ESP CHEVROLET MALIBU 1997 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside
down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
A CAWTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open
it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better
off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or Keyless Entry System, if your vehicle has this option. From the inside,
to lock the door, move the locking
lever forward.
To unlock the door, move the locking lever rearward.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To replace the battery in the Keyless Entry System:
1. Use a small coin or flathead screwdriver to separate
the bottom half from the top half of the transmitter.
2. Remove the battery and replace it with the new one.
Make sure the positive
(+) side of the battery faces
down. Use one
3 volt, CR2032, or equivalent,
type battery.
3. Put the two halves back together. Make sure the
cover is on tightly,
so water won’t get in.
4. Check the operation of the transmitter with your
vehicle.
If the transmitter does not work, try
synchronizing the transmitter with the receiver.
Synchronization
Your keyless entry system is equipped with a security
system that prevents anyone fi-om recording and playing
back your signal. The transmitter does not send the same
signal twice to the receiver. The receiver will not respond
to a signal that has been sent to it more than once.
To resynchronize your transmitter and receiver, follow
these directions:
1. Stand close to your vehicle,
2. Press and hold the LOCK and UNLOCK buttons on
the transmitter at the same time,
3. Hold the buttons for five seconds. In this time, the
doors should lock and unlock once. This confirms
the resynchronization.
If the doors do not lock and
unlock, see your dealer for service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ..
I
To turn the lockout on, slide the switch all the way to the
left.
To turn the lockout off, slide the switch all the way
to the right.
When
the lockout is on, the remote trunk release switch
on the instrument panel
will not release the trunk lid.
However, the
trunk lid can still be opened with the key,
but not with the keyless entry transmitter
(if equipped).
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Chevrolet has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your Chevrolet and open the driver’s
door, you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your
key from the ignition and take it with you. Always do
this. Your ignition and transaxle will be locked. And
remember to lock the doors.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic
Light Control
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor below the defroster grille makes the DRL
and Automatic Light Control (ALC) work, so be sure it
isn’t covered. The
DRL system will make your
low-beam headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off,
The transaxle is not in PARK (P) and
The park brake is not set. When the DRL are
on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be lit
up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, the ALC system will
turn your headlamps on to full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will
also
come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the ALC system will
turn off your regular lamps, and your low-beam
headlamps change to the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the park brake
while the ignition is off. Then start the vehicle. The
DRL will stay off until you release the park brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio
to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it’s very
important to
do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation
of
your vehicle’s engine, Delco radio or other
systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s
systems may interfere with the operation of
sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
3-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drirking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
’
A CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol.
You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate
a driver who will
not drink.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffk signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seem empty
of approaching traffk.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
0 If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to
turn.
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
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 trymg 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.
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.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t dnnk and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare from
headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
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
headlamps. 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 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 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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