stop start OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1994 User Guide

hur Driving and the Road
114
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say
about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do
what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t 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 Oldsmobile’s three control
systems. In the braking skid your
wheels aren’t 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.
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
quicldy 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 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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of the
best ways to control your vehicle is to
control your speed. Here are some
things to keep in mind. At higher
speeds:
you approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when
you drive over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking,
especially since you’re on an unpaved
surface.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain.
You
need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here are
some things to consider.
Surface Conditions
Off-roading can take you over hard-
packed
dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow or ice. Each
of these surfaces
affects the steering, acceleration, and
braking of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are on, you may experience slipping,
sliding, wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction, and longer
braking distances.
Surface Obstacles
Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you
if you’re not
prepared for them. Often these obstacles
are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and
fall of the terrain itself.
Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change
Does the travel take you uphill or
abruptly
up ahead?
downhill? (There’s more discussion of
these subjects later.)
change direction quickly?
Will you have to stop suddenly or
When you drive over obstacles or rough
terrain, keep a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface
features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or
other obstacles, your wheels can leave
the ground. If this happens, even with
one or two wheels, you can’t control the
vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved
surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a
different kind of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights.
You have to use your own
good judgment about what is safe and
what isn’t.
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Driving Uphi//
Once you decide you can safely drive
up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than you need, because
you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all
possible. If the path twists and turns,
you might want to find another route.
Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top of the.hill..
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the
top of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
stalls,
or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some
things you should
do, and there are
some things you must not do. First,
here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the
vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need
to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to
P (Park) and
restart the engine. Then, shift to
reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put
your left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able to tell if
your wheels are straight and
maneuver
as you back down. It’s
best that you back down the hill
with your wheels straight rather
than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far
to the
left or right will increase the
possibility
of a rollover.
If your engine is still running, shift
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Q: Am I likely to stall when going
downhill?
A It’s much more likely to happen
going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the
regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to P (Park) and, while still
braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the
parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out
and get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline of a
hill. If
this happens, you have to decide
whether to
try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up or
down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down
a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front wheels
to the rear wheels) reduces the
likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end. But when you drive across
an incline, the much more narrow
track width (the distance between the
left and right wheels) may not prevent
the vehicle from tilting and rolling
over. Also, driving across an incline
puts more weight
on the downhill
wheels. This could cause
a downhill
slide or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem
when you drive across a hill. Loose
gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass
can cause your tires to slip sideways,
downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways,
it can hit something that will trip it (a
rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline even worse. If
you drive across a rock with the uphill
wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop
into a rut or depression, your vehicle
can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to
decide carefully whether to
try to drive across
an incline. Just because the trail
goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you have to drive it. The last vehicle to
try it might have rolled over.
Q: What if I’m driving across an
incline that’s not too steep, but
I
hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to
slide sideways, turn downhill. This
should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping.
However, a much better way to
prevent this is
to get out and “walk
the course”
so you know what the
surface is like before you drive it.
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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.
After OtY-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.
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1 Driving in the Rain
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 arc
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.
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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.
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Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You'll
save time and energy. (See the next
section,
Freeway Driving.)
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.
Treat a green light as a warning
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.
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.
Just before you leave the lane, glance
quicldy 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.
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If You’re 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
su~nmon 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’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra
clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If
you have no 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.
You can run the engine to keep warm,
but be careful.
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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
headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change
lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your
signal when they are not, It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. 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.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more than
3,000 pounds (1 350 kg), it’s
best to drive in
D instead of Overdrive
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). This
will minimize heat build-up and extend
the life of your transmission.
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
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of
the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt,
cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual,
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Problems on the Rod
148
When the coolant in the coolant
recovery tank is at or above the
FULL
HOT mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues,
there’s one more thing you can try.
You
can add the proper coolant mix directly
to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
How to Add Coolant to the
Radiator:
1. You can remove the radiator pressur(
cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to
the left until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the
pressure cap.) If you hear a hiss, wail
for that to stop.
A hiss means there i:
still some pressure left.
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