1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER light

Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should
be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right fiont tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your
steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
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traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for
a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traffk.
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Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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 alcoh’ol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal 7- accident if you dx-ink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving”
in the Index.
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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number
of things:
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How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs?
Boulders?
What’s at the bottom
of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank
or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down,
and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have
to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
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Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes
to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending
a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
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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:
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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.
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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
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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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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one
side.
You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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