light OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1997 Service Manual

When YOLI 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.
YOLI coulcl
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.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no
matter how well built the vehicle.
I PL CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed. ]If you
drive across them,
you will roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
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If you decide you can go down a hili safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do
all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
CAWTION: I
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the
hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over
if you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free-wheeling.” Your
brakes
will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could
, cause loss of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a hill
and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control. ~
Q.’ Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
Q.’ Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But 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 (Pj and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
Shift back to
a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
0 If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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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 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.
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.
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.
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Driving at Night Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely
to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drbgs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down
on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly
into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and
all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light
up far less of a
roadway when you are
in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of
it.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
A CAUTION:
,.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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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 do not have 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
0 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.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires“
in the Index.)
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City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
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One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
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Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just
as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use
the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as
a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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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, nwve to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you 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. lf 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
Oldsmobile retailers 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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Wildshield Wnsher Fluid: Is the reservoir full'? Are
all windows clean inside and outside'?
Wiper
Blades: Are they in good shape'?
Frwl, EIlgirw Oil, Other Fluids: Have YOU checked
all levels'?
Lcrnzps: 4re 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
a11 inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Welrther
Forcmsts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system'?
A4ups: Do you have up-to-date maps'?
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Oldsmobile in good shape for winter.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag,
some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight,
a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include
a small bag of sand, a
piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items
in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have
a very slippery situation. You’ll
have
a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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