2005 GMC CANYON Owner's Manual

{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade.
This could cause loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
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 is not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you do not drive
straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal pressed
down with a manual transmission. This is called
“free-wheeling.” 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 is much more likely to happen going uphill. But if
it happens going downhill, here is what to do.
1. Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL with the manual
transmission) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not start, get out and get help.
4-23

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 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 does not mean you have to
drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
{CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that is 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, do
not drive across it. Find another route instead.
Q:What if I am driving across an incline that is 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
“walk the course” so you know what the surface
is like before you drive it.
4-24

Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you are 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 will 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.
4-25

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
will not get good traction. You cannot accelerate
as quickly, turning is more difficult, and you will need
longer braking distances.
It is best to use a low gear when you are in mud — the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you do
not get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you will 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 is 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
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 is deep enough to cover your wheel hubs,
axles or exhaust pipe, do not try it — you probably will
not get through. Also, water that deep can damage
your axle and other vehicle parts.
4-26

If the water is not 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 will 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 is only shallow water, it can
still wash away the ground from under your
tires, and you could lose traction and roll
the vehicle over. Do not drive through
rushing water.
SeeDriving in Rain and on Wet Roads on page 4-29
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 re 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.
4-27

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.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot 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 are 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
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
4-28

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare, as from a
driver who does not 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 lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash 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 is 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
are not even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is 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 reexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-29

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 is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank lled with
washer uid. 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.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 cannot, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
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.
4-30