1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic sipals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
a
a
a
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time
and energy. (See the
next part. "Freeway Driving.")
Treat
a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light turns green. and just before you start to
move. check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The
most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep
to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway
as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually
a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with
the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try
to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once
you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or
to the prevailing rate if it‘s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there
isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind”
spot.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer,
not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than
you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh -- such as after a day's
work -- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journcv. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained,
it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll find experienced and able service experts
in GM
dealerships all across North America. They'll be ready
and willing to help if
you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lurrzps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure'?
Weather For-ecvrsts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
0 Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps'!
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about
an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen
to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a secund, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can
you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that
it can happen.
Then here are
some tips:
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you Sct dwpy. pull off the road into a rest, service
or
parking xe;L and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety. treat drowsiness on the highway as
an
emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
L
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning
to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. (See “Off-Road
Driving’’ in the Index for information about driving
off-road.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires. cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard
on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift
to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a
hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
I A CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work
of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a
lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and
transmission. and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don‘t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something
in your lane. like a. stalled car or an accident.
You may see hishway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones.
a falling rocks area or winding
roads.
Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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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.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. 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
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.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A
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What’s the worst time for this’? “Wet ice.“ Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard
to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there. Whatever
the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try
not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast. the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even
though
you have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want
to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in
the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy
when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by
the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If
you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insuIators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags , floor
mats -- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing
to keep warm.
0 Turn on your hazard flashers. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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