brakes CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1994 User Guide

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Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign
up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your
pass. A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your
side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re
awaiting
an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly
slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like
a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but
stay in the right
lane and don’t 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 isn’t trying
to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors
, glance over your shoulder, and start your 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 inside
mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the
right lane. (Remember that
if your right outside mirror is convex, the
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther 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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
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.
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Off-Road Driving with Your
Four- Wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you shouldn’t drive off-road
unless you’re
on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving
can be great fun. But it does have some definite hazards.
The greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back
to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very
important that you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For example, be sure to have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Be sure you read
all the
information about your four-wheel drive vehicle
in this manual. Is there
enough fuel?
Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where
they should be? What are the local laws that apply to off-roading where
you’ll be driving? If you don’t know, you should check
with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and forward of your
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on the off-road terrain
rear axle.
Put heavier items as far forward as you can.
doesn’t toss things around.
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If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to keep your vehicle
headed straight down, and use a low gear. This way, engine drag can help
your brakes and they won’t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
Q: Are there some things I should not do when driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
0 When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you across the incline of
the hill. A hill that’s not too steep to drive down may be too steep to
drive across. You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in “N’ (Neutral) , or with the
clutch pedal depressed in a manual shift
. This is called
“free-wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Q: Am 1 likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to “P,’ (Park) (or to Neutral with the manual transmission) and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor
that you will have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving, poor
steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But heavy rain can
mean flash flooding, and flood waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water
is before you drive through it. If it’s deep
enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles,
or exhaust pipe, don’t try it - you
probably won’t get through. Also, water that deep
can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly. At fast speeds, water
splashes on your ignition system and your vehicle can stall. Stalling
can also
occur if
you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes get wet, it may take
you longer to
stop.
If you have a diesel engine, see “Driving Through Water (Diesel Engines)”
in the Index for more information
on driving through water.
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less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to
fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder
it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs
and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when
they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when
strips of rubber start to separate from
the inserts.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some
car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try
to avoid puddles. But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
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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.
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.
0 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.
0 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.
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.
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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°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Trv 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.
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 spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear
in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps 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 avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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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 (or batteries) charged.
You will need a well-charged battery (or
batteries) to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a higher speed to get
enough heat. 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.
Power Winches
If you wish to use a power winch on your vehicle, only use it when your
vehicle is stationary or anchored.
NOTICE:
When operating a power winch on your vehicle, always leave the
transmission in “N” (Neutral). Leaving a automatic
transmission in “P”(Park) while using a power winch may \
damage the transmission. Also, leaving a automatic or manual
transmission in gear while using an power winch may damage
the transmission.
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake, or block the wheels to keep
your vehicle from rolling.
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Power Take-Off (PTO)
NOTICE:
If you will be using the PTO while the vehicle remains in one
place, drive the vehicle to warm it up before operating the
PTO.
Don’t use the PTO for more than four hours without driving
your vehicle again. If you don’t follow these guidelines, your
transfer case or transmission could be damaged.
NOTICE:
Don’t have a PTO that will exceed 35 horsepower installed on
your vehicle. It could damage your transmission or transfer
case.
Before using a power take-off, refer to the manufacturer’s or installer’s
instructions.
To engage a power take-off:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission into “N” (Neutral).
3. Hold the clutch pedal down and engage the power take-off.
If
you are going to drive the vehicle, shift the transmission into the gear
you want. Then shift the transfer case into the range you want (if you
have four-wheel drive), apply the regular brakes and release the
parking brake.
When
you release the clutch, the power take-off will start.
4. Release the clutch (and the regular brakes) as you normally would.
Using a Transfer Case Mounted Power Take-Off
(Manual Transmission)
I. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transfer case into “N” (Neutral).
3. Hold the clutch pedal down. If the vehicle will remain in the same
place, shift the transmission
into the highest gear.
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4. Engage the power take-off.
If you are going to drive the vehicle, shift the transmission into the gear
you want. Then shift the transfer case into the range you want, apply
the regular brakes and release the parking brake.
When
you release the clutch, the power take-off will start.
5. Release the clutch (and the regular brakes) as you normally would.
Using a Transfer Case Mounted Power Take-Off
(Automatic Transmission)
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transfer case into “N” (Neutral).
3. Shift the transmission into “N’ (Neutral).
4. Engage the power take-off.
If you are going to drive the vehicle, shift the transfer case into the
range you want. Then apply the regular brakes and release the parkin\
g
brake.
5. Shift the transmission to “D” (Drive) to start the power take-off.
6. Release the regular brakes to drive the vehicle.
Towing a Trailer
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