1995 CHEVROLET S10 steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach a hill.
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the surface cause tire
slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you won’t have to make
turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your path (boulders,
trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, a
fence? Get out and walk the hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to
find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have ruts, gullies, troughs
and exposed rocks because they are more susceptible to the effects
of
erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than you need, because you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
turns, you might want to find another route.
0 Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If the path twists and
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
0 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.
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
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.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going up a hill.
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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 6fi Sad, 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 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 fwt 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving through rushing water can be dangerous. Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream and you and your
passengers
could drown. If it’s only inches deep, it can still wash
away the ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Ron’t drive through rush\
ing water.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop\
on a slippery road. Even though you have
an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a s\
pot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice pa\
tches may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around cl\
umps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes
the surface of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads\
are
clear. If you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it,
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avo\
id sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious sit\
uation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sur\
e that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are so\
me things to
do
to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Tur\
n on your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert pol\
ice that you’ve
been stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a bl\
anket around
you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators f\
rom
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine
to keep wann, but be careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is firmly
attached to the tow vehicle.
6. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch and turn it one notch
forward of the
LOCK position. This places the key into the OFF
position, which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery
drain. Unlocking the steering column will allow for proper movement
of the front wheelshires during towing.
NOTICE:
You should exercise extra care whenever towing another vehicle.
Loading Your Vehicle
PAYLOAD =I-1
The Certificatioflire label is found on the driver’s door lock pillar. The
label shows the size of your original tires and the inflation pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight, if pulling a
trailer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help
you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
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
I 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Push the button on top
of the steering column
all the way down
to
make your front and
rear turn signal lights
flash on and
off. Your
hazard warning
flashers work
no
matter what position
your key is
in, and
even if the key isn’t
in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work. The
flashers will stop if you step on the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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.
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