brake CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G Owner's Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer
is programmed to
make the most
of available tire and road conditions.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front
of you.
You slam
on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. You
can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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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 or always decrease
stopping distance. 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.
Using 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.
Steering
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 Tips
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, yodll 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you
will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
0 If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing,
it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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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 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 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 Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a
utility vehicle in Consumer Information Regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
of the United States
Department of Transportation. Utility vehicles have
higher ground clearance and a narrower track
to make
them capable of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteristics give them a
higher center
of gravity than ordinary cars. An advantage
of
the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road
allowing you to anticipate problems. They are
not
designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional
two-wheel-drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers. As with other vehicles
of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control
or vehicle rollover.
Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn’t drive off-road unless you’re
on a level,
solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means
you’ve left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are
no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you’ve gone right back
to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that you read this guide. You’ll \
find many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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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.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
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
PARK (P) (or, shift
to NEUTRAL (N) if your
vehicle has a manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift
to REVERSE (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE
(R).
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.
0 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 apply the parking brake.
Shift to REVERSE (R),
release the parking brake,
and slowly back straight down.
0 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 enough 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 (1)) 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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A CAUTION:
If you have a manual transfer case shift lever,
shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
(N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK
(P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even if you’re in gear). This is
because the NEUTRAL
(N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to PARK
(P)
(or, put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL
(N) position. Leave the transfer
case in the 2HI,4HI or 4LO position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to
consider a number of things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What's the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Boulders?
What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If
you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won't have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping
your vehicle under control at all times.
.. .. ..
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: Are there some things I should not do when
A: Yes! These are important because if you
driving down a hill?
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ignore them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline
of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with
the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in
a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
@’ 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.
0 Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
0 Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
and
drive straight down,
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