Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check your rnlrro , glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside
mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back i\
nto the
right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex\
. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it
really is.)
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane \
roads.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even tho\
ugh the
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
Loss of 0 mo/
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens whe\
n the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t ha\
ve enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and \
constantly seek
an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditi\
ons, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always p\
ossible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
comering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle causes t\
he
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is
on the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down and adjust \
your
driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
. L.
4-12
F. ”
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.
4-40
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check
Check your ..’ :s once a month or more. Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure. Si\
mply looking at the tires will
not tell you the pressure, especially if you have radial tires
- which may look properly inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. The\
y help prevent
leaks by keeping out
dirt and moisture.
Special Tire Inflation
If you have 31xlOSOR15LT/C tires on your vehicle, and:
- You’ll be driving for very long at speeds of 66 mph (105 km/h) to
75 mph (120 km/h) where legal, inflate tires to 10 psi (70 Wa) more
than the recornended cold inflation pressures.
- You’ll be driving for very long at speeds of 76 mph (120 km/h) to
85 mph (1 35 km/h) where legal, cold inflation pressures should be
increased by
10 psi (70 Wa) and you must also reduce axle load
capacity by
10%. Do not drive over 85 mph (135 km/h) even when
it’s legal.
Inflation pressures should never exceed 10 psi (70 Pa) above the
inflation specified for
the maximum load of the tire.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When lt’s Time for New Tires
a
One way to tell when
it’s time for new tires
is to check the
treadwear indicators,
which will appear
when your tires have
only
2/32 inch (1.6
mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire if
You can see the indicators at three or more places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep enough to show
cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that can’t be re\
paired well
because of the
size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kmd and size of tires you need, look at the
Certificatioflire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (PC Spec) number on each tire’s sidewall. When you
get new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that
are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating, traction, ride and other thin\
gs during
normal service on your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating and construction
type (bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Temperature -A, By C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory tes\
t wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to su\
dden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard\
No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla\
tion, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on
the sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all such tires meet
General Motors performance standards and have been approved for use on
General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform
to Federal safety requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way \
or
the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving
on a smooth road, your wheels may need to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If
the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum wheels, \
which can
sometimes be repaired). See your GM dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need,
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying capacity, diameter,
width, offset, and be mounted the same way as the one it replaces.
6-57
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has P235/75R15 or 31xlOSOR15LT/C size tires,
don’t use tire chains; they can damage your vehicle.
If you have other size tires, use tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use only SAE Class “S” type chains that
are the proper size for your tires. Install them on the drive axle
tires (four-wheel-drive vehicles can use chains on both axles)
and tighten them as tightly
as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain manufacturer’s
instructions.
If you can hear the chains contacting your vehicle,
stop and retighten them.
If the contact continues, slow down
until
it stops. Driving too fast with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning’ products can be hazardous. Some are toxic\
. Others can
burst into flame
if you strike a match or get them on a hot part of the
vehicle. Some are dangerous
if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from
a container to clean your vehicle, be sure to
follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your\
doors or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
6-59
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
0 Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
6 rant Thinner
0 Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous - some more than others - and they can all
damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can. In\
many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl or
leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your vehicle dealer has two GM cleaners, a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They will clean normal spots and st\
ains very well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here
are some cleaning tips:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can - before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area often. A soft
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area only. If you use
brush may be used if stains are stubborn.
them, don’t saturate the stained area.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, de; the entire area immediately or
it will set.