engine GMC SAVANA 1996 Owner's Guide

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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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
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
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. 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
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Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more
visible to others.
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.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in the Index.)
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain
you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to
move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave
the freeway, move to the
proper lane well
in advance. If YOLI miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on
to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according
to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of
the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting
out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealers
all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Wclsher Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper- Blcrdes: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other FlLtids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lnlnps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route‘? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps‘?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call
it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on
the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Don’t let
it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can
leave the road
in less flzan u secord, and you could
crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis‘? First, be
aware that
it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides, Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive re.gularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
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Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how
to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some
of the
slowing down. Shift
to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on
a steep downhill slope. Coasting
downhill in
NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work
of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
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Know how tb go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or
cut across the center of
the road. Drive at speeds
that let
YOLI stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be ale1-f to these and take appropriate action.
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0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing
to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
$0 get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make
it go a little fdster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery (or batteries) charged. You will need
a well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater
run for awhile.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat. Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost all the way to preserve
the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only
when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold.
But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle
and
do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your T hicle
on
GAWR FRT
RIM COLD TIRE PRI
EE ~ENERS MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. -1
The CertificationRire label is found on the rear edge
of the driver’s door. The label shows the size
of your
original tires and the inflation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight capacity your vehicle. This is called
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel
and cargo.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, 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 if your trailer will
weigh
4,000 lbs. (1 800 kg) or less. You should
always
use a sway control if your trailer will weigh
more than
4,000 lbs. (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.
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Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 kdh) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
You should use DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to,
a lower gear) when towing a trailer. Operating
your vehicle in
DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer
will minimize heat build-up and extend the life
of
your transmission.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of
the trailer tongue
and the weight on your vehicle’s tires. I
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Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and
how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
The following chart
shows how much your trailer can
weigh, based upon vehicle model and options.
Max. Trailer
Model Engine Axle Ratio Weight (lbs.)
(kg)
G 10000 4.3L
5 .OL
5.7L
G20000 4.3L 5 .OL
5.7L
6.5L
G30000 5.7L
6.5L
7.4L 3.42
3.73
3.42
3.42
3.73
3.42
4.10
3.42
3.42
3.73
4.10 3.73
4.10 3.73
4.10 3.73
4.10 3.42
3.73
4.10 4000
4500 5000
5500
6000
4000
5000
5000
5500
6000
7500 6500
8000
6000
7500
6500
8000
7000 8000
(1816)
(2043)
(2270)
(2497)
(2724)
(1816)
(2270)
(2270)
(2497)
(2724)
(3405)
(295
1 )
(3632)
(2724)
(3405) (295
1 )
(3632)
(3 178)
(3632)
10,000 (4540)
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P-iving with a “.ail--
-==
If you have a rear-most window open and you
pull a trailer with your vehicle, carbon monoxide
(CO) could come into your vehicle. You can’t see
or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness or
death. (See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.)
To
maximize your safety when towing a trailer:
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Have your exhaust system inspected for
leaks, and make necessary repairs before
starting on your trip.
Keep the rear-most windows closed.
If exhaust does come into your vehicle
through a window in the rear or another
opening, drive with your front, main heating or cooling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This will bring fresh,
outside air into your vehicle.
Do not use
MAX A/C because it only recirculates the
air inside your vehicle. (See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.)
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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 as
responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, 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.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
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