1996 GMC SAVANA wheel

Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever, there’s a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
push the paddle.
Washer fluid will spray as long
as you push the paddle.
When
you let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for approximately two more wipe cycles and
then either stop or return to the preset speed.
Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous.
A
bad mud splash can block your vision. You could hit
another vehicle or
go off the road. Check your washer
fluid level
often.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding.
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Your parking/headlamp switch is on the driver's
side of your instrument panel.
Your instrument panel dimmer wheel has two
detent positions. When
the wheel is turned to
full brightness, and then
into the first detent position, the radio display and
PRNDL display
will go to the day mode (full intensity).
This is known as "parade" mode. The rest
of the I/P
illumination will stay in the maximum dimming state
(full brightness dimming). Turning the wheel up one
more detent will activate the interior dome light circuit
(with slightly higher effort).
Rotate the switch knob clockwise to the parking lamp
symbol to turn on:
Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
0 License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
0 Ashtray Lamp
0 Glove Box Lamp
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Rotate the switch knob clockwise again to the master
lighting symbol to turn on all the lamps listed
as well as
the headlamps.
Rotate the switch counterclockwise to
OFF to turn off
your lamps.
Rotate the thumb wheel next to the switch knob up
to
adjust instrument panel lights. Rotate the thumb wheel up
to the first notch
to return the radio display and gearshift
indicator display to
full intensity when the headlamps or
parlung lamps are on.
Rotate the thumb wheel up to the second notch to
activate the interior dome lamps.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beam
by pulling
on the turn signal/high beam lever.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have
an electrical overload, your headlamps will flicker on
and off. Have your headlamp wiring checked right away
if this happens.
Headlamps On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your headlamps are turned on
and your ignition is
in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY,
If you need to use your headlamps when the ignition
switch is in
OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY, the buzzer
can be turned off by turning the thumb wheel next
to the
parking lamp/headlamp switch all the way down.
Daytime Running Lamps (If Equipped)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful
in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your headlamps
come on at
a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off and
0 The parking brake is released.
If your vehicle was first sold, when new,
in Canada,
your headlamps will come on at reduced brightness.
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If your vehicle was first sold, when new, in the United
States, your vehicle may be equipped with DRL.
If your
vehicle has
DRL, you will see the the DRL indicator
light
on your instrument panel and your low-beam
headlamps will come
on at reduced brightness.
When the DRL are
on, only your headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, your DRL indicator light
is a reminder to turn your headlamp switch on. The
other lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come
on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will
go off, and your headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the engine on and the DRL off,
set the parking brake. The DRL will stay
off until you
release
the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when
you need it.
)ome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open the doors.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by rotating the
thumb wheel, located
next to the headlamp knob, all
the way up to the second notch. In this position, the
dome lamps will remain on whether the doors are
opened or closed.
You can use the dome
lamp button, located below the headlamp knob,
to set the dome lamps to
automatically come on
when the doors are open,
or to remain off.
To turn the lamps off, push the button once. With the
button
in this position, the dome lamps will remain off
when the doors are open. To return the lamps to
automatic operation, push the button again and return it
to the out position. With the button
in this position, the
dome lamps will come on when you open
the doors.
The delayed entry will allow
you to enter or exit your
vehicle with the lamps staying on for about
20 seconds,
after the door is closed or ignition
is cycled.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn‘t change the time you need
to get your foot
up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance.
If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won‘t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead
to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
brakes vibrate,
or you may notice some noise. but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock,
you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Stc . ring
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops
or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen
on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there‘s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you‘ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
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The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which
the curve is banked, and your speed.
While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much
of those places. You can lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want
it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should
adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are
based
on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do
it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain
a reasonable, steady speed, Wait to
accelerate
until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking.
For example, you come over a hill and
find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you
can stop
in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very
well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking
in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed
as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to
the left or
right depending on the space available.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees vesy quickly without re~noving
either- hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once
YOLI have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are ~dways
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road R covery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
OFF-ROAD
QUARTER TURN LEFT APPROX.
SLOW DOWN
edge of paved surface
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 front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
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0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your
left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from
you
than it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are
not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a
little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not ”overdriving” those conditions.
But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled
by easing your foot oft’ the accelerator pedal.
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