1998 GMC SAVANA traction control

Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever you have to, here are some things to know.
t-
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
I Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan switch is
at the highest setting. One
place this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.) It can
be dangerous to get out of
yvur vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You
or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re
on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in
the Index.
Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, your locking rear axle can give
you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or
gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time,
but when
one of the rear wheels has no traction and the
other does, this feature will allow
the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
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Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever, there’s a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
push the paddle.
I A CAUTION:
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kdh) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40kmh).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Washer fluid will spray as long as you push the paddle.
When
you let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for approximately two more wipe cycles and
then either stop
or return to the preset speed.
L
A CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Speed Sensitive Steering
Your vehicle is equipped with a speed sensitive steering
system.
This system automatically varies the amount of
steering effort in proportion to your vehicle speed. The
required steering effort increases as your speed increases.
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. 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.
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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 reauced 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.
While driving
on a surface 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 surface 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.
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’
A CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinflated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly inflated.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificationmire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number
on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow). If
you ever
replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
I
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires
on all wheels.
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I A CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United
States.) The grades are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires.
The Uniform Tire Quality
Grading system does
not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters
of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires. While
the tires available
on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a
half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon
the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due
to variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and climate.
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Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning:
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and
does not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at
the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road,
your wheels may need to be rebalanced.
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Service and Appearance Care ...................... 6-1
Service and Owner Publications
.............. 8- 1 1. 8. 12
Service Publications
........................ 8- 1 1. 8. 12
Servicing Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ........... 1-32
Sheet Metal Damage
............................ 6-57
ShiftLever
............................... 2.21. 2.25
Shifting
Automatic Transmission
....................... 2-2 1
Into . Park (P) ................................. 2-25
OutofPark
.................................. 2-28
Sidemarker Lamp Bulb Replacement
............... 6-36
SignalingTurns
................................ 2-35
Skidding
...................................... 4-13
Specifications and Capacities
...................... 6-67
Speech Impaired. Customer Assistance
............... 8-4
Speedometer
................................... 2-52
Stains. Cleaning
................................ 6-52
Starter Switch Check
............................ 7-40
Starting Your Engine
............................ 2- 18
Steam ........................................ 5-12
Steering
....................................... 4-8
In Emergencies
............................... 4- 10
Power ....................................... 4-8
Speedsensitive
............................... 4-9
Tips
......................................... 4-9
Wheel. Tilt
.................................. 2-34
StorageAreas
.................................. 2-48
Storage. Vehicle
................................ 6-3 1
Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow .................. 5-36
Sunvisors
.................................... 2-49
Symbols. Vehicle
.................................. v
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster ..................... 1 . 19 Taillamp
Bulb Replacement
...................... 6-37
TapePlayerCare
............................... 3-25
Temperature Control. Rear Passenger
................ 3-5
Theft
......................................... 2-15
Theft-Deterrent Feature
.......................... 3-21
Thermostat
.................................... 6-25
Third Gear. Automatic Transmission
................ 2-23
Tilt Steering Wheel
............................. 2-34
Time. Setting the
................................ 3-7
Tire Chains
.................................... 6-50
TireLoading ................................... 4-27
Tire-Loading Information Label
................... 4-27
Tires
......................................... 6-41
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-48
BuymgNew
................................. 6-46
Chains
..................................... 6-50
Changing
a Flat .............................. 5-22
Cleaning
.................................... 6-57
Dual Operation
............................... 6-45
Inflation
.................................... 6-42
Inflation Check
............................... 7-38
Inspection and Rotation
........................ 6-43
Loading
.................................... 4-27
Pressure
.................................... 6-42
Temperature
................................. 6-48
Traction
.................................... 6-48
Treadwear
................................... 6-47
Uniform Quality Grading
....................... 6-47
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-45
Wheel Replacement
........................... 6-49
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-45
TopStrap ..................................... 1-51
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