CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction. You can’t accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re in mud -- the
deeper
the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t
get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense
a change in wheel
traction. But it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand
is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires
will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect
on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want to reduce the air pressure
in your tires slightly
when driving on sand. This will improve traction. Hard
packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, €or example, the traction is
so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide
out of control.
I
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces ‘only.
4-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don’t
try it -- you probably won’t get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through
it slowly.
At fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if you
get
your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your
tailpipe is under water, you’ll never be able to start your\

engine. When you go through water, remember that when
your brakes get wet,
it may take you longer to stop.
I
A CAUTION:
~ Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep
water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown.
If it’s
only shallow water, it can still wash away the ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water”
in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
4-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust system
for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Driving at Night
I
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.
4-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
glare from headlamps behind you.
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
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’re driving,
don’t 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 lights.
It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
Keep
your 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 your headlamps light up far less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your 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
aren’t even aware of it.
4-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
I
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can't stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn't as good as
on dry roads. And,
if your tires don't have much tread left, you'll get
even less traction. It's 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.
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's wise
to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled. 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.
4-3 1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
I ' A CAUTION: I
I I
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
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.
4-32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t 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 isn’t
a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is
to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
r
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
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 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.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth.
(See “Tires”
in the Index.)
4-33

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
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’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 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.
4-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving 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’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
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.
4-35

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t 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’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t 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’s ready
to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
GM
dealers all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
4-36