2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE wheel

Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful off-road
driving. One of the best ways to control your vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are some things to keep
in mind. At higher speeds:
·you approach things faster and you have less time
to scan the terrain for obstacles.
·you have less time to react.
·you have more vehicle bounce when you drive over
obstacles.
·you'll need more distance for braking, especially
since you're on an unpaved surface.
{CAUTION:
When you're driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw
you out of position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. So, whether you're
driving on or off the road, you and your
passengers should wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here are some things to
consider.
Surface Conditions::Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction and longer braking
distances.
Surface Obstacles::Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can
startle you if you're not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
·Is the path ahead clear?
·Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
·Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
(There's more discussion of these subjects later.)
·Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly?
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When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
®rm 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 you need special alertness and driving
skills, your re¯exes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious Ð or even fatal Ð accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. See
Drunken Driving on page 4-2.
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 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.
{CAUTION:
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.
·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?
·Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won't have to make turning maneuvers?
·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
®nd 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.
·Use a low gear and get a ®rm 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 ®nd
another route.
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Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is
about to stall, and I can't make it up the hill?
A:If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do?
First, here's what you
shoulddo:
·Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep
it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
·If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
·If your engine has stopped running, you'll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed 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 notdo if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
·Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) to ªrev-upº 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.
Q: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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Q:Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
·When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that's not too steep
to drive down may be too steep to drive across. You
could roll over if you don't drive straight down.
·Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called ªfree wheelingº. Your
brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
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) 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.
·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 it the downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
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{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 Ð 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, youºll 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. Drive at a reduced speed and
avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it's very east 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.
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rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
{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
Heavy rain can mean ¯ash ¯ooding, and ¯ood 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 Ð 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, drive slowly through it. At faster
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
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads on page 4-34for
more information on driving through water.
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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 ®re hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. Theses 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 Ð by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
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