1998 GMC SIERRA light

I-
I A CAUTION:
-
~ 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.
r A CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers 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 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,
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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.
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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.
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What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses
at night. They may cut
down
on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside
of the glass
can build up a film caused
by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up
far less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick
out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should
be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware of
it.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
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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.)
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic
on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get
a city map and plan your
trip into an unknown part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffk light is
there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before
you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red light.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
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At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you expect to
blend with the flow.
Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want
to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle
in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If
you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
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1
Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items
in your vehicle.
your vehicle.
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