1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 togo. 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:
0 Windshield Washer
Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
0 Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
all levels?
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated
to the
recommended .pressure?
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
0 Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook .
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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
2ess 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.
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 0 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.
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.
b
- -
A CAUTION: I
-
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could
getso 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.
A CAUTION:
I
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.
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.
f 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 iin 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 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight,
a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will,
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or
a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the
mad, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have .a lot l’ess traction or’ “grip” and will need to be
very
c ueful .
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 OF; 0 O C) 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..
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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 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine a Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
a Put on extra.clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
Pf 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.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
r
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.
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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 (or batteries) charged.
You will need a
well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps.
Let the heater run for awhile.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat. 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.
Loading Your Vehicle
nun-
a-n SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Certification/Tire label.is found on the rear edge of
the driver's door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
inflation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity
of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
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