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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being
damaged.
If the mast should ever become slightly bent, you can straighten it
out by hand.
If the mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals, you should
replace it.
Check every once in a while
to be sure the mast is still tiahtened to the
fender.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the underbodv\
. chassis, or
under the hood. These accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings cleaned\
and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and uneven braking. Check th\
e body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust syste\
m 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.
Driving at Night
AN450005
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 fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
On a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas where you won’t
impair approaching drivers. In some places, like cities, using high beams is
illegal.
When you follow another vehicle on a freeway or highway, use \
low beams.
True, most vehicles now have day-night mirrors that enable the \
driver to
reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not of this type and high beams from
behind can bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean-i\
nside 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. Tobacco smoke \
also makes inside glass surfaces very filmy and can be a vision hazard
if it’s left there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glas\
s would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. You might even want to
keep a cloth and some glass cleaner in your vehicle
if you need to clean
your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights 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 headlights 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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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.
Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they are for \
ideal road,
weather and visibility conditions. You may need
to drive below the
posted limit in bad weather or when visibility
is especially poor.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of intersections when y\
ou see
or hear emergency vehicles.
Freeway Driving
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3. -. ..
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AN461 003
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expres\
sways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest of all roads. But they have \
their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with \
traffic and keep
to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are
driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic f\
low. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have
a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you
should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend
with the flow.
If traffic is light, you may have no problem. But if it is heavy,
find a gap as you move along the entering lane and time your appr\
oach.
Try
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn
signal, check your rearview mirrors as you move along, and glance over your
shoulder as often as necessary.
Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. If
you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slow lane and the
left lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the higher-speed through lane, and the left
lane as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors. Then use yo\
ur turn
signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder
to
make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind” spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a freeway having
more than
two lanes, make sure another vehicle isn’t about to move into the
same spot. Look
at the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving toward the edge
of the
lane. Be prepared to delay your move.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in
advance. Dashing across lanes at the last minute is dangerous. \
If you miss
your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. \
Drive on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally
it should be long enough for
you to enter
it at freeway speed (after signaling, of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit ramp. Unfortunately, not all deceleration
lanes are long enough-some are too short for all the braking. Decide when
to start braking.
If you must brake on the through lane, and if there is traffic
close behind you, you can allow a little extra time and flash your brake lights
(in addition to your turn signal) as extra warning that you are about to slow
down and 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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are.\
For example,
40 mph (65 km/h) might seem like only 20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this
could lead to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways, there are\
still many
made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular highways is the s\
ame in some
ways. The trip has to be planned and the vehicle prepared, yo\
u drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns behind the \
wheel. You’ll
enjoy your trip more if you and your vehicle are in good shape. Here are
some tips for a successful long trip.
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 \
your vehicle’s
dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready and w\
illing to help
if
YOU
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need it.
ire
Some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:
Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
Lights: 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 inflat\
ed to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your rout\
e? 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel to about
100 miles (160 km) or two
hours at a sitting. Then, either change drivers or stop for s\
ome refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up. But
do stop and move
around. Eat lightly along the way. Heavier meals tend to make some people
sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways that
do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch for some situations not usually found
on freeways. Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping cen\
ters with
direct access to the highway, no passing zones and school zones, vehicles
turning left and right
off the road, pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and
even animals.
Highway Hypnosrs
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 than a
second, 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 rearview mirrors frequently and your instruments from time \
to time.
This can help you avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can cause drowsines\
s. But don’t wear sunglasses at night. They will drastically reduce \
your overall
vision at the very time you need all the seeing power you have.
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.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and allow adequat\
e
following distances.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trail\
er. Cross
the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will not
drop to the road if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions about
safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for atta\
ching safety
chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And,
never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes-and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes to install, adjust and maintain them properly.
And:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system
will use more than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s
- master cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You
could even lose your brakes.
Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa) of pressure? If
not, the trailer brake system must not be used with your vehi\
cle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap \
at the
port on the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brak\
es. But don’t use copper tubing for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off.
Use steel brake tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setti\
ng out
for the open road, you’ll want to get to know your rig. A\
cquaint 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
so responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety \
chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has electric brakes,
start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the trail\
er brake controller
by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets you che\
ck your electrical
connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load \
is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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