
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
The instrument panel intensity control is located next to
the parkingkeadlamp switch. Rotate the thumb wheel
up to adjust the instrument panel lights. Rotate the
thumb wheel up to the first notch to return the radio
display and gear shift indicator
LED display to full
intensity when the headlamps or parking lamps
are on.
To turn on the dome lamps (with the vehicle doors
closed) rotate the thumb wheel up to the second
notch position.
Illuminated Entry
Your vehicle is equipped with an illuminated
entry feature.
When the doors
are opened, the dome lamps will come
on if the dome lamp button is in the out position. When
all doors are closed or the dome lamp button is pressed
in, the lamps will stay on for a short period
of time and
will then
go out.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open the doors.
You can also
turn the dome lamps on by rotating the
thumb wheel, located next to the parkingheadlamps
switch knob, all the way up to the second notch. In this
position, the dome lamps will remain on whether the
doors are opened or closed.
You can use the
DOME OVERRIDE button, located
below the parking/headlamp knob, to set the dome
lamps to come on automatically when the doors are
opened,
or remain off. To turn the lamps off, press the switch button
once. With the switch button in this
position, the dome lamps will remain
off when the doors
are open. To return the lamps to automatic operation,
press the switch button again and return it to the “out”
position. With the button in this position, the dome
lamps will come
on when you open the door.
Reading Lamps
If your vehicle has reading
lamps, press the button next
to the lamp
to turn the
lamp on.
The lamps can be adjusted
to point in the direction
you want.
Press the button again to
turn the lamp off.
If your vehicle has an overhead console with reading
lamps, press the button next to the lamp to turn the
lamp on.
The lamps can be adjusted to point in the direction
you want.
Press the button again to turn the lamp
off.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Luggage Carrier (If Equipped)
If you have the optional luggage carrier, you can load
things on top of your vehicle.
The luggage carrier has slats and side rails attached to
the roof, and crossrails which can be moved toward the
front or the rear in the side rails
to help secure cargo. Tie
the load to the side rails or side rail supports.
NOTICE:
Loading cargo that weighs more than 200 lbs.
(90.6 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage
your vehicle. When
you carry large things, never
let them hang over the rear or the sides
of your
vehicle. Load your cargo
so that it rests on the
slats and does not scratch or damage the vehicle.
Put the cargo against the side rails and fasten
it
securely to the luggage carrier.
Don’t exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in
the Index. To
prevent damage or loss of cargo as you’re driving,
check now and then to make sure the luggage carrier and
cargo are still securely fastened.
Be sure the cargo is properly loaded.
If small heavy objects are placed on the roof, place
the load in the area over the rear wheels (behind
the
rear side door on Suburbans). If you need to, cut a
piece of 3/8 inch plywood to fit inside the crossrails
and side rails to spread the load, If plywood is used,
tie it to the side rail supports.
Tie the load to the crossrails or the side rail supports.
Use the crossrails only to keep the load from sliding.
0 If you need to carry long items, move the crossrails
as far apart as they will go. Tie the load to the
crossrails and the side rails or side rail supports. Also
tie the load to the bumpers. Do not tie the load
so
tightly that the crossrails or side rails are damaged.
0 After moving the crossrails, be sure to tighten all the
slider screws.
For the purpose of wind noise reduction, locate
the front crossrail approximately
18-24 inches
(46 cm to 58 cm) rearward of the front supports.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front
of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The
anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and
road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8

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.
Variable Effort Steering
This system varies the amount of steering effort
proportionate to your vehicle speed. Steering is easier at
lower speeds for maneuvering and parking ease. As your
vehicle speed increases, the steering effort also
increases. At highway speeds, the amount
of steering
effort is increased for vehicle control and stability.
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.

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 you 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 a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out
of the curve, and then
accelerate gently 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 full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety 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.
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 0
0
0
0
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 if
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 acceleration) 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.
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.
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