2008 CHEVROLET COLORADO wheel

Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it is
one of those hills that is 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
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It is 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. Do not use more power than you
need, because you do not want the wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
{CAUTION:
Turning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up
hills, always try to go straight up.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to
nd another route.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of
the hill.
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Attach a ag to the vehicle to make you more
visible to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill
to let opposing traffic know you are there.
Use your headlamps even during the day. They
make your vehicle more visible to oncoming traffic.
{CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed
can cause an accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even another
vehicle. You could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.There are some things you should do if the vehicle stalls,
or is about to stall, and you cannot make it up the hill:
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 will need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P), or shift to NEUTRAL if your vehicle has a
manual transmission, 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 will be able to tell if the wheels are straight
and maneuver as you back down. It is best that you
back down the hill with the 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.
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{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.
There some things not to do when driving down a hill.
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.” The brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
Your vehicle is much more likely to stall when going
uphill. But if it happens when going downhill:
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.
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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:
{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.
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.
When driving across an incline that is not too steep, the
vehicle can hit some loose gravel and start to slide
downhill. 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.
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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, such 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.
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Driving in Water
{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.
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 the wheel hubs, axles,
or exhaust pipe, do not try it — you probably will not get
through. Also, water that deep can damage the axle
and other vehicle parts.If the water is not too deep, drive slowly through it. At
faster speeds, water splashes on the ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if you
get the tailpipe under water. And, as long as the tailpipe
is under water, you will never be able to start the
engine. When you go through water, remember that
when the brakes get wet, it may take you longer to stop.
SeeDriving in Rain and on Wet Roads on page 4-25
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.
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Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have ABS, begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-4.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne until
you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches can appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as
around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you
are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on the hazard warning ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags,
rags, oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
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Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all
the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and
repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from
the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free your
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-32.
If your vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to
free a stuck vehicle. Refer to your vehicle’s traction
system in the Index. If the stuck condition is too severe
for the traction system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the rocking method.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment re or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-82.
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