2006 CHEVROLET KODIAK brake

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 are driving on snow or ice,
it is 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
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-33.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is 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 three-fourths 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 is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle; the weight of the load and the amount of
brake force applied.
4-6

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.Hydraulic Brake Systems
If your engine stops running, or if your primary brake
system stops working, your vehicle has a reserve power
assist system to help you slow down. Just slowly and
steadily apply the brake pedal until you can safely get off
the road. The pedal will seem harder to push down.
Do not pump the pedal; the system will not work well or
at all that way.
You may find that the steering wheel seems hard to turn
when you are turning and braking at the same time.
Also, the primary brake warning light may come on and
the warning tone may sound. This is normal because
the main hydraulic brake system and power steering
both use the power steering pump. If this ever happens,
let up on the brake pedal a little. When you let up on
the brake pedal in that situation, it lets the steering get a
little more help from the pump.
4-7

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away, ABS
will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or
clicking noise while this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-35.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
4-8

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply your
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes pulsate, or you may hear air exhausting if
you have air brakes, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-9

Trailer Brake Hand Control Valve
If your vehicle has this feature, the control is mounted
on the floor console.
This feature lets you apply
the trailer brakes without
applying the tractor brakes.
You can apply the trailer brakes a little or apply them all
the way if you have to. Use this control only when
you are driving. Do not use it for parking or to hold the
rig on a hill.{CAUTION:
Using the trailer brake hand control for parking
or for holding the vehicle on a hill may not
keep the vehicle from rolling. This can happen
if someone hits the valve by accident, or if air
pressure bleeds from the system. If the vehicle
rolls, you or others could be injured. To park
the vehicle or hold it on a hill, use the parking
brake properly.
4-10

Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system applies the brake(s) at the affected wheel(s).
The bottom light on the TCS on/off button will come
on when the TCS is limiting wheel spin. You may feel or
hear the system working, but this is normal. The TCS
will function at speeds up to about 25 mph (42 km/h).
The TCS may operate on dry roads under some
conditions. When this happens, you may notice a
reduction in acceleration. This is normal and doesn’t
mean there’s a problem with your vehicle. Examples of
these conditions include a hard acceleration in a
turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of the transmission
or driving on rough roads.When the light in the top of the TCS button is on, the
TCS is off and will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light in the top of the TCS button will come on if the
TCS is turned off by pressing the TCS on/off button.
The light may also come on if a problem has been
detected in either the traction control system or
the anti-lock brake system.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 4-32for more information.
4-12

To turn the system on or
off, press the traction
control button located on
the instrument panel.
If you used the TCS button to turn the system off, the
light in the top of the button will come on and stay
on. You can turn the TCS back on at any time by
pressing the button again; the light should go off.Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
On vehicles with hydraulic brakes, the power steering
and main hydraulic brake system both use the
power steering pump. SeeBraking on page 4-6.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
4-13

The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-12.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.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 cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action — steering around the
problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 4-6. 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.
4-14