1997 CHEVROLET S10 ESP

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 passe.d vehicle to see its front in your
inside -01, activate your right lane change sigmd
and-move back into the.
ri,ght lane. (Remember that
your-right outside ,mirror is convex. The vehicle you
juslpassed may
seem to be farther away from y6u
than it really is.)
Tfy not co p.ass mufe ,than one vehicle ,at a time
on two-lane’roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
D.on’:t overtake-.a slowly moving vehi-de too rapidly.
Even though
the brake -1amp.s are not flashing, it m.a.y
be slowing down or starting to, turn.
Qi If+ you’re being .passed, make it easy- for the
fallowing driver to
get..ahead .of you. Perh,aps you
can ease.&
little to the right.
Let’s review what driving expmts s-ay about what
happens when the thre.e
con.trol systems- (brakes., steering,
and,acceleration) don’t
have enough friction where the
tifes ”meet the road to do what the drivt?r has asked..
In any emergency, don’t give up Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek
an escape route-or aea of
less danger.
In a. skid, a driver cn lose control of .the vehicle, Defensive
drivers .avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited t9
existing conditiolrs, and by not “overdriving” those
conditions.. But- ,&ids
are always -pa.ssible.
The three typcis of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three
c’0ntro1 syst,erns. In. the. brakifig skid, y0.m whe.eIs
aren’t rpl.ling. Ln the steering or- cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires: to slip and
lase cornehg, foxce,. And. in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels- to spin.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Errvironmental Concerns
O€f-road driving .can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation.
However, it also raises- enviranmental
c:dricernS. GM recognizes these concerns and urges
every off-roader to follow these- bask rules for
protecting the environment:
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Traveling, to Remote Areas
It-makes sense to: plan yow-.trip, cspechlly when-going
‘to a remote area; Know- the terraiwand plan your ~uute.
You are much less likely to get bad surpris-es. Get
accurate maps bf trails and terrain. Try to learn of my
blocked or closed roads,
It’s
a1s.o a good idea to travel withat 1eas.r: one o,rner
vehicle. If ‘something happens to one of thern,.i€ie-.ather
can
help quickly.
Does your
vehide have a winch?. I-f sa, be sure to read
the winch instructions.
1n.a remote area, a winch can be
handy-if you get: stuck. But you’ll want to how how to
use it pmperly.
Getting .Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good i.dea to practice in !an area that’s safe and
.cI.~se?o home before you go info :the wilderness..
Off-road
driving;.cloes require some new and-dlnffixent
.driving. skills. Here’s what-we mean.
Tune you^ senses t~ different kinds of-signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to co.nstantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected. obstacles. -Yuur ears need to listen for
unasual tire .or e:ngine sounds. With youwu-rns, hands,
kt and body, you’il need -to respoad to vibrations -and
vehicle bounce.
4-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
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you approach thgs faster and you h.ave less time to
scan the terrain f&- obstacles.
you. h.ave Tess time to react..
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
0Ter:obst~eks..
ybu’ll need. more distance for bfaking, esp-ecjally
since you’re OB an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could c.ause you to lose
control .and crash. So, whether you’re driving .on
or off the road, you a.nd your passengers-should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take: you over many different
kinds
of tgrrain.. You need to be familiar with the terrain
and:its many different f&tures. Here we some things
to can-sidei-.
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
* Does the travel take .you uphfil or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of .these subjects latert)
Will you have :to stop suddenly or change
directi-on quickly?
. ...

