1994 CHEVROLET BLAZER light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground.
If this happens, even with one or two wheels, you can’t
control the vehicle as well or at all.
Because you
will be on an unpaved surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind
of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment about what is safe
and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the very
time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment
can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You could have a serious
- or
even fatal - accident if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. (See “Drunken Driving”
in the Index.)
Driving On Ofl-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and an understanding of what your vehicle
can and can’t do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no matter
how well built the vehicle.
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Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one of those hills that’s
just
too steep to climb, descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant incline
with only a small change
in elevation where you can easily see all the way
to the top.
On a large hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top,
but
you may not see this because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some other things to consider as you approach a hill.
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Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the surface cause tire
slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the
hill so you won’t have to make
turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on
the hill that can block your path (boulders,
trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill?
Is there a cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, a
fence? Get out and walk the hill
if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have ruts, gullies, troughs
and exposed rocks because they are more susceptible to the effects of
erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you need to take Some
special steps.
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Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power
than you need, because you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill
if at all possible. If the path twists and
turns, you might want to find another route.
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Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn
as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible
to oncoming traffic.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Stalling on an lncline
If your vehicle stalls when you’re crossing an incline, be sure you (and your
passengers) get
out on the uphill side, even if the door there is harder to
open. If
you get out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll over,
you’ll be right in its path.
If
you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path the vehicle will take
if it does roll over.
Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow, Or lce
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best
to use a low gear when you’re in mud - the deeper the mud, the
lower
the gear. In really deep mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t get stuck.
When
you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed
the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 traction 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.
Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But heavy 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. Stalling can also
occur if you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes get wet, it may take you longer to
stop.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
the body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust system 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
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.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
space between
you and other vehicles.
up
only so much road ahead.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Night Vision
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 invisible.
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 little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle clean - inside 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. Dirty glass makes lights
dazzle and flash more than
clean glass would, making the pupils of your
eyes contract repeatedly.
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.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road you 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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
surface, there
could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard and
fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it
is
raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights - not just your parking lights - to
help make you more visible to others.
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.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
City Driving
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One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on
them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay
attention to traffic signals.
Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the
next section, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because
the corner
is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just
before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red light.
Freeway Driving
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Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and
keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of
the other drivers are
driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks
a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway.
If you have
a clear view of the freeway as
you drive along the entrance ramp, you
should begin to check traffic. Try
to determine where you expect to blend
with the flow. Try to merge into
the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch
on your turn signal, check your mirrors and glance over your
shoulder as often as necessary. Try
to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are
on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal.
Just before
you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make
sure there isn’t another vehicle
in your “blind” spot.
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