1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Lockout Switch
Four-door vehicles have a lockout feature to prevent
passengers from operating power windows.
It is located
on
the driver's door. Press LOCK to activate this feature.
Press NORM and the windows return to normal operation.
Swing-Out Windows (2-Door Only)
If your vehicle has rear
swing-out windows, unlatch
them at their
clasps and
push out
on the glass to
open them.
When you close
the window, be sure the latch catches.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn symbols on the
steering wheel pad.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
I
If you have the tilt steering
wheel.
you should adjust
the steering wheel before
you drive.
You can raise it to the highest level to give your legs
more room when you enter and exit the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever toward
you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable level. then release the lever to lock the
wheel
in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
The level- on the left side of the steering column
includes
your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control (If Equipped)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve also
included many other useful tips on driving.
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Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of
a Vehicle
Braking
Steering
Off-Road Recovery
Passing
Loss
of Control
Driving Guidelines
Driving at Night
Driving
in Rain and on Wet Roads
City Driving
Freeway Driving Before
Leaving
on a Long Trip
Highway Hypnosis
Hill and Mountain Roads
Winter Driving
Recreational Vehicle Towing
(Four-wheel Drive with the
Manual Shift Transfer Case Only)
Recreational Vehicle Towing (Except
Four-wheel Drive with
the Manual Shift
Transfer Case)
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and
do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and
as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even
in 314 of a second, a vehicle
moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight
of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Sometimes,
as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means
you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. On vehicles
with four-wheel drive, your
anti-lock brakes work at all times
-- whether you are in
two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
Braking in Emergencies
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.
Steering
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
YOLI 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 it
curve. do it befhre you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
CLII-ut. klaintain ;I reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
acwlcrate
llntil >.ou are out of the curve. and then
accclcrate gcntlv 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 tull 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either
hand. Bur you hrt\*e to act fast, steer quickly, and
just ah quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided
the ob-jcct.
The fact that wch clncrgcncy situations are always
possible ih ;I good reason to practice defensive driving at
all
times and NYN satety belts properly.
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.
I OFF - ROA
v/// 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
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.
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 accelerationj 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 off the accelerator pedal.
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