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 A CAUTION:
--
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in
.a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
lky to spread the .weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When-you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
There’s also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See “Loading Your Vehicle’’ in
the Index.
Towing a Trailer
/I -
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your
GM dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
4-43
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know.your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and br’aking with the,added weight of the
trailer. ‘And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving
is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch- and platform (and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets
you check your
electrical-connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes are still working.
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
.l
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good dea
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let ,up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you find them qoickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
A seven-wire harness is stored under the rear of your
vehicle, between the frame rails. An electrical connector
will need to be added at the trailer end
of the harness, by
a qualified electrical technician. For additional trailer
wiring and towing information, please consult your
dealer. Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then
tape or strap it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be
sure you
leave it loose enough so the wiring won’t bind or break
when turning with the trailer, but not
so loose that it
drags on the ground. Store’ the harness in its original
position. Wrap the harness together and tie it neatly
so it
won’t be damaged.
If you tow a trailer, your Center
High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) may not be
properly visible from behind.
You should select a trailer
with a CHMSL on
it or, if one is not available, have one
installed. See your GM dealer about how to connect
your vehicle’s wiring to a trailer CHMSL.
4-53
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want to
see them.
I
A CAUTIO! :
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
0 Always use separate safety chains on each
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted
by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
- I
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.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
in 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
and transfer case, if
you have one, 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.
5-7
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Follow these instructions to lower the spare tire:
1. One side of the ratchet has an UP marking. The other
side has a
DOWN marking. Assemble the ratchet to
the hook near the end
of the jack handle (as
illustrated) with the
DOWN marking facing you.
Insert the other end through the hole in the rear
bumper and into the hoist shaft.
2. Turn the ratchet to lower the spare tire to the ground.
Continue to turn the ratchet until the spare tire can be
pulled out from under the vehicle.
3. When the tire has been lowered, tiltlthe retainer at
the end
of the cable so it can be pulled up through
the wheel opening.
4. Put the spare tire near the flat tire. If
your two-door utility
model has a jack cover,
turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and
take the cover off.
To take the jack out, turn the wing nut counterclockwise
and take it and the retainer off. Take the jack and storage
box out and take the tools out of the box.
Your vehicle may have a pair of emergency gloves
secured to the jack. You can use them when changing
the tire, or during other emergency situations.
Remember to replace them with the jack,
so you will
have them
if needed later.
5-22
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To open the jack cover on four-door utility models, push
the cover latches down and remove the cover.
To take the jack out, turn the wing-head bolt
counterclockwise and take
it and the retainer off. Take
the jack and storage box out and take the
tools out
of the box.
Your vehicle may have a pair of emergency gloves
secured to the jack.
You can use them when changing
the tire, or during other emergency situations.
Remember to replace them with the jack,
so you will
have them
if needed later.
If your Suburban has a jack
cover, lift the tab
up to
release the cover, then take
it off.
To take the jack out, turn the wing nut counterclockwise
and take it and the retainer off. Take the jack and storage
box out and take the tools out of the box.
Your vehicle may have a pair of emergency gloves
secured to the jack. You can use them when changing
the tire, or during other emergency situations.
Remember to replace them with the jack,
so you will
have them
if needed later.
5-23
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to
brake pulsation and rotor damage.
To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specification.
11. Put the wheel trim back on. For vehicles with
plastic wheel nut caps, tighten the caps until they
are finger tight, then tighten them an additional
one-half turn with the ratchet and wheel wrench.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and "001s
1 A CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury. In
a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store
all these
in the proper place.
Store the flat tire where the spare tire is stored.
Put the tools into the storage box and close
it tightly.
Fit the storage box
on the bracket with the bolt through
the box. Put the jack onto the box. Be sure the jack is
stored as shown in the following illustrations. Secure the
emergency gloves, if your vehicle has them, to the jack
using the provided strap.
Slide the retainer over the bolt onto the jack and put
the
wing nut on it. Turn the nut clockwise until it is tight
against the retainer.
Replace the jack storage cover, if your vehicle has
one, by simply reversing the removal procedure
described earlier.
5-31