four wheel drive CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1996 Owners Manual

Important Notes to Owners and Drivers
About This Manual
Please keep this manual in your vehicle so it will be there if you ever need it
when you’re on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in
it
so the new owner can use it.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We
reserve the right to make changes in the product after that time without
further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division
whenever it appears in this manual.
About Driving Your Tahoe
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly
may result in loss
of control or an accident. Be sure to read the
“on-pavement” and “off-road” driving guidelines
in this manual. (See
“Driving Guidelines” and “Off-Road Driving With your Four-wheel Drive
Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
EXCELLENCE
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While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on and off if you
quickly change
the position of the accelerator. Ignore the SHIFT light when
you downshift.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Only: If your vehicle has four-wheel drive
and
is equipped with a manual transmission, disregard the SHIFT light
when the transfer case
is in 4-LOW.
Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the engine is not running
smoothly,
you should downshift to the next lower gear. You may have to
downshift two or more gears
to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
A CAUTION:
If you skip more ;than one gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of your vehicle. And you could injure yourself or
others. Don’t shift down more than one gear when you
downshift.
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you downshift, or if you
race the engine when you downshift, you can damage the engine,
clutch or transmission.
Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you additional traction on
snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when
one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, the
locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
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3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear
4. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
-not in NEUTRAL (N)
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key
in your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock system. You have to
fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P). See
“Automatic Transmission”
in the Index.
If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever and
push the shift lever all the way up into PARK
(P) as you maintain brake
application. Then, move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If
you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of PARK (P),
try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system fixed as soon as
you can.
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine
running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever
is
not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. If you
have four-wheel drive with
a manual transfer case shift lever
and your transfer case
is in NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be
free to roll, even if your shift lever
is in PARK (P). So be sure the
transfer case is in
a drive gear - not in NEUTRAL (N). And, if
you leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless you have to.
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Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission
Models Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual transmission in
REVERSE (R), 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
8
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Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you ever have to, here
are some things to know.
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is
in NEUTRAL (N),
your vehicle will be free
to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in NEUTRAL (N). Always
set your parking brake. Follow the proper steps
to be sure your vehicle
won’t move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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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 its operation. Read the part
that follows before using four-wheel drive. You should use 2-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) for most normal driving conditions.
NOTICE:
Driving in the 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or &WHEEL LOW (4L)
positions for a long time on dry or wet pavement could shorten
the life of your vehicle’s drivetrain.
I NOTICE:
Changing your vehicle’s body height can damage your vehicle’s
suspension, drivetrain, or other vehicle components.
It may also
affect the way your vehicle handles, and the function of your
vehicle’s safety features. Do not change your vehicle’s height
from the original design specifications.
Transfer Case
The transfer case shift
lever is on the floor to
the right of the driver.
Use this lever to shift
into and out
of
four-wheel drive.
An indicator near the lever shows you the transfer case settings.
4-WHEEL LOW (4L)
NEUTRAL (N)
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H)
4-WHEEL HIGH (4H)
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The front axle portion
of
the indicator
diagram will light up
when you shift into
four-wheel drive.
Some delay between shifting and the indicator's lighting is normal.
If the
indicator light does
not light up, or if the front axle light does not go out
after you shift out of four-wheel drive, have your dealer check your system.
When your headlamps or parking lamps are
on, rotate the thumb wheel next
to the headlamp switch up to brighten, or down to dim, your transfer case
indicator light.
0
0
0
0
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H)
This setting
is for driving in most street and highway situations. Your
front axle
is not engaged in two-wheel drive.
4-WHEEL HIGH (4H)
This setting engages your front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use 4H
when
you need extra traction, such as on wet or icy roads, or in most
off-road situations.
NEUTRAL
(N)
Shift to this setting only when your vehicle needs to be towed or when
using
a power take-off.
4-WHEEL LOW (4L)
This setting
also engages your front axle to give you extra power, but
should be used only for off-road driving.
You can shift from 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) to 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
from 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) to 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) while the vehicle
is
moving. Your front axle will engage faster if you take your foot off of the
accelerator for
a few seconds after you shift. In extremely cold weather it
may be necessary to stop or slow the vehicle to shift out of 2-WHEEL
HIGH (2H).
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To shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L)or NEUTRAL (N):
0 Slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1-3 mph (2-5 kdh) and shift an
automatic transmission into neutral, or with a manual transmission
press the clutch pedal.
Shift the transfer case shift lever in one continuous motion.
Don’t pause in NEUTRAL
(N) as you shift the transfer case into 4-WHEEL
LOW (4L), or your gears could clash.
Remember that driving in 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or 4-WHEEL LOW (4L)
may reduce fuel economy. Also, driving in four-wheel drive on dry
pavement could cause your tires to wear faster and make your transfer case
harder
to shift.
Front Axle Locking Feature
I ne front axle locks and unlocks automatically when you shift the transfer
case. Some delay for the axle to lock or unlock is normal. If the outside
temperature is very hot, or the vehicle has been used under hard driving
conditions, there may be a slight delay for the axle to unlock.
Windows
To open your manual
windows, turn the
hand crank on each
door to raise or lower
your side door
windows.
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To Erase Speed Memory
When you turn off the Cruise Control or the ignition, your Cruise Control
set speed memory
is erased.
Headamps and Vehicle Lighting
Your parWheadlamp
switch
is on the
drivers side
of your
instrument panel.
Rotate
the switch knob clockwise to the park lamp symbol to turn on:
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Clearance Lamps (if you have them}
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
0 Transfer Case Shift Indicator Light (four-wheel drive vehicles)
Rotate
the switch knob clockwise again to the master lighting symbol to
turn on all the lamps and lights listed above as well as the headlamps.
Rotate the switch counterclockwise to the off sylnbol to turn
off your lamps
and lights.
Rotate the thumb wheel
next to the switch knob up to adjust instrument
panel lamps. Rotate the thumb wheel up to the first notch to return
the radio
display and gearshift indicator LED display
to full intensity when the
headlamps or parklamps are on.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beam by pulling on the
turn signal/high beam lever.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have an electrical
overload, your headlamps
will flicker on and off. Have your headlamp
wiring checked right away
if this happens.
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To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for
you. You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some
noise, but this is normal. On vehicles with four-wheel drive, your anti-lock
brakes work at all times
- whether you are in two-wheel drive or
four-wheel drive.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-lock, you
can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help
you more than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen
on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction
of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in
the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction
you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and the road surface,
the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
- steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration
can demand
too much of those places. You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal,
steer the
vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.
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