
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the traile\
r
to come in contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra wiring and a
heavy-duty
turn signal flasher (included in the optional trailering package).
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash,
telling other drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes
so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around 45 mph
(70 Wh) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
4-45

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal\
altitudes.
If
you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating.
To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) (or the manual transmission
out of gear and the parking brake applied) for a few minutes before turni\
ng
the engine off. If
you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, \
on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start
to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have
to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into PARK (P)
yet, or into
gear for a manual transmission. Then turn your wheels into the curb if \
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes\
until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake, and \
then
shift into PARK (P), or REVERSE
(R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case
shift lever, be sure
the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in
NEUTRAL
(N).
6. Release the parking brake.
4-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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;
0 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, and 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 Lighting Systems Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
4-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables
to start your vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage to your
vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Trying to
start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it could
damage your vehicle, even
if you have a manual transmission.
And if you have an automatic transmission, it won’t start that
way.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be
sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other. If they are, it could cause
a
ground connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to start your
vehicle, and
the bad grounding could damage the electrical systems.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake firmly
on each vehicle. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in NEUTRAL
(N). If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case shift lever, be
sure the transfer case
is not in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries
And it could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly damaged. The
repair wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
~~
4. Open both hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (+) and
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should
know. Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and negative (-) will go to
negative
(-) or a metal engine part. Don’t connect (+) to (-) or you’ll
get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts too.
5-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how
to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was factory-new by adding things
like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or
all-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and shift the
transfer case,
if you have one.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position with a clamping
device designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock
for this. The transmission (either automatic or manual) should
be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case (either manual shift or electronic
shift), if you have one, should be in
2HI. The parking brake should be
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the rear wheels, unless you have to. If the
velucle must be towed
on the rear wheels, don’t go more than 35 mph (56
Mh) or farther than 50 miles (80 km) or your transmission will be
damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the rear drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
Don’t have your vehicle towed with the wheels in contact with the ground if
it has all-wheel drive. If your vehicle has the all-wheel-drive option,
it can
only be towed with all four wheels off the ground. If the vehicle must be
towed with wheel lift equipment, then either the front or rear wheels must
be supported
on a dolly or the vehicle must be transported on a flatbed
carrier.
5-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam IS Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, the problem may
not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
e Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades" in the Index.
If
YOU get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute
or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise, shift to the
highest gear while driving
- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just \
to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on,
you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle \
right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, push the accelerator until the engine speed is
about twice as fast
as normal idle speed. Bring the engine speed back to
normal idle speed after two or three minutes. Now
see if the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the warning,
turn oflthe engine and get everyone
out
of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.
ici
5-14
When you decide it's
safe to lift the hood,
here's what you'll
see:
A. Coolant recovery
B. Radiator pressure C. Engine fan tank
cap