1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Owners Manual

vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and you could go out of
control.
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the vehicle. Then apply the
parking brake. Shift into reverse, release the parking brake, and slowly
back straight down.
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall when going up a
hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to
cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you
must back straight down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the hill and decide I just
can’t
do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in “P” (Park) (or the
manual transmission in first gear), and turn
off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go
get some help. Exit on the uphill side and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the
transfer case to “N” (Neutral) when you leave
the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear.
Driving 50 wnhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to consider a number of
things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
0 What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
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If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to keep your vehicle
headed straight down, and use a low gear. This way, engine drag can help
your brakes and they won’t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
Q: Are there some things I should not do when driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
0 When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you across the incline of
the hill. A hill that’s not too steep to drive down may be too steep to
drive across. You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in “N’ (Neutral) , or with the
clutch pedal depressed in a manual shift
. This is called
“free-wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Q: Am 1 likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to “P,’ (Park) (or to Neutral with the manual transmission) and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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Driving Across an lncline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across the incline of a hill.
If this happens, you have to decide whether to try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
0
0
A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you
go straight up or down a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front wheels
to the rear wheels) reduces the
likelihood the vehicle will tumble end over end. But when you drive
across an incline, the much more narrow track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle from
tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across
an incline puts more
weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive across
a hill.
Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass can cause your tires to
slip sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit
something that will trip
it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the incline even worse. If
you drive across a rock with the uphill wheels, or if the downhill
wheels drop into
a rut or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully whether to
try to drive
across
an incline. Just because the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
Q: What if I’m driving across an incline that’s not too steep, but I hit
some loose gravel and start to slide downhill. What should I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways, turn downhill. This
should help straighten out the vehicle and prevent the side slipping.
However, a much better way to prevent this is
to get out and “walk the
course”
so you know what the surface is like before you drive it.
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Stalling on an Incline
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.
Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow, Or Ice
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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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.
If you have a diesel engine, see “Driving Through Water (Diesel Engines)”
in the Index for more information
on driving through water.
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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.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don't drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind
you.
Since you can't see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
up
only so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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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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less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to
fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder
it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs
and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking.
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.
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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.
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