steering wheel OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1996 User Guide

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.)
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.
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 “~verdriving’~
those conditions.
But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to your
Oldsmobile’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.
4- 12
ProCarManuals.com

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 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 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 defined as a
utility vehicle in Consumer Information Regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic 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.
4-13
ProCarManuals.com

Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different
kinds of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here are some things
to consider.
Su$uce Condiriorzs. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, 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.
Surjiuce Obstacles. 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 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 turns or sudden 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
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At
the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by
even a small amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving”
in the Index.
4-17
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need
to take some special steps.
0
0
0
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don’t use more power than you need,
because you don’t want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
;hn@h,w rQude.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top
of the hill.
0 Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible
to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
0 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
let opposing traffic know you’re there.
you more visible
to oncoming traffic.
0 Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
1 A CAUTION:
’hrning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try to go straight up. 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
‘---1 the top of a hill, slow down and stay alert.
ProCarManuals.com

Q.’ What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
to stall, and I can’t make it up the hill?
0
0
0
0
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-up7’ 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.
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.
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.
ProCarManuals.com

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 to 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.
1
A CAUl
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.
4-25
ProCarManuals.com

After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
Driving at Night
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust system
for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are
likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fdtigue.
ProCarManuals.com

What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.’’ Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard
to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all.. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there. 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.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
0 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.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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
I 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.
Turn 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.
ProCarManuals.com

1 A CAUTION:
I
~ To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck. side when towing a vehicle. I
A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They
will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped
in a straight-ahead position with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be
in NEUTRAL (N). The parking brake should
be released.
5-7
ProCarManuals.com