1993 GMC SIERRA tires

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 th\
ese 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.
I A Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be dangerous. I
Underwater springs, currents under the ice, or sudden thaws can
weaken the ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces
on
I y.
.
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.
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous. Deep water can \
sweep your vehicle 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 t\
he vehicle
over. Don’t drive throuah rushina water. I
If you have a diesel engine, see “Driving Through Water (Diese\
l Engines)” in
the Index for more information on driving through water.
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Your Driving and the Road
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the underbody\
, 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
Section
7 for additional information.
Driving at Night
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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 rear view mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep
behind
you.
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
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 d\
imly 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.
Driving in the Rain
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 i\
sn’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 reflex\
es are tuned
for driving on
dry pavement.
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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 you\
r
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.
.
AM455017 4
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car
washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to
avoid puddles. But
if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work well in a quick
d stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply
your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
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 hydr\
oplaning,
it
has little or no contact with the road.
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Your Driving and 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 surfa\
ce, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens on higher speed roads. There just \
isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow \
down when it is
raining, and be careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
e
e
e
e
e
Turn on your headlights-not just your parking lights-to help ma\
ke you more visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind. You may want to use
your headlights even in daytime
if it’s raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And \
be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle.
Allow yourself more
clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road
spray.
If the road spray is so heavy you are actually blinded, drop back.
Don’t pass until conditions improve. Going more slowly is be\
tter than
having an accident.
Use your defogger
if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in\
the Index.)
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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 curvea, somerlmes 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
may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are.\
For example,
40 rnph (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 kmlh)!
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, you 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 willing to help \
if
you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
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 inflated to the
recommended pressure? inside and outside?
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‘
Your Driving and the Road
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your route?
Should -you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? . .. .. . -1 .. On fhe 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 no\
t 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 zone\
s, vehicles
turning’ left and right
off the road, pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and
even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
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 sam\
e 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.
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0 d
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can cause drowsiness. But
don’t wear sunglasses at night. They will drastically reduce \
your overall
-%
vision at the very time you need all the s.eeing power you h\
ave.
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.
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As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and allow adequat\
e
following distances.
Hill and Mountain Roads
I r
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” 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 brakes 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
- b 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
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. I I
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