1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN light

When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens, even with one or two wheels, you can’t
control the vehicle as well or at all.
Because you
will be on an unpaved surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There
are no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment about what is safe
and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You could have a serious
- or
even fatal
- accident if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.)
Driving On Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and an understanding of what your vehicle
can and can’t do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no matter
how well built the vehicle.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one of those hills that’s
just too steep
to climb, descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant incline
with only a small change in elevation where you can easily see all the way
to the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top,
but you may not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
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0 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible
traffic know you’re there.
to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should do, and there are
some things you must not do. First, here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to
“P” (Park) (or, shift to “N’ (Neutral) if your vehicle has
a manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down the
hill as straight as
possible in reverse.
wheel at the
12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll be able to tell if your
wheels are straight and maneuver as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the wheel too far to the left or right will
increase the possibility of a rollover.
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going
up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into “N” (Neutral) (or
depressing the clutch, if you have a manual transmission) to “rev-up”
the engine and regain forward momentum. This won’t work.
Your
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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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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.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard and
fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is
raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on ybur low-beam headlights - not just your parKing lights - to
help make
you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on
them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay
attention to traffic signals.
Here are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
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e
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Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the
next section, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need
it. When a light turns green, and just
before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.
Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are
the safest of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice
on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and
keep to
the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are
driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway.
If you have
a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you
should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend
with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch
on your turn signal, check your mirrors and glance over your
shoulder as often as necessary.
Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors, Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make
sure there isn’t another vehicle
in your “blind” spot.
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