1996 CHEVROLET S10 steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When 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.
A CAUTION:
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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 Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just too steep to climb, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard
to judge. On a very small
hill,
for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with
only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill, the
incline may get steeper as
you near the top, but you may
not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by
bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here
are some other things to consider as you
approach a hill.
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Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
0 What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk the
hill if
you don’t know. It’s the smart way to find out.
0 Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible to the effects
of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need
to take some special steps.
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Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don’t use more power than
you need,
because you don’t want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try
to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
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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).
0 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.
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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:
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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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water” in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
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 bralung. 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Recreational Vehicle Towing
(Four-wheel Drive Oniy)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Set the parking brake firmly.
Place
an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
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.
Place the transfer case shift lever in NEUTRAL (N).
Recreational vehicle towing is not recommended for
vehicles
with the optional electronic shift transfer case
because the transfer case has
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
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