the tracks on the CD. s REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse playback quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. 3-61 \ FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold this button to advance playback quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the track. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. RDM (Random): With random, you can listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD or all CDs in a six-disc CD player. To use random, do one of the following: (cid:127) Press the CD/AUX button, or for a single CD player, insert a disc partway into the slot of the CD player. A RDM label will appear on display. To play the tracks from the single CD in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Random Current Disc is displayed. Press the pushbutton again to turn off random play. (cid:127) Press the CD/AUX button, or for a six-disc CD player, press and hold the LOAD button. You will hear a beep and Load All Discs will be displayed. Insert one or more discs partway into the slot of the CD player. To play tracks from all CDs loaded in a six-disc CD player in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Randomize All Discs is displayed. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. 3-62 BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. The CD icon and a message showing disc and/or track number will appear on the display when a CD is in the player. Press this button again and the system will automatically search for an auxiliary input device, such as a portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, “no input device found” will be displayed. Using an MP3 CD-R MP3 Format If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer: (cid:127) Make sure the MP3 ﬁles are recorded on a CD-R disc. (cid:127) Make sure to ﬁnalize the disc when burning an MP3 disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once. Files can be recorded with a variety of ﬁxed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album will be available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 [diams ]and[diams ]2. (cid:127) (cid:127) Do not mix standard audio and MP3 ﬁles on one disc. (cid:127) Make sure playlists have a.pls, or.m3u, or.rmp extension, other ﬁle extensions may not work. The CD player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles. Long ﬁle, folder, or playlist names or a combination of a large number of ﬁles and folders or playlists may cause the player to be unable to play up to the maximum number of ﬁles, folders, playlists, or sessions. If you wish to play a large number of ﬁles, folders, playlists or sessions, minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder or playlist name. You can also play an MP3 CD-R that was recorded using no ﬁle folders. The system can support up to 11 folders in depth, however, keep the total number of folders to a minimum in order to reduce the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD-R contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles, the player will let you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum will be ignored. Root Directory The root directory of the CD-R is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio ﬁles, the directory will be displayed as F1 ROOT. All ﬁles contained directly under the root directory will be accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) will always be accessed before root folders or ﬁles. Empty Directory or Folder If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the ﬁle structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed ﬁles directly beneath them, the player will advance to the next folder in the ﬁle structure that contains compressed audio ﬁles and the empty folder will not be displayed or numbered. No Folder When the CD-R contains only compressed ﬁles, the ﬁles will be located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions will not be displayed on a CD-R that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio will display ROOT. When the CD-R contains only playlists and compressed audio ﬁles, but no folders, all ﬁles will be located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons will search playlists (Px) ﬁrst and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio will display ROOT. 3-63 Order of Play Tracks recorded to the CD-R will be played in the following order: (cid:127) Play will begin from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst playlist and will continue sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has been played, play will continue from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst playlist. (cid:127) Play will begin from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst folder and will continue sequentially through all tracks in each folder. When the last track of the last folder has been played, play will continue from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst folder. When play enters a new folder, the display will not automatically show the new folder name unless you have chosen the folder mode as the default display. The new track name will appear on the display. File System and Naming The song name that will be displayed will be the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio will display the ﬁle name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name. Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages will be shortened. The display will not show parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the ﬁlename will not be displayed. Preprogrammed Playlists You can access preprogrammed playlists that were created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software, however, you will not have playlist editing capability using the radio. These playlists will be treated as special folders containing compressed audio song ﬁles. Playing an MP3 Insert a CD-R partway into the slot (Single CD Player), or press the load button and wait for the message to insert disc (Six-Disc CD Player), label side up. The player will pull it in, and the CD-R should begin playing. If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD-R in the player it will stay in the player. When you turn on the ignition or radio, the CD-R will start to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. As each new track starts to play, the track number and song title will appear on the display. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CD-Rs with an adapter ring. Full-size CD-Rs and the smaller CD-Rs are loaded in the same manner. 3-64 If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see “Care of Your CDs” later in this section. If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD. Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a soft marker instead. Notice: than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the CD player. When using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. If you add any label to a CD, insert more Z EJECT: Press the CD eject button to eject CD-R(s). To eject the CD-R that is currently playing, press and release this button. You will hear a beep and Ejecting Disc will be displayed. Once the disc is ejected, Remove Disc will appear on display. The CD-R can be removed. If the CD-R is not removed, after several seconds, the CD-R will be automatically pulled back into the player and begin playing. For the Six-Disc CD player, press and hold the eject button for two seconds to eject all discs. f (Tune): Turn this knob to select MP3 ﬁles on the CD-R currently playing. © SEEK ¨: Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the start of the current MP3 ﬁle, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next MP3 ﬁle. If either SEEK arrow is held or pressed multiple times, the player will continue moving backward or forward through MP3 ﬁles on the CD. S c (Previous Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder label to go to the ﬁrst track in the previous folder. c T (Next Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder label to go to the ﬁrst track in the next folder. 3-65 h (Music Navigator): Use the music navigator feature to play MP3 ﬁles on the CD-R in order by artist or album. Press the pushbutton located below the music navigator label. The player will scan the disc to sort the ﬁles by artist and album ID3 tag information. It may take several minutes to scan the disc depending on the number of MP3 ﬁles recorded to the CD-R. The radio may begin playing while it is scanning the disc in the background. When the scan is ﬁnished, the CD-R will begin playing again. Once the disc has been scanned, the player will default to playing MP3 ﬁles in order by artist. The current artist playing is shown on the second line of the display between the arrows. Once all songs by that artist are played, the player will move to the next artist in alphabetic order on the CD-R and begin playing MP3 ﬁles by that artist. If you want to listen to MP3 ﬁles by another artist, press the pushbutton located below either arrow button. You will go to the next or previous artist in alphabetic order. Continue pressing either button until the desired artist is displayed. s REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse playback quickly within an MP3 ﬁle. