1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER Owners Manual

Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
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you could lose control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take
you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never
go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat
and fade.
Unless you have anti-lock: Avoid braking
so hard that
you lock
the wheels when going downhill. If your
wheels
are locked, you can’t steer your vehicle. If your
wheels lock
up during downhill braking, you may feel
the vehicle starting to slide sideways. To regain your
du-ection, just ease
off the brakes and steer to keep the
front
of the vehicle pointing straight downhill.
Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphiLl. But if
it happens going downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parlung brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
and drive straight down.
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Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill.
If this happens, you have to decide
whether
to try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:
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A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length of the wheel base (the
distance from the front wheels to the rear wheels)
reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end. But when you drive across an incline, the
much more narrow track width (the distance between
the left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an
incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause a downhill slide or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across
a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires
to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something
that will trip
it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse.
If you drive across a rock with
the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into
a rut or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more. For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to
try to bve across an inche. Just because the
trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean you have to
drive it. The last vehicle to
try it might have rolled over.
Driving across an incline that’s too steep will
make your vehicle roll over.
You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt
about the steepness
of the incline, don’t drive
across it. Find another route instead.
Q: What if I’m driving across an incline that’s not
too steep,
but I hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should
I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However, a
much better way to prevent this is to get out and
“walk the course”
so you know what the surface is
like before you drive it.
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If your vehicle stalls when you’re crossing an incline, be
sure
you (and your passengers) get out on the uphill
side, even if the door there is harder to open. If you get
out on the downhill side
and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you’ll be right
in its path.
If YOU have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will
take if it does roll over.
A CAUTION:
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous.
If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear
of the rollover path.
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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
bnger 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.
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A CAUTION:
-
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.
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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.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drlve through it slowly. ,
fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if you get
At
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.
A CAUTION:
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 inches
deep, 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.
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 rnud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and
checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. 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 clue to
off-road
use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
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Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here
are
some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink
and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare
from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the r~a,d ba a sa€e place
and rest.
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Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at. least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day
in bright
sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting
to night. But if you’re
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 rnisaimed headlamps),
slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching headlamm. 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 glws
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 frsm night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware
of it.
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Y 1 1 . 111 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
cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it
is to see. ETIen if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled with
washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs
of streaking or missing areas on
the windshield, or when strips
of rubber start to separate
from the inserts.
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