1993 CHEVROLET S10 Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 acro\
ss the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
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 dist\
ance
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 r\
ollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive across a h\
ill. 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.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the incline even worse. If
you drive across a rock with the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels
drop into a rut or depression, your vehicle can tilt even mor\
e.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully whether to try
to drive
across an incline. Just because the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you have to drive
it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
CAUTION
Driving across an incline that’s too steep will make your vehicle roll
over. Yolu could ble seriously injured or killed. If you h’ave any doubt
about the steepness of the incline, don’t drive
across it. Find another
route instead.
Q: What if I’m driving across an incline that’s not too steep, but I hit
some loose gravel and start to slide downhill. What should
I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways, turn downhill. This
should help straighten out the vehicle and prevent the side sl\
ipping. However,
a much better .way to prevent this
is to get out and “walk the course” so you
know what the surface is like before you drive
it.
4-31

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 tract\
ion
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.
nds or rivers can be dangerous.
~;~:.cx :. 2’’
nderwater springs, currents under the ice, or sudden thaws can \
25
weaken the ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and you ad.
. your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle on safe surface\
s
~~ : . I’ .: . :j/-
,. ,/ ., ‘!...,I:, I -
Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But hea\
vy 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. S\
talling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailp\
ipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to start your engine. Whe\
n you go through
water, remember that when your brakes get wet,
it may take you longer to
stop.
A
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehilcle downstream and you and your passengers could
drown.
If it’s only inches deep, 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.
4-33

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.
4-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep
more space between you and other vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast
the vehicle ahead is going just by looking at its taillights.
@ Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights 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 Wsion
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 headlights, but they also make a lot of things inv\
isible that should remain visible-such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or even trains
blocking railway crossings. You may want
to put on your sunglasses after you
have pulled into a brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes shielded
from that glare may adjust more quickly to darkness back on the road. But
be sure
to remove your sunglasses before you leave the service area.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. 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 headlights), slow down a li\
ttle. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching lights.
If there is a line of opposing
traffic, make occasional glances over the line of headlights to make certain
that one of the vehicles isn’t starting to move into your lane. Once you are
past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before\
resuming speed.
High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on, signal by flicking yours
to high and then back to low beam. This is the usual signal to lower the
headlight beams.
If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams, resist the
temptation to put your high beams on. This only makes
two half-blinded
drivers.
4-35

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.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in &ye Rain
I
AM455004
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road y\
ou can’t stop,
accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as
on dry roads. And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get even
less traction.
It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious
if rain starts to fall while you
are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned
for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your windshield wiper
blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs
and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse for vision than rain,
especially
if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled. Replace your windshield wiper ins\
erts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of
rubber start to separate from the inserts.
4-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
1, I
AM455009
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going thr\
ough some car
washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brak\
es. Try to avoid puddles. But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
I CAUTION I
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work well in a quick
stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of
I
the vehicle.
After arlvlng through a large puddle of water or a car
WE ’ , a, ~, ‘y
your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
I
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.
You might not be aware of hydroplaning. You could drive along for some time-
-
without realizing your tires aren’t in constant contact with the road. You could
find out the hard way: when you have to
slow, turn, move out to pass-or if
you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly find yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your tires haven’t 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 s\
urface, there could be
hydroplaning.