CHEVROLET S10 1995 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 quickly 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The
exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to
think you are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work - don’t plan to make too many
miles that first part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to
go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of
course, you’ll find experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships
all across North America. They’ll be ready and willing to help if you need
it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your route?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Should
you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a
second,
and you could crash and be injured.
What can you
do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area
your
mirrors and your instruments frequently.
and take
a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or
rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re planning
to visit there,
here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (See
“Off-Road Driving” in the Index for information about driving off-road.)
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. These parts can work
hard on mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. -The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some
of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear
when you
go down a steep or long hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive
at speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
0 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades, passing
or no-passing zones, a
falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
may offer the least traction
of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32 OF; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
- smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow -
drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too
fast,
the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even
more.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop\
on a slippery road. Even though you have
an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a s\
pot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice pa\
tches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around cl\
umps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes
the surface of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads\
are
clear. If you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it,
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avo\
id sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious sit\
uation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sur\
e that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are so\
me things to
do
to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Tur\
n on your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert pol\
ice that you’ve
been stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a bl\
anket around
you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators f\
rom
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 wann, but be careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 headlamps. 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Power Winches
If you wish to use a power winch on your vehicle, only use it when your
vehicle
is stationary or anchored.
I NOTICE:
-
Operating a power winch with an automatic transmission in
PARK
(P) or a manual transmission in gear may damage the
transmission. Always put the transmission
in a Neutral position
while operating
a power winch.
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake or block the wheels to keep
your vehicle from rolling.
If your vehicle is equipped with an airbag, see “Adding Equipment to Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
Recreational Vehicle Towing (Four- Wheel
Drive Only)
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you may tow it behind another vehicle
providing it does not have the optional electronic shift transfer case.
I NOTICE:
Recreational vehicle towing is not recommended for vehicles
with the optional electronic shift transfer case because the
electronic shift has no neutral position.
Before towing, you should:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Place the automatic transmission in PARK (P) or the manual
transmission in the lowest gear
(FIRST GEAR).
hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Firmly attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle. Refer to the
4. Place the transfer case shift lever in NEUTRAL (N).
NOTICE:
Removal of either propeller shaft is unnecessary.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is firmly
attached to the tow vehicle.
6. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch and turn it one notch
forward of the
LOCK position. This places the key into the OFF
position, which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery
drain. Unlocking the steering column will allow for proper movement
of the front wheelshires during towing.
NOTICE:
You should exercise extra care whenever towing another vehicle.
Loading Your Vehicle
PAYLOAD =I-1
The Certificatioflire label is found on the driver’s door lock pillar. The
label shows the size of your original tires and the inflation pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight, if pulling a
trailer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The CertificatiodTire label also tells you the maximum weights for the
front and rear axles, called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out
the actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go
to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help you with this.
Be sure
to spread out your load equally on both sides of the centerline.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different GVWR’sLPayloads. Please
note the Certificatioflire label of your truck or consult your dealer for
additional details.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Using heavier suspension components to get added durability might not
change your weight ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load your vehicle
the right way.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or components that fail
because
of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle - like suitcases, tools, packages, or
anything else
- they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
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