warning CHEVROLET S10 1995 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The brake system warning light will also come on when you set your
parking brake, and it will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light (Option)
If your vehicle has four-wheel anti-lock brakes, it will have this yellow
light.
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on when you
start your
engine and may stay on for several seconds. That’s normal. If the light
doesn’t come
on, have it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier in this part.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Charging System lndicator Light
The red charging
system indicator light
is above your oil
temperature gage on
your instrument
cluster and will come
on briefly when you
turn
on the ignition,
but the engine is
not
running, as a check to
show you it is
working.
It should go
out once the engine is running. If it stays on, or comes on while
you are driving, you may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that
you have problems with a generator drive belt, or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this light is
on
could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner.
CHECK GAGES lndicator Light
CHECK
GAGES
This amber CHECK
GAGES indicator
light
is above the fuel
gage
on the instrument
cluster and will come
on briefly when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving, check your coolant
temperature and engine oil pressure gages
to see if they are in the warning
zones.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter Gage
14
9
When your engine is
not running, but the
ignition is
on (in the
RUN position), this
gage shows your
battery’s state
of
charge in DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows
the condition of the charging
system. Readings between the low and high warning zones indicate the
normal operating range.
Readings in the low warning zone may occur when a large number
of
electrical accessories are operating in the vehicle and the engine is left at an
idle
for an extended period. This condition is normal since the charging
system is not able
to provide full power at engine idle. As engine speeds are
increased, this condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds allow
the charging system to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading
in either warning zone.
If you must drive, turn off all unnecessary accessories.
Readings
in either warning zone indicate a possible problem in the electrical
system. Have the vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.
Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL)
Feed Wire
Your vehicle includes a Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) located
above the rear window.
If equipment such as a cap or camper is installed, a wire labeled “Center
High Mounted
Stop Lamp (CHMSL)” feed is provided along the left rear
frame.
This wire should be used to install a CHMSL in the cap or camper.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s 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 3/4 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’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry,
icy); tire tread; and the condition of your brakes.
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. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your 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 engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your 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.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control.
If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system warning light on the
instrument panel, it has four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Otherwise, it has
rear-wheel anti-lock brakes. When you start a vehicle that has four-wheel
anti-lock brakes and begin to drive away, you may hear a momentary motor
or clicking noise. This is the
ABS system testing itself.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on
them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay
attention to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just
as you would for a
cross-country trip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just
before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection
or may be running the red light.
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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 Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes
so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and reduce your speed to around 45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you
turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) (or the manual transmission
out of gear and the parking brake applied) for
a few minutes before turning
the engine
off. If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on Hi//s
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into PARK (P) yet, or into
gear for a manual transmission. When parking uphill,
turn your wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill,
turn your wheels into the
curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake, and then
shift into PARK
(P), or REVERSE (R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheeldrive vehicle with a manual transfer case
shift lever, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear - not in
NEUTRAL (N).
6. Release the parking brake.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
Section
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning
flashers let
you warn
others. They also let
police know
you have
a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal
lamps will flash on
1 and off.
..@ . I
1
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Push the button on top
of the steering column
all the way down
to
make your front and
rear turn signal lights
flash on and
off. Your
hazard warning
flashers work
no
matter what position
your key is
in, and
even if the key isn’t
in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work. The
flashers will stop if you step on the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
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