1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA steering

When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface 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 YOLI 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.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t
do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no
matter how well built the vehicle.
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you will roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
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Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just too steep
to climb, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard
to judge. On a very small
hill, for example, there may be
a smooth, constant
incline
with only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way to the top. On a large
hill, the
incline may get steeper
as you near the top, but you may
not see this because the crest of the
hill is hidden by
bushes, grass
or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach
a
hill.
0 Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper
in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
0 Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have to make turning maneuvers‘?
0 Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path (boulders, trees,
logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment,
a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the
hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to find out.
Is the hill simply too rough‘? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
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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.
Try to drive straight
up the hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
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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 not 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
A CAUTION: I
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,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust system
for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
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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; 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
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try
not to break the fragile
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels wil
polish the surface under the tires even more.
, blowing
traction.
.I spin and
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.
0 Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
0 Watch 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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Following Distance Making Turns
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that. require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
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.
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 (included
in
the optional trailering package).
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.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
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Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off. Press
the button on top
of
the steering column all the
way down to make your
front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, press the button until the first
click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work. The flashers will stop if you step on
the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
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