towing CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1994 Owners Manual

If your engine is already hot and then stalls, turn your ignition key to OFF.
Then turn your key to RUN and wait 20 seconds before you restart your
engine. When the engine starts, let
go of the key and the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the electronics in your
vehicle. If you add electrical parts or accessories, you could
change the way the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t, your
engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see the part of this
manual that tells how to do it without damaging your vehicle.
See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water,
water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly
damage your engine.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Water (Diesel Engines)
NOTICE:
Never drive through standing water more than 8 inches deep if
your vehicle has a diesel engine.
Also, don’t drive through any
standing water faster than
5 mph (8 km/h). If you do, water can
be drawn in through the air intake, and this can severely
damage your engine.
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- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
@ should not be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
driving on steep hills, or for
off road driving. Select “D” (third gear)
when operating the vehicle under any of these conditions.
D (Third Gear)
This is like @, but you never go into Overdrive. You should use when
towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for
off-road driving.
2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but lower fuel economy. You can
use
“2” on hills. It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use your brakes
off
and on. If you manually select “2”, the transmission will drive in
second gear.
You may use this feature for reducing torque to the rear
wheels when you are trying to start your vehicle from
a stop on
slippery road surfaces.
1 (First Gear)
This position gives you even more power (but lower fuel economy)
than
“2.” You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever
is put in “1,” the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to drive. This might
happen if you were stuck in very deep sand or mud or were up
against
a solid object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat and damage
the transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into “P” Park to hold
your vehicle in position on
a hill.
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To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the
lever, located just
above the parking
brake pedal, marked
RELEASE to release
the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system
warning light will
go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your rear brakes to
overheat. You may have to replace them, and you could also
damage other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill: See “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index. That section shows what to do first to keep the trailer
from moving.
Torque Lock
The parking brake should be set first whenever you leave the driver’s seat.
If you are parked on a hill and the transmission is placed in “P’ (Park)
before the parking brake is set, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the transmission. It may be difficult to pull the
selector lever out
of “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent this,
the parking brake should be set
BEFORE moving the gear selector to “P”
(Park).
When preparing to move a vehicle parked on a hill, the selector lever should
be moved out
of “P” (Park) BEFORE releasing the parking brake. Even
when on level surfaces, its a good idea to set the parking brake first before
shifting the transmission from
“P” (Park).
If torque lock does occur, you may have to have another vehicle nudge your
vehicle uphill a
little to take some of the pressure off the transmission while
you pull the selector lever
out of “P’ (Park).
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Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission Models Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual transmission in “R”
(Reverse), turn off the engine, and firmly apply the parking brake .
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case is in a drive gear.
Your vehicle could roll
if it isn’t.
If you are parking on a hill, or if your pulling a trailer, see “Parking on
Hills” or “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
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If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in “N” (Neutral),
your vehicle will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in
“P” (Park). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in “N” (Neutral). Follow
the proper steps
to be sure your vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into ‘P’
(Park)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Four Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your engine’s driving
power
to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the most satisfaction out
of four-wheel drive, you must be familiar with it’s operation. Read the part
that follows before using four-wheel drive.
You should use 2H for most
normal driving conditions.
Rear-wheel antilock brakes do
not work when you shift into four-wheel
drive. Your regular brakes will
still work. When you shift back into
two-wheel drive, your rear-wheel antilock brakes will take over again.
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Waiting to do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
Brake System Warning Light
The red brake system
warning light is
located at the bottom
right corner of the
instrument cluster
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two parts. If one part
isn’t working, the other part can still work and stop you. For
good braking,
though, you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
Section
1
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in
varying weather conditions
. We’ve also included many other useful tips on
driving .
.............................. 4-2
Defensive Driving ..........
DrunkenDriving ........................................... 4-2
Control
of a Vehicle
Braking
... ........................................... 4-5
Steering
................................................ 4-7
Steering Tips
............................................ 4-7
Off-Road Recovery
...................................... 4-9
Passing
................................................ 4-9
LossofControl
......................................... 4-10
Off-Road Driving With Your Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
.......... 4-12
DrivingatNight
........................................... 4-23
Driving
in the Rain ........................................ 4-24
CityDriving
.............................................. 4-26
Freeway Driving
.......................................... 4-27
Hill and Mountain Roads
.................................... 4-29
Winter Driving
............................................ 4-30
Powerwinches
........................................... 4-34
PowerTake-Off(PT0)
..................................... 4-34
Towing a Trailer
........................................... 4-36
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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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I NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result\

in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a trailer
correctly,
follow the advice in this section, and see your GM
dealer for important information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
Every vehicle is ready for some trailer towing. If it was built with trailering
options, as many are, it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle
by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers.
So please read this section carefully before you
pull a trailer.
rf You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also where you’ll
be
driving. A good source for this information can be state or provincial
police.
Consider using a sway control with a utility model if your trailer will
weigh 3,000 pounds (1 36 1 kg) or less, or with a wagon model if your
trailer
will weigh 4,000 pounds (1 800 kg) or less. You should always
use a sway control
with a utility model if your trailer will weigh more
than
3,000 pounds (I 361 kg), or with a wagon model if your trailer
will weigh more than 4,000 pounds (1 800 kg).
You can ask
a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the heavier
loads.
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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 brake system can tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system,
but consider the following:
Will the trailer brake system use more than 0.02 cubic inch (0.3 cc) of
fluid from your vehicle’s master cylinder? If it will, don’t tap into your
vehicle’s brake system. Both braking systems
won’t work well, and you
could even lose your brakes altogether.
not, the trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks
out this far, make the brake tap at the port on the
master cylinder that sends the 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.
Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa) of pressure? If
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 so responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, 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.
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