steering GMC SAVANA 1996 User Guide

Tilt Wheel (Option) Turn SignaVMultifunc on Lever
A tilt
steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can
also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when you
enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level,
then release the lever
to lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal and Lane Changer
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
0 Cruise Control (Option)
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want
it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes,
as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to
ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's
perception time. Then you have to bring up
your foot and do it. That's reuction tirne.
Average wcrc'tion time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration.
But even in 3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet
(20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
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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.
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.
Stc . ring
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.
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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.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should
adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are
based
on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do
it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain
a reasonable, steady speed, Wait to
accelerate
until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking.
For example, you come over a hill and
find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you
can stop
in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very
well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking
in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed
as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to
the left or
right depending on the space available.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees vesy quickly without re~noving
either- hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once
YOLI have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are ~dways
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road R covery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
OFF-ROAD
QUARTER TURN LEFT APPROX.
SLOW DOWN
edge of paved surface
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should
be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can
turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
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0 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
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from
you
than it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are
not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 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.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not ”overdriving” those conditions.
But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled
by easing your foot oft’ the accelerator pedal.
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go- If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for-
a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
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 surfxe 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 surfdce” -- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving,
One reason
is that so111e drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems,
or by fatigue.
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I
i
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 vehicle’s stability
when you 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.
0 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.
If You’re Caught in .a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here
are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
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Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing
a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back
up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t
strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Thrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and
a heavy-duty turn signal flasher (included in
the optional trailering package).
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal
a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure
the trailer
bulbs are still working.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
Push the button at the top
of
the steering column all the
way down to make your
front and rear turn signals
flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
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