1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Surface Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be hazardous. A rock,
log, hole, rut, or bump can startle you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often
these obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes,
snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
@ Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s more discussion
of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a firm grip
on the
steering wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface features can jerk
the wheel
out
of your hands if you’re not prepared.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If the path twists and
turns,
you might want to find another route.
Ease up on’your speed as you approach the top of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible
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 PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL (N) 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction. On th\
ese 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving In .Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But hea\
vy 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 speeas, 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.
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 th\
e 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason i\
s 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.
0 Since you can't see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
space
between you and other vehicles.
up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase.
A SO-year-ld 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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 y\
ou 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
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your low-beam headlights - not just your parking lights - to
help make
you more visible to others.
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself\
more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road
spray.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
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:
0
0
e
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 part, “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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. \
Once you are moving
on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane \
well in
advance. If you
miss your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving
for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to
think you are going slower than you actually are.
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