1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4 wheel drive

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some 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.
0 Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
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Cargo on the load floor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can be
tossed about when driving over rough terrain.
You or your passengers
can be struck by flying
objects. Secure the cargo properly.
Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle’s
center of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over. You can be seriously or fatally
injured
if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the roof.
Keep cargo in the cargo area as far forward
and low as possible.
You’ll find other important information in this manual.
See “Vehicle Loading,” “Luggage Carrier” and “Tires”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One
of the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time to react.
0 you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
0 you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or
off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain.
You need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here are some things
to consider.
Sugace Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each
of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer
braking distances.
Sugace Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you if
you’re not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the
rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip
on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface features can jerk the wheel out of your hands if
you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground.
If this happens, even
with one or two wheels, you can’t control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or signal
lights. You have to use your own good judgment about
what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving. At
the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t
do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no
matter how well built the vehicle.
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don't use more power than you need,
because you don't want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
'I I
I A CAUTION:
lhrning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try to
go straight up.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of
0 Attach a flag to the vehicle to make'you more visible
0 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
0 Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
the hill.
to approaching traffic
on trails or hills.
let opposing traffic know you're there.
you more visible to oncoming traffic.
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A-1
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed can
cause an accident. There could be
a drop-off,
embankment, cliff,
or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or killed.
As you near
the top of
a hill, slow down and stay alert.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you
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ignore them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.
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.
Never
go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free-wheeling.” Your
brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
&= 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.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Shift to PARK (P) and, while still braking, restart
Apply
the parking brake.
the engine.
0 Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
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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
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
grass can cause your tires
to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll 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. For reasons
like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean you have
to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have
rolled over.
--
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.
Q: What if I’m driving across an incline that’s not
too steep, but I hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However,
a
much better way to prevent this is to get out and
“walk the course”
so you know what the surface is
like before you drive it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you’re crossing an incline, be
sure you (and your passengers) get out on the uphill
side, even if the door there is harder to open. If you get
out
on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you’ll be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take
if it does roll over.
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline
is dangerous. If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side
of the
vehicle and stay well clear
of the rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels won’t get
good traction. You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning is
more difficult, and you’ll need longer braking distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when you’re in mud
-- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea
is to keep your vehicle moving so you don’t
get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel
traction. But it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect
on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want
to reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving on sand. This will improve traction.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if
you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide
out of control. through.
Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly. At
fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can
also occur if you get
your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe
is
under water, you’ll never be able to start your engine.
When you
go through water, remember that when your
brakes get wet, it may take you longer to stop.
I
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don’t
try it -- you probably won’t get
A CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown.
If it’s
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water” in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
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