OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1997 Owners Manual

Driving with a Trailer
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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:
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.) 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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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.
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 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 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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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
You should use THIRD
(3) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in THIRD
(3) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life of
your transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if
YOU ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(I?) yet. Then turn your wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and shift into PARK
(P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine
oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each of these
is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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Trailer Wiring Harness
The light duty trailer wiring is a six-wire harness
assembly. The optional heavy-duty trailer wiring is an
eight-wire harness assembly. The harnesses are stored
under the vehicle,
on the driver’s side corner frame
crossmember. The heavy-duty trailer wiring has
a
30-amp feed wire with an inline fuse located by the
junction block. See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the
Index. Both harnesses have no connector and should be
wired by
ilt qualified electrical technician. The technician
can use the following color code chart when connecting
the wiring harness to your trailer.
Dark Blue: Use for electric trailer brakes or
auxiliary wiring.
Red: Use for battery charging: it connects to the
starter solenoid (eight-wire harness only).
Light Green: Back-up lamps (eight-wire
harness only).
Brown: Taillamps and parking lamps.
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
0 White (Heavy Gage): Ground wire.
White (Light Gage): Auxiliary stoplamp.
Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then tape or
strap
it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be sure you leave it
loose enough so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not
so loose that it drags on the ground. Store the
harness
in its original place. Wrap the harness together
and tie
it neatly so it won’t be damaged.
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fi NOTES
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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.
5-2
5-3
5-3
5-7
5- 10
5-11
5-12
5- 12
5- 14 How
to Use
Warning Flashers
Other Types of Warning Devices
Step-by-step Procedure for Jump Starting
Information You Should Know Before Towing
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
If Your Engine
is Overheating
If Steam is Coming From Your Engine
Cooling System 5-16
5-21
5-21
5-29
5-30
5-3 1
5-32
5-32 How to Add
Coolant
What to do if a Tire Goes Flat
How to Change a Flat Tire
Where to Store the Flat Tire and Tools
Information on the Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Snow or on Ice
How to Rock Your Vehicle to Get Unstuck
Using Recovery Hooks
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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. Press the button
on top
of
the steering column all the
way down to make your
front and rear turn signal
lamps 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.
To turn off the flashers, press the button until the first
click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn
signals won’t work. The flashers will stop if you step
on the brake.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your
vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps
to do it safely.
1 NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
Do not try to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it. This could damage your vehicle and
it won’t start that way.
~~
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
Batteries can
hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
you.
1. Check the
other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
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2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transmission in
PARK (P). Put a
manual transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
I unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter, or accessory power outlets, if you have this
option. Turn
off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help to save
both batteries. In addition, it could save your radio!
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repair wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
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