2003 CHEVROLET C/K emergency

2-44
CAUTION:
If you apply any one of the air brake parking
controls while the vehicle is moving, your rig will
stop suddenly. If you are not ready for this, you
or others could be injured. Don't apply any one
of these controls while you're driving, unless you
have to make an emergency stop.
If the air pressure drops below 60 to 70 psi (413 to
482 kPa), the primary brake light and warning buzzer
will come on. If the air pressure drops to 35 to 45 psi
(241 to 310 kPa), the red trailer air supply knob will
automatically pop out and apply the spring brakes on
the trailer.If the air pressure drops to 35 to 45 psi (241 to 310 kPa),
the yellow park brake knob will automatically pop out
and apply the spring brakes on the truck or tractor.
If you ever have a complete loss of air so that your air
brakes automatically apply, there is a way that the tow
operator can release the parking brakes to tow the
vehicle. See ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index.
CAUTION:
If your vehicle is left in gear, the engine can start
if the vehicle starts to roll. This can easily happen
if you have the diesel engine. Shift the
transmission into NEUTRAL (N) before you
leave the vehicle.

4-5
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº isn't the
right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There's something else about drinking and driving that
many people don't know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don't drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you're with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-12 Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
In emergencies like these, first apply your brakes. See
ªBraking in Emergenciesº earlier in this section. It is
better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available. Since
your vehicle has anti
-lock brakes, you don't need to
release the brakes to maintain steering control.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you may be
able to turn it just enough to miss the object without
removing either hand. But you must act fast, steering
precisely. The more sharply you turn, the greater the
chance of a skid, a rollover or a ªjackknifeº with a
tractor
-trailer. Just as quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.

4-15
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you have the ªTraction Control
System,º remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid. If you do not have this system, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). See ªDiesel Engine Exhaust Brakeº in the Index
for information about using the exhaust brake on
slippery surfaces. Any sudden changes could cause the
tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and
slow down when you have any doubt.

4-23
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.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway
hypnosisº? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
When you drive the vehicle for a long distance, 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 a second, and you could crash and be injured.What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.

Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your mirrors and your instruments
frequently.

If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.

4-26
Winter DrivingHere are some tips for winter driving:

Be sure the vehicle is in good shape for winter.

You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
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.

5-11
Here are specific towing instructions:
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
(Front Wheels Off the Ground)
Before Towing
Block the rear wheels of the disabled vehicle. On
vehicles with air brakes, release the emergency brake
system by compressing the brake chamber springs
as outlined in this section. (This is to prevent the
possibility of the emergency brake being applied
during towing.)
On vehicles with hydraulic brakes, release the parking
brake fully by moving the lever to the fully
-released
position.
Disconnect the propshaft at the rear axle (forward axle
on tandem axle models). Secure the propshaft to the
frame or crossmember.
Towing the Vehicle with the Front Bumper Removed
1. Remove the front bumper.
2. Connect and lock the lift chains to the front axle,
outside of the spring anchor plates as shown.
A. Spring Anchor Plate
B. Lift Chain
C. Front Axle
3. Place a 6º x 6º x 5' hardwood beam underneath and
slightly behind the front spring shackle brackets.
4. Connect the lift chains to the tow bar and raise the
tow bar until lift chain slack has been taken up and
the hardwood beam is fully seated against the spring
shackle brackets as shown.