engine CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1997 Owner's Guide

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 anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead
to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using 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
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.
Variable Effort Steering
This system varies the amount of steering effort
proportionate to your vehicle speed. Steering is easier at
lower speeds for maneuvering and parking ease. As your
vehicle speed increases, the steering effort also
increases. At highway speeds, the amount
of steering
effort is increased for vehicle control and stability.
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.
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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.
Remember:
Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defied as a utility
vehicle in Consumer Information Regulations issued by
the National Highway Trafpc Safety Administration
(NHTSA) of the United States Department of
Transportation. Utility vehicles have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to make them capable of
performing in a wide variety of off-road applications.
Specific design characteristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. They are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as conventional
two-wheel-drive vehicles any more than low-slung
sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
If at
all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers. As with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate
this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control
or vehicle rollover.
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.
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Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns.
GM recognizes these concerns and urges
every off-roader to follow these basic
rules for
protecting the environment:
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Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment
-- shrubs, flowers, trees, grasses -- or
disturb wildlife (this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground).
Always carry a litter bag
. . . make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open fires (where permitted),
camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch fire from the
heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to
a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps
of trails and terrain. Try to learn of any
blocked or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle. If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have a winch? If
so, be sure to read
the winch instructions. In
a remote area, a winch can be
handy if you get stuck. But you’ll want to know how to
use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and
close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds
of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need
to listen for
unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms, hands,
feet and body, you’ll need to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
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Qt What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and
I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
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do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal
to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly back down
the hill in REVERSE (R).
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) and restart the engine. Then, shift to
REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill as straight as possible in
REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the
12 o’clock position. This
way, you’ll be able to tell
if your wheels are straight
and maneuver as
you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather
than in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will increase the possibility
of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are
about to stall, when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) to “rev-up” the engine and regain
forward momentum. This won’t work. Your vehicle
will roll backwards very quickly and you could go
out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the
vehicle. Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the hill, you must back straight down the hill.
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@ Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take if it rolled downhill.
Do not shift the transfer
case to
NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle.
Leave it in some gear.
A CAUTIG1.I:
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Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK
(P). This is because the
NEUTRAL
(N) position on the transfer case
overrides the transmission.
If you are going to
leave your vehicle, set the parking brake and
shift the transmission to PARK
(P). But do not
shift the transfer case to the NEUTRAL
(N)
position. Leave the transfer case in the 2 Wheel, 4
High or 4 Low position.
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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider
a number of things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
0 What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
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.
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A C UTT3N:
I
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
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Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you
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ignore them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.
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.
Never
go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free-wheeling.” Your
brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
&= Am I 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.
Shift to PARK (P) and, while still braking, restart
Apply
the parking brake.
the engine.
0 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. 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.
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Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
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
A CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown.
If it’s
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water” in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
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Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
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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. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And
be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires” in the Index.)
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
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.
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