2000 GMC SONOMA Owner's Manual

4-22
Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It's much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here's what to do.

Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.

Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.

Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.

If the engine won't start, get out and get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:

A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight
up or down a hill, the length of the wheel base
(the distance from the front wheels to the rear
wheels) reduces the likelihood the vehicle will
tumble end over end. But when you drive across
an incline, the much more narrow track width
(the distance between the left and right wheels) may
not prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.
Also, driving across an incline puts more weight on
the downhill wheels. This could cause a downhill
slide or a rollover.

4-23

Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.

Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with
the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into
a rut or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because the
trail goes across the incline doesn't mean you have to
drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that's too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness of the incline, don't drive
across it. Find another route instead.
Q:What if I'm driving across an incline that's not
too steep, but I hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should I do?
A:If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However, a
much better way to prevent this is to get out and
ªwalk the courseº so you know what the surface is
like before you drive it.

4-24 Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you're crossing an incline, be
sure you (and your passengers) get out on the uphill
side, even if the door there is harder to open. If you get
out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you'll be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take if it does roll over.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.

4-25
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.
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.
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.
CAUTION:
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 ªDriving Through Waterº in the Index for more
information on driving through water.

4-26 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.
Driving at Night
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.
Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

4-27

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
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.
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.
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.

4-28
Driving in Rain and on Wet RoadsRain 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.

4-29
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.
CAUTION:
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 ªdimpleº the
water's surface, there could be hydroplaning.