GMC JIMMY 1997 Owner's Manual

A CAUTION:
Cargo on the load floor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop.
You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
be
below
the top
of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can
tossed about whell driving over rough
terrain.
You or your passengers can be
struck by flying ot>,jects. Secure the
cargo properly.
0 Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle's
center
of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over.
You can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the roof.
Keep cargo in the cargo area
as far forward
and low
as possible.
Environmental Concerns
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Traveling to Remote Areas 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 wilclerness.
Off-road driving does rec1tIir-e some new md cliffrent
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
tor unexpected ohstacles. 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.
Whengu're driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can
easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you're driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear
safety belts.
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Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be fimilix with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are some things
to consider.
Surfcm Corzc1i~io11.s. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, rrrud. snow
or ice. Each
of these surfaces affects the steering.
acceleration and braking
of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on.
you may experience slipping. sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer
braking distances.
Su@ce Ohstclcles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you if
you're not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are.
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the
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terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does
the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There's
more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will
you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly? When you
drive over obstacles or rough terrain. keep
a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts. troughs or other
surface features can jerk
the wheel out of your hands if
you're not prepared.
When
you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens, even
with one or two wheels. you can't control the vehicle
as
well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface., it's
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden
tl1rnC ot- suclden braking.
In a way. off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways.
There are
no road signs. posted speed limits or signal
lights.
You have to use your own good judgment about
what is
safe and what isn't.
Drinking
and driving can be very dangerous on any
1-oad. And this is certainly true for off-nmi driving. At
the very tirne you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes. perceptions and judgment can be
affected by
wen a small amount of alcohol. You could
have
:I serious -- or even fital -- accident if you drink
and drivc or ride with a drivel- who has been drinking.
See "Drunken Driving" in the Index.
4-18

Driving on Off-Road Hills
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them. you will stall. If yoa drive
down them,
you can't control your speed. If you
drive across them, you will roll over. You could be
seriously in,jured
or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don't drive the
hill.
Approaching a Hill
When yo11 approach a hill. you need to decide if it's one
of those hills that's just too steep to clirnh, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On ;I \very small
hill7 for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline
with only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see a11 the way to he top. On a large hill. the
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Driving Uphill
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I ,A CAUTAN:
Turning or driving across steep hills can hc
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured
or killed. When driviug up hills,
always try to go straight up.
[ A CAI
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed can
cause
an accident. There could be a drop-off,
embankment,
cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could
be seriously injured or killed. As you near
the
top of a hill, slow; down and stay alert.
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I-
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If you have a nlanual transfer case shift lever,
shifting the transfer case
to NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your whicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK (P) (,or, if you have the manual
transmission, even
if you’re in gear). 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 (Pj (or,
put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
Rut do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAI, (N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the
2HI,4HI or 4LO position.
4-22 . ., . , .~

Driving Downhill
/I CAUTION:
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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Q.' Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It's nl~lch mo~x likely to happen going ~~phill. But if
it happens going downhill, here's whut to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the reg~11;~I brakes.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the
parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking. restart
the engine.
and drive straight
down.
Shif't back to a low gear, release the parking brake.
if the engine won't start, get out md gct help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go m-oss
the incline of a hill. if this happens, yo^^ have to decide
whether to try to drive across the inc!int.. Here are some
things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up 01- down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight LIP or
down a hill, the length of the wheel base (the
distance from the front wheels to the I-car whecls)
reduces the likelihood
the vehic!e will tumble cnd
over end.
But wlwn you drive i~cross an incline. the
much more narrow track width (the distance bctwee1l
the left and right wheels) nay not prevent the vehicle r
Driving across an incline that's too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness
of the incline, don't drive
across it. Find another route instead.

Q=
A:
What if I'm driving across an incline that's not
too steep,
but I hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should
I do?
Stalling on an Incline
if your vehicle stalls when you're crossing an incline, be
SLW yo11 (and your passengers) get out on the uphill
side.
evet1 if the tloor there is harcler to open. If you get
out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you'll be right in its path.
It ~OLI have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take
if it does roll o\w.
Getting out on
the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous. If' the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed
or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay
well clear of the rollover path.
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4-25