
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 driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down
on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights.
It can take
a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle
with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a
film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up
far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of
it.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or
turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic
on them. You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities.
You'll save time and energy. (See the
next part, "Freeway Driving.")
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green,
and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The
most important advice
on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat
the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually
a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If
you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you expect to
blend with the flow. Try
to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with
the traffic flow.
Once you are on
the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder
to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow
a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower
at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back
up. Drive on to
the
next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, ‘not
to your sense of motion. After driving for
any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than
you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
GM
dealers all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before
a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: 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?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling 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
than a 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:
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 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.
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. (See “Off-Road
Driving” in the Index for information about driving
off-road.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
0 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.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope. Coasting
downhill in
NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do
all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -
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.
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.
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