
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine While driving on a surrace with reaucea traction, try yo best to a td
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engme braki\
ng DY
shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.\
Learn to recognize warning clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember:
If you have the four-wheel anti-lock braking system, it helps
avoid only the braking skid. The rear-wheel anti-lock braking system helps
avoid only a rear braking skid. In a braking skid (where the\
front wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes to \
get the front
wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal
down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the front wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-wheel
Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-lock Brakes’’
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you shouldn’\
t drive off-road
unless you’re on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some definite hazards.
The greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. \
There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill\
. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s why it\
’s very
important that you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoy able.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For example, be sure to have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Be sure
you read all the
information about your four-wheel drive vehicle in this manual. \
Is there
enough fuel?
Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where
they should be? What are the local laws that apply to off-roading where
you’ll be driving? If you don’t know, you should check with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you
be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. Shift to a lower gear
when you go down a steep or long hill.
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 ca\
n
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.
4 - 3.2
1 t

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can tow trailers to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) with a step bumper hitch, but
if your trailer tongue has a V-shaped foot, your bumper could be damaged
in sharp turns. Check the distance from the front edge of the foot to the
middle of the hitch ball socket.
If the distance is less than 12 inches, take the
foot
off the trailer tongue.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trail\
er.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop
to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer \
or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag
on the ground.
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 bE---:s
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brakes system can tap into vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
except:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system will
use more than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You could even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer parts take
3,000 psi (20 650 Pa) of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at the port on
the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off. Use steel brake
tubing.
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. Acquai\
nt 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 th\
e trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then\
apply the
4-41

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - . ?
-. “C ^.
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.
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 especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, an\
d 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.
Trailer Light Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
4-44
I b

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
I
Section
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle . This part
begins with service and fuel information. and then it shows ho\
w to check important fluid and lubricant levels
. There is also technical information
about your vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Service ................................................... 6-2
Fuel
..................................................... 6-3
Engineoil
.............................................. 6-9
Aircleaner
............................................ 6-14
Automatic Transmission Fluid
............................. 6-15
Manual Transmission Fluid
............................... 6-18
Hydraulic Clutch
........................................ 6-20
RearAxle
............................................. 6-20
Transfer Case
.......................................... 6-21
FrontAxle
............................................. 6-22
Power Steering Fluid
.................................... 6-26
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................. 6-28
Checking Things Under the Hood
.............................. 6-6
Engine Coolant
......................................... 6-23
Brake Master Cylinder
................................... 6-29
Replacing Brake System Parts
................................ 6-32
Bulb Replacement
......................................... 6-33
Battery
.................................................. 6-32
Vehiclestorage
........................................... 6-32
Other Maintenance Items
.................................... 6-39
Loading Your Vehicle
...................................... 6-45
Tires
.................................................... 6-51
Appearancecare
.......................................... 6-59
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.......................... 6-68
Service Parts Identification Label
............................. 6-70
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
.................................. 6-70
Capacities and Specifications Charts
........................... 6-73
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine . . . -*
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your transmission. Too
much can mean that some of the fluid could come out and fall on
hot engine parts or exhaust system, starting a fire. Be sure to get
an accurate reading if you check your transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transmission fluid\
level if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic - especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal operating\
temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F (82°C to 93°C).
To check transmissionfluid hot: Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about 15 miles (24
km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10OC).
If it's colder than 50°F (10" C), drive the vehicle in "D" (3rd Gear) until the
engine temperature gage moves and then remains steady for ten minutes.
Then follow the hot check procedures.
Tu check transmission fluid cold: A cold check is made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used only as \
a
reference. Let the engine run at idle for five minutes if outside temperatures
are
50°F (10OC) or more. If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low during a cold ch\
eck,
you
must perform a hot check before adding fluid. This will give you a\
more accurate reading of the fluid level.
To check the fluid hot or cold
Park your vehicle on a level place.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in "P' (Park).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever throu\
gh each
gear range, pausing
for about three seconds in each range. Then,
position the shift lever in
"P' (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
6- 16
I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brakes
Brake Master Cylnder
Your brake master
cylinder is here. It is
filled with
DOT-3
brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level
in your master cylinder
might go down, The first is that the brake fluid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When new linings are pu\
t in, the
fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out of the
brake system.
If it is, you should have your brake system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or \
won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid. Adding brake fluid
won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid when your linings are worn, then
you’ll have too much fluid when you get new brake linings.
You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to check y\
our brake fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance Inspections” in the Index.
6-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Check Brake Fluid
I You can check the
brake fluid without
taking
off the cap. Just
look at the windows
on the brake fluid
reservoir.
The fluid levels should be above
‘“IN.’’ If they aren’t, have your brake
system checked
to see if there is a leak.
After work is done
on the brake hydraulic system, make sure the levels are
above
“MIN” and below the top of each window.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake fluid - such as
Delco Supreme
II@ (GM Part No.1052535). Use new brake fluid from a
sealed container only, and always clean the brake fluid reservo\
ir cap before
removing it.
NOTICE:
Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid. For
example, just a few drops
of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake system parts
so
badly that they’ll have to be replaced. :
Brake fluid can damage paint, so be careful not to spill brake
fluid on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
6-30