1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER brake

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 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle starts to slide. ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way
you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough. your
vehicle may straighten
out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow. ice.
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety. you’ll
want to
slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction.
try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
You may not realize the surface
is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water. ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface“
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
t oear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a utility
vehicle
in Consumer Information Regulations issued by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) of the United States Department of
Transportation. Utility vehicles have higher ground
clearance and a nmower track to make them capable
of
perfolming in a wide variety of off-road applications.
Specific design characteristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of the higher
to anticipate problems. They are
not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as conventional
two-wheel-drive vehicles any more than low-slung
sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control
or vehicle rollover.
2 oround clearance is a better view of the road allowing you
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn‘t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn‘t drive off-road unless you‘re on a level,
solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have some
definite hazards. The greatest
of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means
you’ve left the great North
American road
system behind. Traffic lanes aren‘t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are
no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery. rough, uphill
or downhill. In
short. you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that you read this guide. You’ll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are sutfre things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure
to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check
to make sure all underbody
shields
(if so equipped) are properly attached. Be sure
you read all the information about your
four-wheel-drive vehicle
in this manual. Is there enough
fuel?
Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels
up where they should be? What are
the local laws that
apply to off-roading where you’ll be driving? If
you
don’t know, you should check with law enforcement
people
in the area. Will you be on someone’s private
land?
If so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how
to load your vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward
as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
to stall, and I can’t make it up the hill?
do. and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what
you should do:
0 Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
0 If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill
in REVERSE (R).
0 If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift
the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL (N) if your
vehicle has a manual transmission) and restart
the
engine. Then, shift to REVERSE (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the
hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position. This
way, you’ll be able
to tell if your wheels are straight
and maneuver
as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather
than
in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will increase the possibility
of
a rollover.
Here are some things
you must not do if you stall, or are
about
to stall, when going up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL
(N) (or depressing the clutch, if you
have
a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. This
won’t work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the
vehicle. Then apply
the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up
a hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the hill, you must back straight down the hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) (or the manual transmission in
FIRST ( I )) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle
and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and
stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take
if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the transfer
case
to NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle.
Leave
it in some gear-.
~ A CAUTION:
I
If you have a manual transfer case shift lever,
shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
(Nj can
cause
your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in
PARK (P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even
if you’re in gear). This is
because the NEUTRAL
(N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going
to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or,
put your manual transmission in
FIRST (I)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL (N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the 2HI,4HI or 4LO position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number of things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough‘? Slippery‘?
Hard-pac ked dirt
‘? Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts’?
Logs? Boulders’?
0 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
y)ur
ehick under control at all times.
I A CAUTION:
1 I
Heavy braking when going aown 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.
&= Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a
hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0 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.
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.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: 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.
0 Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
nlanual
transmission) and, while still brakin,,
0 restart
the engine.
and drive straight down.
Shift back to a low gear. release the parking brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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:
0 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
0
0
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
If the vehicle slips sideways. it can hit something
that
will trip it (a rock. a rut, etc.) and roIl 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.
2 orass can cause your tires to slip sideways. downhill.
For reasons like these, you need
to decide carefully whether
to try to drive across 31 incline. Just because the trail goes
;lcross the incline doesn’t mean you have to drive it. The
last vehcle
to try it might have rolled over.
A CAUTION:
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.
A
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