1998 GMC ENVOY steering

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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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.
0 Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
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.
Turning 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.
A CAUTION:
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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What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and
I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
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do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep
it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the
parking brake.
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).
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) 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 r7ot 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) 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.
Q: 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) 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.
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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.
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.
LA CAU-ION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or ~ ~ rers 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.
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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
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.
' 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 Wdter" in the Index for more
information
on driving through water.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can
be a fire hazard.
After operation
in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust system
for
da1nage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice
until salt and sand crews
can get there. Whatever
the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make
a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though
you have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock”
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Wdtch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear
in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re
a good deal
longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then,
to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
~~
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal flasher.
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows
on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
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