CHEVROLET S10 1997 2.G Owners Manual
Page 171 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine C.ity Driving.
Orkof the bigg.est problems with city streets is the
:amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch o.ut for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic -.signals.
Here -are ways to increase y.ou 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 wo.uld for a
cross-country trip.
m Try to use the freeways that-rim and.erisscr.oss mmst
large &tie-s. You’ll save time -and energy (See. the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
ligh.t-is there because the corner is busy emugh to,
need it. When a light turns gre,en, and just before you
start to Iimve, check both ways for vehicle-s that have
not cleared the intersection Or may be running the’
red li-ght.
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Page 172 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving At the &irrance, 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. be.gin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you exp.e.ct to
blend with the flow. Try to merge iritd the gap at close to
the prevailing sp%eed. 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 youspeed to the
posted
limit or to the prevailing rate if it’%$Qwqq Stav
in the right lane uniess you want’to pass.
Before changing lanes, check y0u.r mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the-lane; glance. quickly over your
shoulder,
to make-sure there-isn’t another vehickin your
“blind” spQt.
Once you are moving
on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable fdhwing distance. Expec-t to move
Mile fox mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, at night.
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of-all roads. But they have- their own special rules,. When you want to leave the:freeway, move to the-proper
The most important advice on freeway-driving is: Keep under any circumstances, stop and back up, D~.~~ on to
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the sam-e
s-peed .most of the other -drivers are dri.ving; Too-fast gr
too-dow driving. brek a smooth traffic flow. Treat .the The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
left
lane on a fr-eeway as a passing lane. lane well
in advance. If you
miss your exit, do not,
the
next exit.
Page 173 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
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Page 174 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
:,Is there actually such a condtion as “highway hypnosis”?
“Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? .Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness; or whatevm.
There is something. about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on th.e road,
the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind :against
.the vehcle that cai~ ~ake you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
.?to
you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the soad h.Eess
tlzan a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you
do about h.ighway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can .happen.
Then
here a-e some tips:
0 Make sure. your vehicle: is well ventilated; with a
comfortably cool interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan -the road ahead
and to
the sides. Cheek y-our mirrors and your
imtruine’nts frequently.
Hill and Mountain Roads-
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
drivjng .in
flat or.ro1ling terrain.
0. If-you get sleepy, p.ull off-the road into a rest, service
or-par.king- area and take
a asp, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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Page 175 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer-and more enjoyable. (See "Off-Road
Driving" in the Index
for information ab.out driving
off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape; Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These pqrts
@a work hard on
mountain roads.
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.
If you .don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that,they wouldn't work well. You would
then have
po.or 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.
I
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or WILII the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn't work wen. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your enbe running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
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.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills- or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut I
across the center-of the road, Drive at speeds that let
-you stay in your own lane.
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.
YQU may see highway signs an 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.
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Page 176 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush. or
broom, n supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
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.
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’ll
have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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Page 177 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wh8t’s:the worst time for this? “Wet-.ice.” Very cold
snow or-ice-can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice c.m- be even m-ore. trouble be-cause -it ‘may .offer the
1-east iraction
of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
fxce.zag C32”F; 0°C) .and fieeziag rain begins tQ fall.
Try to avoid driving .on wet ice untG salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever:the G-ondition -- smooth ice, packe.d, blowing
or loose: snow -- drive with Cautibn.
Accelerate gently. Try
not to break the fragile. traction. If
you accelerate t6o fait, the dr5v-e whee1.s will spin-and
polish the -surface under the tires even more..
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you,make-
a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
tho.ugh you have an anti-lock brxking system, you’ll’
want to begin
stopping sooner tha-n you would on dry
pavement. S,ee: “Anti-Lo-ck” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance :on any
slippery road.
Watch for dippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a,spat.th&s covered. with ice. Qn an
.otherwise clear road,: ice -patches may app-ear in
shaded areas where the
sun mn’t reach/ arou-nd
clump>s of. trees, :behind buikdings under bridges.
Sometiines the:surface of a curve air an overpa% may
remain icy when the surrounding raxds are clear. If
you see a-patch &ice ahead of YOLI-, brake:before you
axe on it, Try notto brake while you’=re .actually on
.the ice, .and avoid sadden st_e.Gring maneuvers.
Page 178 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You're Caught i.n a Blizzard
If you are stoppcd by heavy snow, you could be in :a
serious situat-ion. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you how for sure th.at you are near help
and you can hike thr0u.g-h the snow. Here.are. some
things to-do. to: su-mrnoh help and keep yourself and your
passengers safk;
.Turn on your hazaxl flashers.
Tie B red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been
stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
Ityou
have' no blankets or extra .clothing, make .body
insulators fmm newspapers, burlap bags, rags , floor
mats. -- anything you can wrap around yourself :or
tuck under your clothng to keep wm.
You can ran the. engine to keep. warm, b.ut be cmeful.
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Page 179 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Snow can trap exhaust gases under yo.ur vehicle.
This.can cause
deadly CO (carbon rncmoxide) gas
to get: inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you.
'You can't .see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
aruund 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
doesn't col1ect:there.
Open a window just a, little on the side of the
vehicle that% away
froin the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine o111y as long as you h~ust. This s&veS-
fu.eL When you run the engine, make it g.-a little faster
than just idle. That is, push. the, accelerator..slightIy. This
uses less fuel far the heat that .you get and it keeps- the.
battery
charg.ed. You willl neecia well-charged battery 'to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later an
with. your headamps.. Let the heatex run for a while.
Then,. shut the-engine off and dose the window almost
all the way to' p&erve the heat. Start the e.ngine again
and repe.at
.this only when you feel ceally qxkbmfortable
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 .faidy vlgorous -exercises
every half how os so until help comes.
Page 180 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Recreational Vehicle Towing
(Four-wheel Drive With Manual
Shift Transfer Case Only)
1 * Set the 1 'king brake: firmly.
2. Place an auromatic transmission in PARR (P) qr a
-manual transmis'siori in FIRST (1).
3. Firmly attach the vehicle .being towed to the 'to,w
vehick. Do not tow the. v&icle by the rear bumper
bar. Refer to the hitch manufactu.rer's instructions.
4. Place the manual shift transfer case- shift lever in
'NEUTRAL (N).
Shifting the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N. an
cause your vehicle
to roll evenif the transmission
is in PARK (P), for an automatic transmission, or
if your vehicle is in gear, for a manual
transmissi6n.
You or othets could be injured.
Make sure the-parking brake is firmly .set befbre
you shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N).
5. Release the parking brake only after the -vehicle,
being
towed is firmly attache-d to the tow vehicie.
6; Ins-ert thei-gnitiaa key into the ignitim switch md
turn it one notch fixward of the LOCK position. This
places the key in the OFF po'sitiofi; which 'ufilocks
the steering column while preventing battexy draia.
Unlocking the
steering column will allow for proper
rnovemcnt of the:front w'beel.s/tirr;s during towing.
R-ecre.ationa1 Vehicle Towing
(Except Four-Wheel Drive With
Manual Shift Transfer Case)
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