Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield
washer tank filled. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show
signs of streaking or missing areas on the
windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.
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.
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 hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
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.
135.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
e
e
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?
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?
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 same 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 and your instruments
frequently.
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.
Hill and Mountain
Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep
:ountry, or
if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
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
. . .13%
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
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 assist your brakes on
a steep downhill slope.
I
m
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 you 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.
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 falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Chevrolet in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
139 ...
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Slip Regulation (ASR) System” in the
Index.
If you don’t have the traction control
system, 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 anti-lock brakes improve your
ability to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have the anti-lock
braking system, you’ll want to begin
stopping sooner
than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in
the Index.
0
0
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 patches 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.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be
in a serious situation. You should
probably stay with your vehicle unless
you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through
the snow. Here
are some things to do to summon help and
keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow. Put
on
extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warrn, but
be careful.
141 . I
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
so you’ll be able to
install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not
try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system. If you do, both brake systems
won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount
of experience. Before setting out for the
open road, you’ll want to get to know
your rig. Acquaint 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 trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working.
This lets
you check 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.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing 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
to the left, just move that 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 normal.
Do this so your
trailer 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
Dn your instrument panel 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 working.
145. I
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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 kmh) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you
have an automatic transmission with
Overdrive, you may prefer to drive
in “D’
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to,
a lower gear). Or,
if you have a manual
transmission with fifth (or sixth) gear
and you are towing a trailer, it’s better
not to use fifth (or sixth) gear. Just drive
in fourth gear (fifth gear if you have a
six-speed manual transmission) (or, as you
need to, a lower gear).
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
for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
trailer wheels.
4. Reapply the
regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
“P” (Park), or “R” (Reverse)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
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;
0 Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop ahd have someone pick up and
of the
chocks.
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 especially important in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid (don’t overfill), engine
oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system,
and brake adjustment. 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.
. . ,146
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
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 towing service. Do not use the
vehicle’s steering
column lock for this,
The transmission should be in “Neutral”
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the rear
wheels, unless
you must. If the vehicle
must be towed on the rear wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (55 km/h) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your
transmission will be damaged. If these
limits
must be exceeded, then the rear
wheels have to be supported on a
dolly.
?ront Towing Hook-Ups
Ittach T-hook chains to slots in frame
*earward of front wheels on both sides.
NOTICE:
Do not attach winch cables or “J”
hooks to suspension components
when using car carrier equipment.
Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook
slots.
. . .154
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment or fascia/fog light damage
will
occur.
Use wheel
lift or car carrier equip-
ment. Additional ramping may be
required for car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps. Attach
a separate safety chain around
outboard end
of each lower control arm.
I
NOTICE:
I
Take care not to damage the brake
pipes and hoses or the ABS sensor
and wiring.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces
could damage a vehicle. Damage
can occur from vehicle-to-ground
or vehicle-to-wheel-lift-equipment
contact. To help avoid damage,
install a towing dolly and raise
vehicle
until adequate clearance is
obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
155 ...