Page 192 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when
you 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.
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.
4-27
Page 193 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1
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. I
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
4-28
Page 200 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hitches Safety Chains ’.
It’s
important to have the correct hitch equipment;
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install
a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
0 The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches
to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach
to
the bumper. 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 lbs. (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. Because you have anti-lock
brakes, do
not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system. If you do, both brake systems won’t work well,
or at all.
4-35
Page 213 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 7. Don't let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. But
don't use the junction
block
on your Chevrolet.
8. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery's
negative
(-) terminal.
Don't let the other end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative
(-) cable
doesn't go to the dead
battery. It goes
to a
heavy unpainted metal
part on the engine of
the vehicle with the
dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but
the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery
is much less.
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, it probably needs service.
5-6
Page 216 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains
or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned
to the OFF position. 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
should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking
brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must
be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
5-9
Page 228 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
(V6 Engine) Only
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap
and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot. Turn the pressure
cap slowly counterclockwise until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn
it. Remove the pressure cap.
5-21
Page 231 of 402
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
(V8 Engine Only)
NOTICE:
The LTl Engine (Code P) has a specific radiator
fill procedure. Failure
to follow this procedure
could cause your engine
to overheat and be
severely damaged.
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap
and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot. Turn the pressure
cap slowly counterclockwise until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure
left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn
it. Remove the pressure cap.
Page 234 of 402

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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, and 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.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift
lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual
transmission to
FIRST (1) or
REVERSE (R).
3. Brn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear
of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
5-27