
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, 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.
I A C. UTIC-T:
I
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 damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
4-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If
your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new by adding things like fog lamps, aero
skirting, or special tires and wheels, these instructions
may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive,
four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
transmission and shift the transfer case, if you
have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When
the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want
to see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured. Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing
a vehicle.
Never use J-hooks. Use
T-hooks instead.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
This 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 clutch is not engaged. This improves fuel
economy and reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle
loading, trailer towing and/or high outside temperatures,
the fan speed increases when the clutch 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 disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the
engine. It will go away as the fan clutch 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, 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.
5-21

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
-
6% 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. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle
with
a manual transfer case shift lever,
be sure the transfer case
is in a drive
gear
-0 not in NEUTRAL (N).
CAUTION: (Continued)
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Put the wheel 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.
The following
steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
5-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
I
A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it
is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after
a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to
use a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
1
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall
off, causing a serious accident.
7. Place the spare on the wheel mounting surface.
8. Put the nuts on by
hand. Make sure the
cone-shaped end is
toward the wheel.
Tighten each nut by
’ hand until the wheel is
held against the hub.
If a nut can’t be turned
by hand, use the wheel wrench and
see your dealer as
soon as possible.
5-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remote Oil Filter (Four-wheel Drive)
The access door for the remote oil filter is in the steering
linkage shield assembly located under the radiator
support. Twist the screw to unlock or lock the door.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay
on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat
to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure
to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose
of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams
or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used
oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing
of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
Air Cleaner
“VORTEC” 4300 Engine
To remove this air cleaner, remove the wing nuts that
hold the cover
on. Remove the cover and lift out the
air filter.
Insert a new air filter, then replace the air cleaner cover.
Tighten the wing nuts to hold the cover
in place.
6-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong
with
your brakes.
Free movement of brake calipers and properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect brake calipers
for movement, brake pads
for wear, and evenly torque
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear
a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing
up and firmly applying the brakes a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality
and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts
in them, as your vehicle does when it is new. When
you replace parts of your braking system
-- for example,
when your brake linings wear down and you have to
have new ones put in
-- be sure you get new genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change
-- for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve come
to expect
can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the
wrong replacement brake parts.
6-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and rear
inflation pressures as shown on the Certificatioflire label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened. See ‘”Wheel Nut Torque” in the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When you change
a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure
to use a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When
It’s Time for New Tires
11 One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
around
the tire.
rubber.
enough
to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or dit.
6-47