tires GMC SIERRA 1996 Owners Manual

To shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L) or
NEUTRAL
(N):
1. Slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1 to 3 mph
(2 to 5 km/h) and shift an automatic transmission
into NEUTRAL (N), or with a manual transmission
press the clutch pedal.
2. 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.
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.
Electronic Transfer Case (Option)
If your four-wheel-drive vehicle has the electronic
transfer case, the transfer case switches are below and to
the left
of the climate control system.
Use these switches to shift into and
out of four-wheel
drive. You can choose among three driving settings:
2HI: This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situations. Your front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive.
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Control of a Vehicle Braking
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 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 reaction rime.
Average reaction 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
noving at
60 mph (1 00 kmh) 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. 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.
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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
acce.lerate 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
roam. 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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@ 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 if
your right outside mirror
is convex, the vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
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.
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 t.he 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.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
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 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
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.
Surfxes 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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Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example,
be sure to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check
to make sure all underbody
shields (if
so equipped) are properly attached. Be sure
you read all the information about your four-wheel-drive
vehicle in
this manual. Is there enough fuel? Is the spare
tire fully inflated? Are
the fluid levels up where they
should be? What are the local laws that apply
to
off-roading where you’ll be driving? If you don’t know,
you should check with law enforcement people in the
area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If so, be
sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how
to load your vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward
of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward
as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
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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
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo
on the load floor can
be tossed about when driving over rough
terrain.
You or your passengers can
be struck by flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly. 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.
You’ll find other important information
in this manual.
See “Vehicle Loading,” “Luggage Carrier” and “Tires”
in the Index.
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Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But
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if it happens going downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply
the parking brake.
Shift
to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
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.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the
incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try
to drive across the incline. Here are some
things
to consider:
0 A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep
to drive across. When you go straight up or
down a
hill, the length of the wheel base (the
distance from
the front wheels to the rear wheels)
reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end.
But when you drive across an incline, the
much more narrow track width (the distance between
the
left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an
incline puts more weight
on the downhill wheels.
This could cause
a downhill slide or a rollover.
0 Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across a
hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it
(a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
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Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as
quickly, turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best to
use a low gear when you’re in mud -- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you don’t
get stuck.
When
you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel
traction. But
it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend
to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want t.o reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving
on sand. This will improve traction. 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.
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.
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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
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. Driving mrough 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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