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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehiclein good shape for winter. Be sure your engine coolant
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
mix is correct.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shove\
l,
a flashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably\
have
good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and
will need to be very careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
may offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0 O C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
L
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 anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop\
on a
slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system\
, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. \
See
“Anti-lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 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 avo\
id sudden steering maneuvers.
1
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Page 171 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
smon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn an your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert pol\
ice 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 warm, but be careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only\
when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve
the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the
vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour \
or
so until
help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
(Four- Wheel Drive Only)
If your vehicle has &wheel drive, you may tow it behind another vehicle
providing it does not have the optional electronic shift transfer case.
NOTICE:
Recreational vehicle towing is not recommended for vehicles
with the optional electronic shift transfer case because the
electronic shift has no neutral position.
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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 automatic transmission in “P’ (Park) or the manual
transmission
in the lowest gear (1 st gear).
hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Firmly attach
the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle. Refer to the
4. Place the transfer case shift lever in “N’ (Neutral).
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed i\
s firmly
6. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch and turn it one notch
forward
of the LOCK position. This places the key into the OFF
po.sition, which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery
drain. Unlocking the steering column
will allow for proper movement
of the front wheelshires during towing.
attached to
the tow vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I You should exercise extra care whenever towing another vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a Trailer
NOTI.CE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result\
in
costly repairs not coveredby your warranty. To pull a trailer
correctIy, follow the advice
in this section, and see your dealer
for important information about towing a trailer with your
vehicle.
Every vehicle is ready for some trailer towing. If it was built with trailering
options, as many are, it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for
this section. In it are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers.
So please read this section carefully before you
pull a trailer.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here qre some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Ma\
ke sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also whe\
re you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information can be state or provincial
police.
Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 2,000 pounds
(900 kg) or less. You should always use a sway control if your trailer
will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
0 Don’t tow a trailer at aU during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other
parts could be damaged.
Then, during the fist 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 kmk) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other
parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Three important considerations have to da with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a .trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude,
road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any special equipment
that you have
on your vehicle.
You can ask
your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or you can
write us at the address listed
in your Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information Booklet.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer
Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure
because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The gross vehicle
weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may
carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And
if you will
tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your\
vehicle will be carrying that weight,
too. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in the
Index for more infomation about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A B
If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tong\
ue (A) should weigh
10% of the total loaded trailer weight
(B). If you have a
“weight-distributing” hitch, 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 trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the lirnit 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 nee\
d the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will weigh m\
ore 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.
NOTlCE:
If your vehicle has the bumper delete option, do not bolt any
type
of hitch to the close-out panel. The close-out panel will not
support
a hitch.
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