1995 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN warning

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple
of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items
in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and
will need to be very careful.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra wiring (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 kdh) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If
you have an automatic transmission you should use DRIVE (3) (or, as
you need to, a lower gear) when towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in
DRIVE (3) when towing a trailer will minimize heat build-up and extend
the life
of your transmission.
If
you have a manual transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s better
not to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need
to,
a lower gear).
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 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 in gear
for a manual transmission.
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Problems On The Road
Section
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
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Push the button at the
top
of the steering
column all the way
down to make your
front and rear turn
signals 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.
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 (or batteries) 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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To wing Your Vehicle
Try to have your 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 such
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 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the four-wheel
drive option.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and transfer
case, if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
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 and transfer case, if you have one,
should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
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NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep driving with no
coolant, your vehicle can be badly damaged. The costly repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
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:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
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:
I. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
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 (a) or
DRIVE (3) 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.
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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 ofthe 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.
Cooling System - Gasoline Engines
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what you’ll see:
A. Coolant recovery tank
B . Engine fan( s)
C. Radiator pressure cap
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling, don’t do anything
else until
it cools down.
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If the overheat warning continues, there's one more thing you can try. You
can
add the proper coolant mix directly to the radiator, but be sure the
cooling system is
cool before you do it.
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