1993 CHEVROLET S10 tires

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
r-
AM480016
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold \
snow or ice can be slick
and hard
to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it ma\
y
offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice
until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition-smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow\
-drive
with caution. Accelerate gently. Try not
to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under \
the tires even more.
Your antilock brakes improve your ability
to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have the antilock braking system, you’\
ll want
to begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See “Antiloc\
k” in the
Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice pa\
tches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface\
of
a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads\
are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
4-52
I i

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12% of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then\
the tongue,
separately,
to see if the weights are proper. If they aren’t, you may be able
to get them right simply by moving some items around in the trai\
ler.
Total Weight
on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated
to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Certification Label on the driver’s doo\
r lock pillar (or see “Tire-Loading” in the Index). Then be sure you don’\
t go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswind\
s, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh more than 2,000
pounds (900 kg) be sure to use a properly mounted weight-distributing
hitch and sway control
of the proper size. This equipment is very
important for proper vehicle loading and good handling when you\
’re
driving.
You can tow trailers up to
2,000 pounds (900 kg) with a step bumper hitch,
but
if your trailer tongue has a V-shaped foot, your bumper could be
damaged in sharp turns. Check the distance from the front edge of the fo\
ot
to the middle of the hitch ball socket. If the distance is less than 12 inches,
take the foot
off the trailer tongue.

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.
4-59

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was factory-new, by adding things
like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, th\
ese things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the fo\
ur-wheel drive
0 The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and \
shift the
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
option.
transfer case,
if you have one.
I CAUTION
To help avoid injury to you or others:
A * Never let passengers ride ‘in a vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged pads not fully secured.
Never get under your vehide after it has been lifted by the tow
. 0 Always use separate safety chains on each side when towing a
truck.
vehicle.
Never use “J” hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine KO721
8. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on the pres\
sure cap line up like this.
Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the clutch is not engaged. This improves fue\
l economy and
reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing andlor high
outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when the clutch e\
ngages.
So
you may hear an increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping or making extra shifts.
It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down whe\
n additional
cooling is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” while you’re d\
riving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout,”\
here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pu\
lls the vehicle toward
that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel
firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to \
a stop well out of
the traffic lane.
5-1 5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE
Don’t use your compact spare on some other vehicle. And don\
’t mix your
compact spare or wheel with other wheels or tires. They won’\
t fit. Keep your
spare and its wheel together.
I CAUTION
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment in the passenger
compartment
of the vehicle could cause injury. In a sudden stop or
I collision, loose equipment could strike someone. Store all these\
in
the proper place. A
~~ ~
NOTICE
5-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Pm6/ems on the Road
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is to spin your
wheels. The method known as “rocking” can help you get o\
ut when you’re
stuck, but you must use caution.
~
fi If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode and you1 or
others could be injured. And, the transmiss’ion or other parts of the
vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine comparlme’nt fire
or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible.
Don’t spin the wheels above 35 rnph 1(55 krn/h) as shown
oln the speedometer.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area \
around
your front wheels. Then shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a
forward gear (or with a manual transmission, between
1 (First) or 2 (Second)
gear and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release \
the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed
out. Or, you can use your recovery hooks, if your
vehicle has them.
If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle’’
in the Index.
5-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Battery ........................................................................\
.......................................... 6-31
Vehicle Storage
........................................................................\
........................... 6-31
Bulb Replacement
........................................................................\
....................... 6-31
Other Maintenance Items
........................................................................\
........... 6-34
Loading Your Vehicle
........................................................................\
.................. 6-38
Tires ........................................................................\
.............................................. 6-43
Appearance Care
........................................................................\
........................ 6-50
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................................................................... 6-57
Service Parts Identification Label
...................................................................... 6-59
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ........................................................................\
........ 6-59
Capacities and Specification Charts
.................................................................. 6-61
6-2
t