warning GMC SAVANA 1996 User Guide

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’re driving, brake
normally but don’t 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.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that
will help
prevent
a braking skid.
When you start
your engine and 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. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See ”Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light’’
in
the Index.
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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’ll
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 surfxe 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 surfdce” -- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving,
One reason
is that so111e drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems,
or by fatigue.
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City Driving
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:
0 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.
0 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.
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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, 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.
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. What’s
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 rnay offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it‘s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall,
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a:lower gear before you start
down a long or steep doyngrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than
at normal altitudes. If you turn
your engine
off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades,
your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off.. If
you do get the
overheat warning, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on.Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, .on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet. Then turn your wheels into the curb
if facing downhill or into traffic if facing ,uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. I
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Re-apply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and then shift to
PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
Push the button at the top
of
the steering column all the
way down to make your
front and rear turn signals
flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
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To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first
‘click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals- won’t work.
1 ’ Other Warning Devices
U? you carry reflective triangles, you can use them to
warn others. Set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. But
please use the following steps listed to
do it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exa’ctly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
i
NOTICE:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
NOTICE:
I
I
If’the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
I
If you have a diesel engine vehicle with two batteries
(or more) you should know before you begin that,
,especially in cold weather, you may not be able
to
get enough power from a single battery in another
vehicle to start your diesel engine.
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12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care
that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
A
A. Engine Block, Frame, Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They
can provide the right
equipment and know how to tow it without damage. See
“Roadside Assistance” in your Index.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding things like fog lamps, aero
skirting, or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle has rear wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for
the transmission.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades’’ in the Index.
If you get
the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- DRIVE (D).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to push
the accelerator
until the engine speed is about twice as
fast as normal idle speed. Bring the engine speed back to
normal idle speed after two or three minutes. Now see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
tLtrn off the engine atzd get everyone out ofthe
vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not
to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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A CAUTIO1 . .
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do,
you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
~~ ~ ~
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if the fan speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing
the accelerator pedal down. If it doesn’t, your
vehicle needs service. Turn
off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the
FULL COLD mark, add a 50150 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index for
more information.)
Adding only plain water
to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
water and DEX-COOL
TM antifreeze.
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