towing CHEVROLET S10 1996 2.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The eight-wire harness is stored under your vehicle
along
the rear frame crossmember. This harness has a
30-amp feed wire with an inline fuse located in the
instrument panel fuse block and no connector. It should
be wired by a qualified electrical technician. The
technician can use
the following color code chart when
connecting the wiring harness to your trailer.
0 DARK BLUE: Use for electric trailer brakes or
0 RED: Use for battery charging; it connects to the
LIGHT GREEN: Back-up lamps.
0 BROWN: Taillamps and parking lamps.
0 YELLOW Left stoplamp and turn signal.
0 DARK GREEN: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
0 WHITE (Heavy Gage): Ground wire.
0 WHITE (Light Gage): Auxiliary stoplamp.
Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then tape or
strap it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be sure
you leave
it loose enough
so the wiring doesn’t bend or break,
but not so
loose that it drags on the ground. Store the
harness in its original place. Wrap the harness together
and tie
it neatly so it won’t be damaged.
auxiliary wiring.
starter solenoid.
4-56

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
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 instructions
may not be correct.
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,
four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
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.
When
the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want
to see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured. Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing
a vehicle.
Never use J-hooks. Use
T-hooks instead.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine mm
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured, This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots, Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components, When your vehicle
is being towed, have the ignition key
turned
to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position with a clamping device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case, if
you have one, should be in 2HI. The parking brake
should be released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
5-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
' Vehicles with the all-wheel-drive or.four- wheel-drive
option must
use a towing dolly under the rear wheels
when towing
from the front.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted
in the
T-hook slots.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
' Vehicles with the all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive
option must
use a towing dolly under the rear wheels
when towing
from the front.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascia/fog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T- hook slots.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
Vehicles with the ail-wheel-drive
or four- wheel-drive
option must use
a towing dolly under the front wheels
when towing from the real:
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage will occur. Use wheel lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping.
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted
in the
T-hook slots.
5-10

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, and 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.
5-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you’ll need is stored inside the
plastic jack cover which is behind the front seats, either
on the center of the wall (extended cab) or on the
passenger’s side
of the wall (regular cab). Turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and remove
the
wheel blocks, jack and wheel wrench.
Your spare tire is stored underneath the rear
of your
vehicle. See “Compact Spare Tire’’ later
in this section
for more information about the compact spare.
I
NOTICE:
Never remove or restow a tire frodto a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle when restowing.
This is the jack cover for the extended cab. The
cover for the regular cab
is similar. To remove it, turn
the plastic wing
nut counterclockwise. Remove the
jack cover.
5-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rocking your vehicle to get it out: Using the Recovery Hooks
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) and REVERSE(R)), 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.
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.
5-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is
when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83
000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your
GM dealer’s Service
Department. If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions\

here, or
you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if
you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to
200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
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