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Whe.n y0.U drive over obstacles .or rough terrain, keep a.
firm..gkill .on the steering wheel; Ruts, troughs or ather
-surfaace’featu?es- %a~l jerk-the wheel out of your hands if
you’re not prepaced,
.When YOU drive oTt.er humps, rock.; .or other obstades,
YOW wheels can leave the gr.ound. Ifthis happens, e-ven
with. one or tw~ wheels, you cdt co.ntrol the vehicle as
well or-at all.
Eecaus-e you will be on an un-paved surface, it’s.
.espe&dly importmt to avoid :sudden acceleration,
sudden:.tums
of sudden. braking.
In a way, .off-.road driving requires a diffkrent. kind of
:alertfie$s fmm driving on paved roads :and highw-ays.
There are no road signs, pastdspeed limits or signal
lights.
-You have to. use your own good judgment abaut
.what &-..safe and what- isa’t.
Drinkiagmd driving can be very dangerous on any
mad.
And’this. is -certainly trclcfor off-road driving. At
‘the very ‘time you need special alertness and driving
skills., y-owr-x&kx&$-, pefcepions and judgmen-t can be
affected by even a small amount of -alc30hol. You .c:ould
have a serid;us- -- 01- even fatal -- ciccident if you drink
and. drive wride with ,a driver- who has. been drinking.
See ‘“Drunk@n Driviy” in the Index.
Driving _. . on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often- takes you up, dswn.~~ acr0s.s a
hill, Driving safely on. hills requires good judgment and
.an tl.nderstanding of what your vehicle can and can’t-do.
There are some h.ills that simply cadt .b&, driven, ‘no
mattee how well built ,the vehicle.
Many hills are simply too steep for, any vehicIe. If
you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed. If you
drive across .them, you will roll over. ‘You could be
seriously injured
or killed. If you have any doubt
about
the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
4-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning usually happens .at higher s.peeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplanirgi The.
best advice is to slow down whenit is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Watw
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing, water; water
can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never driv.e through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If’you
can’t avoid deep puddles
or standing water, drive
through them very
slowly.
Some 0the.r Rainy Weat
Besides slowi~~g down, allow some extra following
distance.
And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle,. Allow yourself more dear room
ahead, and be prepared to have y~ur view restricted
by mad spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.)
4-33

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Snow can trap exhaust gases under yo.ur vehicle.
This.can cause
deadly CO (carbon rncmoxide) gas
to get: inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you.
'You can't .see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
aruund the. base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again
from time to time- to be.sure snow
doesn't col1ect:there.
Open a window just a, little on the side of the
vehicle that% away
froin the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine o111y as long as you h~ust. This s&veS-
fu.eL When you run the engine, make it g.-a little faster
than just idle. That is, push. the, accelerator..slightIy. This
uses less fuel far the heat that .you get and it keeps- the.
battery
charg.ed. You willl neecia well-charged battery 'to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later an
with. your headamps.. Let the heatex run for a while.
Then,. shut the-engine off and dose the window almost
all the way to' p&erve the heat. Start the e.ngine again
and repe.at
.this only when you feel ceally qxkbmfortable
from the cold. But. do it as little as possible, Preserve the
fuel as- long- as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle. and do some .faidy vlgorous -exercises
every half how os so until help comes.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You.mhy alstt- hear this €annoise wheli ycju s.tart the
engine. It will .go away as the fa :lutch disengages.
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out’? while you’re driving,
especially if you- maintain your tires properly. If-air goes
out of.a..tire, it3 much more likely to le:& out sbwly.
But if you should. ever have a “blowoilt,” hme are a few
tips about what to expec~ -and what to do:

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check and Change
.A goad time to check-your a0tomati.c transmission fluid
level is when the en.gine .oil is chanzed,
C.hange
both the fluid an.d filter every 50,000-miles
(8'3 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traf€ic where the-outsi.de. temperature
regularly reaches.
906F (.32'C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainom terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses. such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If
you do not use your vehicle under any of the-se
cqnditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See "Scheduled Maintenance Services"
in the Index,
How to Check
B.eCanse this operation can be a little difficult, you
may cho.Oge to have this dme at your GM de-alership
Service
Department
If you do it ywrsiAf, be sure to follow all the instruaims
here, uryclu coukd get a false re.adirig on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage- your
transmission,
TQO much can mean that s.ome of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to getan accurate reading if .you .check .your
transmission fluid.
Wait &t least.30 minutes before checking the
transmissioil fluid
level if.you have been driving:
* When ou&ide te:mperatures ar~ above 9C>-'F (32 O C).
0 At high spe>ed fbr.quite-.a while.
0 Tn'heavy traffic -- especidly in hot weather.
While pulling
a. trailer:
To -get the right reading, the flui,d'should be at dermal
operating temperature, which- is 1:80."F to 208°F
(82QG to 33°C).