1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
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you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time
to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance
for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain and
its
many different features. Here are some things to consider.
Surjizce Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed
dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or
ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering, acceleration
and braking of your vehicle
in different ways. Depending
upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration,
poor traction and longer braking distances.
Sutfkce Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous.
A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine w I I you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip
on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface features can jerk the wheel
out of your hands if
you’re not prepared.
When
you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even
with one or two wheels, you can’t control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because
you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important
to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking,
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind
of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal
lights.
You have to use your own good judgment about
what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven,
no
matter how well built the vehicle.
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed. If you
drive across them, you
will roll over. You could be
seriously injured
or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
0 Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
0 Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
steering wheel.
your speed. Don’t
use more
power than you need,
because
you don’t want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
0 Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
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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.
Sound
the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
let opposing traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
you more visible
to oncoming traffic.
Awning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous.
You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over.
You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try to
go straight up.
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Driving to the top (crest) of a hill .at full speed can
cause an accident. There could be
a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even another vehicle.
You
could be seriously injured or killed. As you near
the top
of a hill, slow down and stay alert.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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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
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
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 (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE
(R).
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.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or depressing the clutch, if
you
have a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. This won’t work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go
out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake.
Shift to REVERSE (R),
release the parking brake,
and slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough
to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.

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 on sand, 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, €or 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.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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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 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 vehicle’s stability
when
you 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.
0 Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 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.
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:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you 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
uses less fuel for the heat that
you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to
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 uncomfortable
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.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
(Four-wheel Drive Only)
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Place an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission
in FIRST (1).
3. Firmly attach the vehicle being towed to the tow
vehicle.
Do not tow the vehicle by the rear bumper
bar. Refer to the hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Place the transfer case shift lever in NEUTRAL (N).
Recreational vehicle towing is not recommended for
vehicles with
the optional electronic shift transfer
case or all-wheel drive because the transfer cases
have
no neutral position.
Shifting the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK (P), for an automatic transmission,
or if your vehicle is in gear, for a manual
transmission. This is because the transfer case
overrides the transmission.
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
in 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.
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