1995 GMC SIERRA steering wheel

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.
A CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces only.
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 darnage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through
it slowly. At fast 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.
A CAUTION:
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
l traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive through rushing
water.
If you have a diesel engme, see “Driving Through Water (Diesel Engines)”
in the Index for more information on driving through water.
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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.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
behind
you.
space
between you and other vehicles.
a Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlamps can light
up only
so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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be
What’s
the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can
slick and hard to drive
on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
- smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow -
drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even
more.
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 spot
that’s covered with ice.
On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps 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 ahe.ad of you, brake before you are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 Wa) of Ijressure? If
not, the trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
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, lamps, 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 lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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.
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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.
If there was an accident. what was damaged.
A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is being towed.
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fuIly secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has been lifted by the
tow truck.
0 Always use separate safety chains on each side when towing a
vehicle.
0 For pickups (except cab chassis models), use T-hooks on front
. of vehicle, J-hooks on rear.
For cab chassis models, use J-hooks on front and rear of
vehicle.
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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Engine Fan Noise
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster
to provide more air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the fan is spinning slower and the clutch is
not fully
engaged. This improves fuel economy and reduces fan noise. Under heavy
vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or high outside temperatures, the fan
speed increases as the clutch more fully engages.
So you may hear an
increase
in fan noise. This is normal and should not be mistaken as the
transmission slipping or making extra shifts.
It is merely the cooling system
functioning properly. The fan will slow down when additional cooling is not
required and the clutch partially disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the
fan clutch partially disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly, Steer
to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of
the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your
foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road if
possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
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If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is to spin your wheels
too fast. The method known as ”rocking” can help you get out when you’re
stuck, but you nlust use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode and you
or others could be injured. And, the transmission or other par\
ts
of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re stuck, spin th\
e wheels
as little as possible. Don’t spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as
the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your
transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking
your vehicle to get it out:
First. turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a
forward gear (or
with a manual transmission, between FIRST (1 ) or
SECOND (2) gear and REVERSE), spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transmission
is in gear. If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. Or, you can use your
recovery hooks,
if your vehicle has them. If you do need to be towed out.
see “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Maintenance Schedule I - Gasoline Engines With
Light Duty Emissions
(Continued)
0 Check rear/front axle fluid level and add fluid as needed. Check
constant velocity joints and axle seals for leaking.
'v'F
0 For 2-Wheel Drive vehicles only: Clean and repack the front wheel
bearings (or at each brake relining, whichever occurs first).
I H I
I DATE I ACTUALMILEAGE I SERVICED BY:
18,000 Miles (30 000 km)
ll Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occurs
first).
An Emission Corltrol Service.
IJ Lubricate the front suspension, king pin bushings, steering linkage,
transmission shift linkage, transfer case shift linkage, parking brake
cable guides. rear driveline center splines. front axle propshaft splines,
brake pedal springs and clutch pedal springs. Ball joints and king
pin
bushings should not be lubricated unless their temperature is 10" F
(-12" C), or higher. When weather is cold. let the ball joints and king
pin bushings warm
up before lubrication or they could be damaged.
Perform each of the listed lubrication service items at this mileage
interval (or every
6 months, whichever occurs first).
c3 Check readfront axle fluid level and add fluid as needed. Check
constant velocity joints and axle seals for leaking.
-&-'&- .> .!,
D Rotate tires. See "Tire Inspection and Rotation" in the Index for proper
rotation pattern and additional information.
DATE SERVICED BY: ACTUAL MILEAGE
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