Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
If you decide you can go down a hill 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.
A
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
1 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.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you across the in\
cline 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 N (Neutral), or with the clutch
pedal depressed in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.” Your
brakes will have to do all the work and could overheat and fade.
Avoid braking so hard that you lock the wheels when going downhill. If
your front wheels are locked, you can’t steer your vehicle. \
If your wheels
lock up during downhill braking, you may feel the vehicle starting to slide
sideways.
To regain your direction, just ease off the brakes and steer to
keep the front of the vehicle pointing straight downhill.
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 P (Park) (or to N (Neutral) with the manual transmission) and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight
down.
4-30
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Parking on Hills
Hills and mountains mean spectacular scenery. But please be careful where \
you stop
if you decide to look at the view or take pictures. Look for pu\
ll-offs
or parking areas provided for scenic viewing.
I
AM470005
Another part of this manual tells how to use your parking brake (see “Parking
Brake” in the Index). But on a mountain or steep
hill, you can do one more
thing. You can turn your front wheels to keep your vehicle from rolling down-\
hill
or out into traffic. Here’s how:
Parking Downhill
AM470010
Turn your wheels to the right.
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I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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If there is no curb when you're parking uphill, turn the wheels to the right.
If there is no curb when you're parking uphill on the left side \
of a one-way
street, your wheels should be turned
to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your transmissi\
on into P
(Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much \
force on the
parking pawl in the transmission.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever
out of
P (Park). This is called torque lock. To prevent torque lock, always be
sure to shift into
P (Park) before you leave the driver's seat. To find out how,
see "Shifting Into
P (Park) in the Index."
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of P (Park) BEFORE
you release the parking brake.
AM470024
If "torque lock" does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill
to take some of the pressure from the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
4-50
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before towing you should:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Place the auto’matic transmission in P (Park) or the manual transmission
in th:e lowest gear
(1 st gear).
3. Firmly attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle. Refer to the
hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
Shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral) can cause your veh\
icle
to
roll even if the transmission is in P (Park), for an automatic
transmission, or
if your vehicle is in gear, for a manual transmission.
This is because the transfer case overrides the transmission.
I
1 NOTICE
6. Insert the ignition key into the iginition switch and turn it one notch .for-
ward of the “LOCK’ position. This places the key into the “OFF” position,
which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery drain\
. Unlock-
ing the steering column will allow for proper movement of the front
wheelshires during towing.
4-55
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 P (Park) yet, or into gear
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 \
then
shift to
P (Park), or R (Reverse) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case\
shift
lever, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear-not in
N (Neutral).
6. Release the regular brakes.
for a manual transmission.
A
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenl\
y.
You
or others could be injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t move,
even when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps that\
follow.
If you have four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case shift le\
ver
and your transfer case is in
N (Neutral), your vehicle will be free to
roll, even if your shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear-not in
N (Neutral). If you are parking on a
hill, or if you’re pulling a trailer, see also “Parking On Hills” in the
Index.
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine.
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
4-61
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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 esp\
ecially important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t ove\
rfill),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake adj\
ustment. 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.
Trailer Light Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
Power Winches
If you wish to use a power winch on your vehicle, only use it when your
vehicle is stationary or anchored.
NOTICE
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake Or UIWK ihe wheels IW keep
your vehicle from rolling.
4-62
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 syst\
ems.
1 CAUTION
* You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake \
firmly I
on each vehicle. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
N (Neutral).
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case\
shift lever, be sure the tra-fer case is not in
N (Neut--’).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t
I
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both \
batteries.
And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (t) arlu
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
* Using a match near a battery can cause battery gas to explode. I
People have been hurt doing this, and some have been blinded. \
Use
a flashlight if you need more light.
You don’t need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery \
installer’
in every new
GM vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure thG
right amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take care of
that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you. Don’t get it on you.
If
you accidentally get it in your eyes or on your skin, flush the place
I with water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
5-4
I
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine , vr
KO51 9
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position with a clamping device
designed for a towing service. Do not use the vehicle's steeri\
ng column
lock for this. The transmission (either automatic or manual) should\
be in
N (Neutral) and the transfer case (either manual shift or elec\
tronic shift), if
you have one, should be in 2 WHEEL (two-wheel drive). The parking brake
should be released.
Don't have your vehicle towed on the rear (drive) wheels, un\
less you have
to,
If the vehicle must be towed on the rear wheels, don't go more than 35 mph
(56 km/h) or farther than 50 miles (80 km) or your transmission will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the rear drive wheels have\
to be supported on a dolly.
If your vehicle has the four-wheel-drive option, a dolly
MUST be used under
the rear wheels when towing from the front.
5-8