CHEVROLET CAMARO 1995 4.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Chevrolet’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
ASR system, remember: It helps avoid
only the acceleration skid. If you
do not have ASR, or
if the system is off, then an
acceleration skid
is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide,
ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way
you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
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).
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 “mirrored surface’’ -- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving at Night Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind
you.
Since you can’t 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’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and
rest.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Night Vision
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’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down
on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It
can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced
with severe glare
(as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights. 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 film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash 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’s 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
aren’t even aware
of it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled. 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.
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On
a wet
road you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction
isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even
less traction. It’s 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 reflexes are
tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
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 can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little
or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning doesn’t
happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you cbn see reflections from trees, telephone
poles, or other vt$ucles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, +ere could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard ahd fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when
it is raining.
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Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just your
parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible to
others.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.,
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in
the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic
on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to
traffic signals. Here
are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going.
Get
a city map and plan your trip into an unknown
part of the city just as you would for a cross-country
trip,
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red
light.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try
to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move
to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the
next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
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.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out.
Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in
Chevrolet dealers all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before
a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lumps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
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:
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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 rearview 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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
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Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning
to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard
on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill. 0
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you
can climb the hill better.
Stay in your
own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or
winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate
action.
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