tires CHEVROLET S10 1995 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires
that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road
is wet
enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your tires haven’t much
tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water
is standing on the road. If
you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, th\
ere
could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t
a hard and
fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is
raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights - not just your parking lights - to
help make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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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 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 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 A B
If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10%
of the total loaded trailer weight (B). If you have a
“weight-distributing” hitch, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 12% of the
total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to
get them right simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Certification label on the driver’s door lock pillar or
see “Tire Loading” in the Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
If you use a step bumper hitch, and your trailer tongue has a V-shaped
foot, your bumper could be damaged in sharp turns. Check the distance
from the front edge
of the foot to the middle of the hitch ball socket. If
the distance is less than
12 inches, take the foot off the trailer tongue.
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to use a properly mounted,
weight-distributing hitch and sway control of the proper size. This
equipment is very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling when you’re driving.
If your vehicle has the bumper delete option, do not bolt any type of
hitch to the close-out panel. The close-out panel will not support a
hitch.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brakes system can tap into vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
except:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system will
use more than 0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You could even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa)
of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at
the port on
the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this. If you do, it will bend and finally break off. Use steel brake
tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel
of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly as responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform (and attachments),
safety chains, electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working.
This lets you check your electrical connection at
the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a
while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it won’t start after a few
tries make sure all connections are good.
If it still won’t start, it
probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each other or
any other metal.
Remove Cables In This Order:
2 3 1. Heavy Metal
Engine Part
2. Good Battery (-)
3. Good Battery (+)
4. Dead Batten (+)
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was factory-new
by adding things
like fog lamps, aero skirting,
or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and shift the
transfer case, if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the clutch is not engaged. This improves fuel economy
and reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when
the clutch engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down when
additional cooling is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
if a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of
a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and
what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
will create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road if
possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well\
as
the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting you\
r
transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission. \
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear (or with a manual transmission, between FIRST
(1) or
SECOND
(2) gear and REVERSE), spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the
accelerator pedal when the transmission
is in gear. If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. Or, you can use your
recovery hooks, if your vehicle has them.
If you do need to be towed out,
see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle may be equipped with recovery hooks. The recovery hooks are
provided at the front of your vehicle. You may need to use them
if you’re
stuck off-road and need to be pulled to some place where you can continue
driving.
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