1998 GMC ENVOY towing

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing
Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating Engine
Fan Noise
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a proressional towing
service tow your vehicle. See "Roadside Assistance"
in
the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new by adding things like fog lamps, aero
skirting, or special tires and wheels, these instructions
may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call,
tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has four-wheel drive.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can rnolle the shift lever for the
transmission and shift the transfer case.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives,
let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing
instructions. The operator may want to see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
fully secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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JTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned
to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped
in a straight-ahead position with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be in NEUTRAL
(N) and the transfer case
should be
in 2HI. The parking brake should be released.
If your vehicle has no electrical power, the electrical
solenoid lock
must be overridden to shift from
PARK (P) to NEUTRAL (N). Follow these steps:
1 I Remove the wood trim panel surrounding the base
2. Reach inside the console and find the white of the shift lever.
solenoid lever.
(ii
3. Push the solenoid
lever down.
4. While holding the solenoid lever in the unlock
position, press the shift lever button and shift into
NEUTRAL
(N).
5. Release the solenoid lever and replace the trim panel.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.
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~~ ~ . Towing
IOW Limits - - 35 mph (55 km/h), 50 miles (80 km)
You must
use a towing dolly under the rear wheels when
towing from the front.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascia/fog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in
the T-hook slots.
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NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage will occur.
Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in
the T-hook slots.
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Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the
clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide more air
to cool the engine. In most everyday driving conditions,
the clutch is
not engaged. This improves fuel economy and
reduces
fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer
towing and/or high outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases when the clutch engages.
So you may hear an
increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken
as the transmission slipping or making extra
shifts. It is merely the cooling system functioning properly.
The fan will slow down when additional cooling is not
required and the clutch disengages.
You may
also hear this fan noise when you start the
engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
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, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If
a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip
the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the
way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
iacking equipment to change
a flat tire safely. u Y a. c
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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you’ll need is stored along the
driver’s side inner rear quarter panel. Your vehicle is
also equipped with work gloves and a plastic ground
mat to assist in the changing
of a flat tire.
To remove your jack
cover, pull up on the latches
on the cover. Remove the
wheel blocks, jack and
wheel wrench.
NOTICE:
Never remove or restow a tire frodto a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle
when restowing.
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Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear
the area around your front wheels. Shift the transfer
case into
4HI. Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you out after a
few tries,
you may need to be towed out. Or, you can use
your recovery
hooks. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks are provided at the front
of your vehicle.
You may need
to use them if you’re stuck off-road
and need
to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
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