brake CHEVROLET KODIAK 2007 Service Manual

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle.... 206
Defensive Driving...................................... 206
Drunken Driving........................................ 207
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 210
Braking...................................................... 210
Hydraulic Brake Systems........................... 211
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 212
Braking in Emergencies............................. 213
Trailer Brake Hand Control Valve.............. 214
Rear Axle Differential Lock Control............ 215
Traction Control System (TCS).................. 216
Steering.................................................... 217
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 219
Passing..................................................... 220
Loss of Control.......................................... 221
Driving at Night......................................... 223Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 224
City Driving............................................... 227
Freeway Driving........................................ 228
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 229
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 230
Winter Driving........................................... 231
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow ................................. 236
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 236
Tow Hooks................................................ 237
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 238
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar
Equipment.............................................. 240
Towing........................................................ 241
Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 241
Trailer Connections................................... 243
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
205

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 169.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.Average reaction time is about three-fourths of
a second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age,
physical condition, alertness, coordination and
eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs
and frustration. But even in three-fourths of
a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h)
travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so keeping enough
space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry or icy; tire tread; the condition
of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; the
weight of the load; and the amount of brake
force applied.
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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. The brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the 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.Hydraulic Brake Systems
If your engine stops running, or if your primary
brake system stops working, your vehicle has a
reserve power assist system to help you slow down.
Just slowly and steadily apply the brake pedal until
you can safely get off the road. The pedal will seem
harder to push down. Do not pump the pedal; the
system will not work well or at all that way.
You may find that the steering wheel seems hard
to turn when you are turning and braking at
the same time. Also, the primary brake warning
light may come on and the warning tone may
sound. This is normal because the main hydraulic
brake system and power steering both use the
power steering pump. If this ever happens, let up
on the brake pedal a little. When you let up on
the brake pedal in that situation, it lets the steering
get a little more help from the pump.
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Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this
test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 172.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is 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 wheel.
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ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed
to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.Remember: ABS does not 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 will not
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 ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may
feel the brakes pulsate, or you may hear air
exhausting if you have air brakes, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
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Trailer Brake Hand Control Valve
If your vehicle has this feature, the control
is mounted on the floor console.
This feature lets you
apply the trailer brakes
without applying the
tractor brakes.
You can apply the trailer brakes a little or apply
them all the way if you have to. Use this control
only when you are driving. Do not use it for
parking or to hold the rig on a hill.{CAUTION:
Using the trailer brake hand control for
parking or for holding the vehicle on a hill
may not keep the vehicle from rolling.
This can happen if someone hits the
valve by accident, or if air pressure bleeds
from the system. If the vehicle rolls,
you or others could be injured. To park
the vehicle or hold it on a hill, use the
parking brake properly.
214

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The system operates
only if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, the system applies the brake(s)
at the affected wheel(s).
The bottom light on the TCS on/off button will
come on when the TCS is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal. The TCS will function at speeds up
to about 25 mph (42 km/h).
The TCS may operate on dry roads under some
conditions. When this happens, you may notice a
reduction in acceleration. This is normal and
doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift
of the transmission or driving on rough roads.When the light in the top of the TCS button is
on, the TCS is off and will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The light in the top of the TCS button will come
on if the TCS is turned off by pressing the
TCS on/off button.
The light may also come on if a problem has been
detected in either the traction control system or
the anti-lock brake system.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you
should always leave the system on. But you
can turn the traction control system off if you ever
need to. You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow
and rocking the vehicle is required. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 236for
more information.
216

To turn the system on
or off, press the traction
control button located
on the instrument panel.
If you used the TCS button to turn the system off,
the light in the top of the button will come on and
stay on. You can turn the TCS back on at any time
by pressing the button again; the light should go off.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.
On vehicles with hydraulic brakes, the power
steering and main hydraulic brake system both use
the power steering pump. SeeBraking on page 210.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here is 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 is
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the
same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a
vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this.
217

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 are in a curve, speed is
the one factor you can control.
Suppose you are 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.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 216.
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 will 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 cannot; there is not room. That is the time for
evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 210. 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.
218

•When it looks like a chance to pass is coming
up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane
and do not 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.
•If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone is
not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle.
•Check your vehicle’s mirrors and start the 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 vehicle’s passenger side outside mirror,
activate the right lane change signal and move
back into the right lane. Remember that, if your
vehicle’s right outside mirror is convex, the
vehicle you just passed may seem to be further
away from you than it really is.
•Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
•Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not
flashing, it may be slowing down or starting
to turn.
•If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or
area of less danger.
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