1998 GMC ENVOY steering wheel

Tilt Wheel
You should adjust the tilt
steering wheel before
you drive.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
You can raise it to the highest level to give your legs
more room when
you enter and exit the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever toward
YOU. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable level, then release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving. The
lever on the left side
of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
0 Cruise Control
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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions, We’ve also
included many other useful tips on driving.
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Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of
a Vehicle
Braking Steering
Off-Road Recovery
Passing
Loss
of Control
Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your GM
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
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Driving at Night
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
City Driving
Freeway Driving
Before Leaving on
a Long Trip
Highway Hypnosis
Hill and Mountain Roads
Winter Driving
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer
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Re,member: 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.
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.
Using Anti-Lock
Don‘t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
brakes vibrate,
or YOLI may notice some noise, but
this is normal. Your anti-lock brakes work at all
times
-- whether you are in two-wheel 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 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.
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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
YOLK speed. While
you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
the.ir 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 YOLI can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to
the left or
right depending on the space available.
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Load Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
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 fac.t 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 RECOVE
edge of paved surface
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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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
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.
0 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.
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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
surfxes because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surfxe
with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surfdce 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.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only
the braking skid.
Driving Gu idelines
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 narrower track to make
them capable of performing 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 ground clearance is a better
view of the road allowing you
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
satisfxtorily 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.
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Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain.
You need to be familiar with the telrain and its
many different features. Here are some things to consider.
S~lr$uce Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle
in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface
you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer
braking distances.
Su$ace Obstucles . 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:
0 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'? When you
drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep
a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surhce 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.
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