steering CHEVROLET BLAZER 1995 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get \
your foot up to
the brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t
have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows \
or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti\
-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and \
let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal. On vehicles with four-wheel drive, your anti-lock brakes
work at all times
-- whether you are in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-\
lock, you
can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help you more than even the very best braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
Steering lips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot
of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news \
happen
on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction
of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible
for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in
the same direction.
If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and
the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
- steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much
of those places. You can lose control.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal,
steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll want
to go slower.
If you need
to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you
enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate
until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example,
you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or
a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front
of you. You can avoid these problems by
braking
- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
- steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. (See “Braking in Emergencies’’ earlier in \
this section.) It is better
to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer
around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick de\
cision.
If you
are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you
can turn it a full 1 SO degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just
as quickly
straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is
a good reason
to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts \
properly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of
a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in
the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can
turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
I 1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx.
Quarter
Turn
4. Recover
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right
lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a twdane highway is a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment,
or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the
passing ‘driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents
- the
head-on collision.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens whe\
n 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 vehicle’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
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 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 brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking
skid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and close to home before
you go into the wilderness. Off-road driving does require some new and
different driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds
of signals. Your eyes, for example, need
to constantly sweep the terrain for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to
listen for unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms, hands, feet, and
body you’ll need to respond to vibrations and vehicle bounce.
Controlling your vehicle
is the key to successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your vehicle is to control your spee\
d. Here are some
things to keep in mind. At higher speeds:
0 you approach things faster and you have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.
0 you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive over obstacles.
0 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 abruptly up ahead?
@ Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s more discussion
of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
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.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this
is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You could have a serious - or
even fatal - accident if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.)
Driving On Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and an understanding of what your vehicle
can and can’t do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no matter
how well built the vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one of those hills that’s
just too steep to climb, descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant incline
with only
a small change in elevation where you can easily see all the way
to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top,
but you may not see this because the crest of the hill is h\
idden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach a hill.
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply steeper in places?
0 Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the surface cause tire
0 Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you won’t have to make
0 Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your path (boulders,
trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, a
fence? Get out and walk the hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to find out.
slipping?
turning maneuvers?
0 Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have ruts, gullies, troughs
and exposed rocks because they are more susceptible to the effects
of
erosion.
Driving Uphi//
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
0 Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the steering wheel.
0 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into NEUTRAL (N) (or
depressing the clutch, if you have a manual transmission) to “rev-up”
the engine and regain forward momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and you could
go out of
control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle. Then app\
ly the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the parking brake, and slowl\
y back straight down.
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall when going up a
hill.
If the hill is steep enough to stall your vehicle, it’s steep enou\
gh to
cause you to roll over
if you turn around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the hill and decide I just
can’t do it. What should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in PARK (P) (or the
manual transmission in first gear), and
turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle
and go get some help. Exit on the uphill side and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the
transfer case to NEUTRAL
(N) when you leave the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear.
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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 th\
ese surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet ice, for 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving In .Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But hea\
vy 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 speeas, 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 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 th\
e 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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