1998 GMC SIERRA tires

__ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ . _~_
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 Water’’ 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,
4-26
ProCarManuals.com

steering, suspension, wheels, tires ana exhaust system
for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage. Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired -- by
alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Driving at Night
Here are some tips on night driving.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror
to reauce me
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well,
you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off
the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older
these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light
to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
4-27
ProCarManuals.com

Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road,
you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction
isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder
it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise
to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled with
washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when
they show signs of streaking or missing areas on
the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate
from the inserts. Driving too fast
through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
4-29
ProCarManuals.com

J L
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you’re
going
fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or
more
is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds, There
just
isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
c
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.)
4-30
ProCarManuals.com

The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according
to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to oe wed rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
GM
dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready
and willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0
0
0
0
0
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of
the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in less
than n second, and you could crash and be injured.
4-33
ProCarManuals.com

0
0
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to
a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
I A CAJTION: I
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. Coasung
aownhill in NEUTRAL
(N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work
of slowing down. They could
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Always have your
engine running and your vehicle in gear when
you go downhill.
0
0
Know how ro g6 uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
0
0 As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs
on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
4-35
ProCarManuals.com

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful. 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; 0°C) 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.
4-37
ProCarManuals.com

Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
(Manual Transfer Case Only)
‘A
-
Shifting the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in
PARK (P), for an automatic transmission, or
if your vehicle is in gear, for
a manual
transmission.
You or others could be injured.
Make sure the parking brake is firmly set before
you shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N).
Use the following procedure to correctly tow your
vehicle on all four wheels:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Firmly set the parking brake.
Place the transmission in
PARK (P) or a manual
transmission in FIRST
(1).
Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the
tow vehicle.
With the engine running, shift the transfer case to
NEUTRAL
(N). See “Four-wheel Drive” in the
Index for the proper procedure to select the neutral
position for your vehicle.
Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is firmly attached to the towing vehicle.
Turn the ignition to
OFF, The OFF position unlocks the
steering column and reduces battery
drain. Unlocking
the steering column will allow the proper movement
of
the front wheels and tires during towing.
4-42
ProCarManuals.com