
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine . li 7. --
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Your Driving and the Road
Hill and Mountain Roads
I
AM470001
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and \
more enjoyable.
(See "Off-Road Driving" in the Index for information about driving off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. These parts can \
work
hard on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let
your engine do some of the slowing down. Don't make your brak\
es do
it
all. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. That
way, you will
slow down without excessive use of your brakes.
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they
wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
1 assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION
A Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition off is dangerous. I
2 Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You could crash. Always
have your ignition on and your vehicle in gear when you go d\
ownhill.
e
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and yo\
u can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center
of the road. Drive
at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. That way, you won’t be
surprised by a vehicle coming toward you in the same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle when you’re going u\
phill. You’ll
want
to leave extra room to pass. If a vehicle is passing you and
doesn’t have enough room, slow down to make
it easier for the other
vehicle to get by.
As you go over the top
of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special. problems.
Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a fallin\
g rocks
area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate\
action.
Winter driving can present special problems. See “Winter Driving” in the
Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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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).
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you w\
ould when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoi\
d situations that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re to\
wing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need
to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer left, just move your hand to the left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than n\
ormal. Do this so
your trailer wheels won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road \
signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument \
panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,\
the trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about
to turn, change lanes,
or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument pan\
el will flash for
turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think \
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to
check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still work\
ing.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to \
around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission ove\
rheating.
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use D when towing a
trailer. Operating your vehicle in
D when towing a trailer will minimize heat
buildup and extend the life of your transmission. Or, if you have a manual
transmission with fifth gear, it’s better not to use fifth \
gear, just drive in fourth
gear (or, as you need
to, a lower gear).
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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.
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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
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