traction control CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1996 4.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TOUR: Use for city and highway driving. Provides a
smooth, soft ride. Parking Brake
SPORE Use where road conditions or personal
preference demand more control. Provides more “feel,”
or response to the road conditions.
PERF’: Use for performance driving. Provides a tight,
firm ride and precise response to road conditions.
You can select a setting at any time. Based on road
conditions and your vehicle speed, the system
automatically adjusts to provide the best ride and
handling. Select a new setting whenever driving
conditions change.
The SERVICE RIDE CONTROL light monitors the
system. Refer to “Service Ride Control Light” in
the Index.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your rear axle can give you additional traction on snow,
mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle
most
of the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no
traction and the other does, the limited-slip feature will
allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle. To
set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up, then move it back down.
This sets your parking brake, even though the lever is
down. If the ignition is on, the parking brake indicator
light will come on.
2-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1
I A CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous on
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the ASR system
begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. (See
“ASR System” in the
Index.) When road conditions allow you to safely use it
again, you may turn the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Contra1
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise,
you might hit a button and
go
into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch
OFF until you want to use it.
1. Turn the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button
at the end
of the lever
and release
it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
2-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t 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 won’t 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
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear a motor or
clicking noid and feel the brake pedal move a little
during
a stop, but this is normal.
ABS
ACTIVE
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation) System
Your vehicle has a traction control system called ASR
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions’. The system operates only if it
senses that the rear wheels
are spinning too much or are
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power
(by closing the throttle and managing engine spark) to
limit wheel spin.
ASR
ACTIVE
This light will come on
when the ASR system is
limiting wheel spin. See
“ASR System Active Light”
in the Index. You may feel
or hear the system working,
but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the ASR system
begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. (See “Cruise Control” in the Index.)
J

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Steering Tips
Driving qn Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot
of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s 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’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
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’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose
you’re 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. Unless your
ASR system is on, adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much
of those
places. You can lose control.
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’ll 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.

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 Corvette’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.
Remember: Any
ASR system helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. If
your
ASR 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.
4-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on your
vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
A CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes (other
than those originally installed on your Corvette)
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle
may not handle properly, and you could have a
crash. Using tires of different sizes (other than
those originally installed on your Corvette) may
also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use
the correct size and type tires on all four wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare
(if you have one). It was developed for use on
your vehicle.
6-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to
30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may
vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences
in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to ,sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109.
6-51

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Chains .................................. 6-53
Tire-Loading Information Label
................... 4-28
Tires
......................................... 6-46
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-52
BuyingNew
................................. 6-50
Changing a Flat
.............................. 5-22
Cleaning
.................................... 6-60
Compact Spare
............................... 5-38
Extended Mobility
............................ 6-47
Inflation
.................................... 6-48
Inflation Check
............................... 7-40
Inspection and Rotation
........................ 6-49
Loading
.................................... 4-28
Pressure
.................................... 6-48
Storing a Flat
........................... 5-33, 5-36
Temperature
................................. 6-5 1
Traction .................................... 6-51
Treadwe
ar ................................... 6-51
Uniform Quality Grading
....................... 6-51
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-49
Wheel Replacement
........................... 6-52
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-49
TorqueLock
................................... 2-31
Torque, Wheel Nut
......................... 5-32, 6-75
Towing a Trailer
................................ 4-29
Towing Your Vehicle
............................. 5-6
Trailer Towing
............................... 4-29
TopStrap
..................................... 1-26 Transmission Fluid
.............................. 6-18
Automatic
................................... 6-18
Manual
..................................... 6-21
Transmitters. Passive Keyless Entry
................. 2-4
Transportation. Courtesy
.......................... 8-6
Trip Odometer
................................. 2-74
TTYUsers
..................................... 8-3
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
............. 2-36
Turn Signalklultifunction Lever
................... 2-35
Underbody Flushing Service
..................... 7-43
Underbody Maintenance
......................... 6-61
Universal Theft-Deterrent
........................ 2-13
UnderhoodLampsFuse
.......................... 6-72
Vehicle Control
...................................... 4-5
Damage Warnings
.............................. ix
Dimensions
................................. 6-77
Identification Number
......................... 6-63
Loading
.................................... 4-28
Ventilation System
............................... 3-9
Visor Vanity
Mirrors ............................ 2-51
Visors, Sun
.................................... 2-51
Voltmeter
..................................... 2-77
Storage
..................................... 6-35
I
9-11