1995 CHEVROLET S10 towing

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brakes system can tap into vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
except:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system will
use more than 0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You could even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa)
of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at
the port on
the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this. If you do, it will bend and finally break off. Use steel brake
tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel
of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly as responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform (and attachments),
safety chains, electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working.
This lets you check your electrical connection at
the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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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 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 km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
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 turning
the engine
off. If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on Hi//s
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. When parking uphill,
turn your wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill,
turn your wheels into the
curb.
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-wheeldrive 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.
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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;
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a
while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it won’t start after a few
tries make sure all connections are good.
If it still won’t start, it
probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each other or
any other metal.
Remove Cables In This Order:
2 3 1. Heavy Metal
Engine Part
2. Good Battery (-)
3. Good Battery (+)
4. Dead Batten (+)
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:
0 Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and shift the
transfer case, if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When your vehicle is being towed, have the 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
vehicle must be towed on the rear wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (56
kmk) 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Front
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the front bumper
system will be damaged.
Use wheel lift or car-carrier equipment.
Additional ramping may be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
If your vehicle has the four-wheel drive option, a dolly MUST
be used under the rear wheels when towing from the front.
Towing From the Rear
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