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the ﬁle. The elapsed time of the ﬁle will appear on the display. \ FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold this button to advance playback quickly within an MP3 ﬁle. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the ﬁle. The elapsed time of the ﬁle will appear on the display. RDM (Random): With random, you can listen to MP3 ﬁles on the CD-R in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD-R or all discs in a six-disc CD player. To use random, do one of the following: 1. To play MP3 ﬁles from the CD-R you are listening to in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Random Current Disc is displayed. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. 2. To play songs from all CDs loaded in a six-disc CD player in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Randomize All Discs is displayed. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play. 3-66 To change from playback by artist to playback by album, press the pushbutton located below the Sort By label. From the sort screen, push one of the buttons below the album button. Press the pushbutton below the back label to return to the main music navigator screen. Now the album name is displayed on the second line between the arrows and songs from the current album will begin to play. Once all songs from that album are played, the player will move to the next album in alphabetic order on the CD-R and begin playing MP3 ﬁles from that album. To exit music navigator mode, press the pushbutton below the Back label to return to normal MP3 playback. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. The CD icon and a message showing disc and/or track number will appear on the display when a CD is in the player. Press this button again and the system will automatically search for an auxiliary input device such as a portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, “no input device found” will be displayed. CD Messages CHECK DISC: If this message appears on the display and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. (cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. There may have been a problem while burning the CD. The label may be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. 3-67 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Listening to a Portable Audio Player To listen to a portable audio player such as an MP3 player or cassette player over the radio and speakers, use a cable to connect your portable audio player to the auxiliary input jack located on the radio faceplate. When a device is connected, the radio automatically begins playing audio from the device over the car speakers. O (Power/Volume): Turn this knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the volume of the portable player. You may need to do additional volume adjustments from the portable device if the volume does not go loud or soft enough. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a portable audio device is playing. The portable audio device will continue playing, so you may want to stop it or power it off. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD when a portable audio device is playing. Press this button again and the system will begin playing audio from the connected portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, “no input device found” will be displayed. Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not operate and LOCK or LOCKED will appear on the display. With THEFTLOCK® activated, the radio will not operate if stolen. 3-68 When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or previous track. Press and hold the up or down arrow longer than three-quarters of a second to continue advancing ahead or reversing back, to other tracks within the disc. + − (Volume): Press the plus or minus button to increase or to decrease the volume. g (Mute/Voice Activation): Press this button to silence the system. Press this button again, to turn the sound on. If your vehicle is equipped with OnStar®, press and hold this button for two seconds to activate voice on the OnStar system. See the OnStar section in this manual for more information. Audio Steering Wheel Controls If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the following: x w: Press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous stored radio station and stay there. Press and hold the up or down arrow longer than three-quarters of a second to advance to the next or previous station with a strong signal in the selected band. 3-69 Radio Reception You may experience frequency interference and static during normal radio reception if items such as cellphone chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external electronic devices are plugged into the accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the item from the accessory power outlet. AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause station frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio reception, most AM radio stations will boost the power levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during the night. Static can also occur when things like storms and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this happens, try reducing the treble on your radio. FM Stereo FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States, and in Canada (if available). Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of XM signal for a period of time. The radio may display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference. 3-70 Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly or not at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process starts from the center to the edge. Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. Care of the CD Player The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Fixed Mast Antenna The ﬁxed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it. Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn. XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System (Trunk Mounted) Your vehicle may have the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna that is located on the trunk of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build up for clear radio reception. 3-71 ✍ NOTES 3-72 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2 Drunken Driving .............................................4-3 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-5 Braking .........................................................4-6 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .........................4-7 Braking in Emergencies ...................................4-9 Limited-Slip Rear Axle .....................................4-9 Steering ......................................................4-10 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-12 Passing .......................................................4-12 Loss of Control .............................................4-14 Driving at Night ............................................4-15 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-16 City Driving ..................................................4-19 Freeway Driving ...........................................4-20 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-21 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-22 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-22 Winter Driving ..............................................4-24 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ..............................................4-28 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................4-29 Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-29 Towing ..........................................................4-34 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-34 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-34 Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-34 4-1 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-4. {CAUTION: Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or expressways, it means “always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. CAUTION: (Continued) 4-2 CAUTION: (Continued) Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, reaching for something on the ﬂoor, adjusting settings, or programming vehicle systems — makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do these things, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: Judgment (cid:127) Muscular Coordination (cid:127) Vision (cid:127) Attentiveness Police records show that almost half 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 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. 