Pontiac 2003 Aztek Owner's Manual page 280

If you have traction control, keep the system on. It will
improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. But you can turn the traction system off if
your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow. See If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page 4-32. Even though your vehicle has a traction
system, you'll want to slow down and adjust your driving
to the road conditions. See Traction Control System
(TCS) on page 4- IO.
If you don't have a traction system, accelerate gently.
Try not to break the gentle 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, you'll
want to brake very gently, 'roo. (if you do have anti-lock,
see Braking on page 4-6. This system improves your
vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking
system or not, you'll want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little. Push
the
braKe peuai aown sleaaiiy io
get the most traction you can.
Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake
SO
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you'll just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still
steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
0
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: 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're actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
4-29