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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0
0
0
0
0
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Wi~~clsl~ield Wcuher F11,fid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blcrdes: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other. Fluicls: Have YOLI checked
all levels?
Lunlps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure'?
Weatl?er Forecnsts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Mcrps: Do you have up-to-date maps'?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as "highway nypnosis"?
Or is
it just plain fdling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the
hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road
in less tlml u second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that
it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take
a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tire.s, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain
roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to
a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
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Winter Driving
0 Know how to go uphill. Shift down to THIRD (3).
This will help cool your engine and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
POWER mode for better performance.
0 In hilly terrain, you may want to switch to the
@ Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your
own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
0 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing
zones, a falling rocks area. or
winding roads. Be alert to these- and take appropriate
action. Here
are some tips fix winter driving:
0 Have
your Aurora in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix is correct.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have
good traction.
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. 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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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be 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.
Keep your traction control system on.
It improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on
a slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has a traction control system,
you‘ll want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. See “Traction Control System”
in the
Index. Your
anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make
a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the
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 ahead 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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If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers
safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a
blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from 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 warm, but be careful.
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Run your engine only as long as YOLI must. This saves
fuel. When you
run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This
o
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery t
restart the vehicle. and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
--
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortabl e
from the cold.
But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm? you can get
out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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Loading Your Vehicle
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL
LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY
WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI;KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSI.'28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
[ INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver's door tells
you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It also gives YOLI
important information about the number of people that
can be
in your vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight
and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWR GAWR
FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT
ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's door.
It tells you the gross
weight capacity
of your vehicle, called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, f~~el and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front of rear
axle.
And,
if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out. Don't carry more than I76 lbs. (80 kg) in your
trunk.
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