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. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: The amount of alcohol consumed The drinker’s body weight The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka. 4-3 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. 4-4 The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. 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. {CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a group, designate a driver who will not drink. Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 4-5 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. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 3-27. Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That 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 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your 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 your brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied. 4-6 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on the instrument panel will come on brieﬂy when you start your vehicle. When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal. Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what happens with ABS: A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel. 4-7 The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard. Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. 4-8 Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock brakes, your ﬁrst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic. If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This will help you retain steering control. If you do have anti-lock brakes, it is different. See Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-7. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. Limited-Slip Rear Axle Your vehicle may have this feature. A limited-slip rear axle can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle. 4-9 Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort. Steering Tips It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. 4-10 Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control systems — steering and braking — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. The same thing can happen if you are steering through a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems — steering and acceleration — can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes — but, unless you have anti-lock, not enough to lock your wheels. See Braking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 4-11 Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. 4-12 Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: (cid:127) Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. (cid:127) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. (cid:127) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. (cid:127) When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a running start that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. (cid:127) Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is. Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. (cid:127) Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. 4-13 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) 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 your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your 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. A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. 4-14 If your 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, your 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, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be 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 engine braking by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your 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. If you have the anti-lock braking system (ABS), remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have ABS, then in a braking skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here are some tips on night driving. (cid:127) Drive defensively. (cid:127) Do not drink and drive. (cid:127) Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. (cid:127) Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. (cid:127) Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. In remote areas, watch for animals. If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. 4-15 (cid:127) (cid:127) Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even people walking. It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer ﬂuid reservoir ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. 4-16 {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. 4-17 Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. Driving Through Flowing Water Some Other Rainy Weather Tips (cid:127) Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. (cid:127) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-44. {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. 4-18 City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: (cid:127) Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 4-20. Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. 4-19 (cid:127) (cid:127) Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. 4-20 The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot. Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. Here are some things you can check before a trip: (cid:127) Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? (cid:127) Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? (cid:127) Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? (cid:127) Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? 4-21 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: (cid:127) Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. 4-22 (cid:127) If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. (cid:127) Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your 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 your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. 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 your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (cid:127) Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can climb the hill better. (cid:127) Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. (cid:127) You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 4-23 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk. Also see Tires on page 5-44. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 4-24 Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be very careful. What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. Accelerate gently. 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. Unless you have the anti-lock braking system (ABS), you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do have ABS, see Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-7. This system improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether you have ABS or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can. 4-25 Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. (cid:127) Whatever your braking system, allow greater following distance on any slippery road. (cid:127) Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ﬁne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. If You Are Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. (cid:127) Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, ﬂoor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. 4-26 (cid:127) (cid:127) You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. {CAUTION: Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. 4-27 Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking can help you get out when you are stuck, but you must use caution. {CAUTION: If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. And, the transmission or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission. For more information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-59. 4-28

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2006 Pontiac Solstice Owners Manual