check engine CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1996 5.G Owner's Manual
Page 150 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
0 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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Page 154 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
0
0
0
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.
0
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
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Page 155 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on
a freeway as a passing lane.
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
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
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.
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 dealerships all across North America. They’ll
be ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Page 156 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 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?
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?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
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:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 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.
Page 157 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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.
0
0
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels
and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. 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.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on
a steep
downhill slope.
Page 161 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine
to keep warm, but be careful.
A CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see
it or smell it, so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time
to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s
away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
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Page 168 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trailer Brakes Following Distance
Because
you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into
your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to
know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight
of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving
is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time. Stay
at least twice as far behind me vehicle ahead
as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing
a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the
load is secure, and that
the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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Page 169 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Chevrolet dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal
a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop. When
towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned
out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down
a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to
use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer, you may want to drive in
DRIVE
(D) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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Page 170 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a
hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do
it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P)
yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes.
Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift
to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belts, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered
in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Page 174 of 340
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet ( 100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Chevrolet.
But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
LA CAUTIC
T:
-
I Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain .gas that can explode or igni
0 They contain enough electricity to
burn you. te.
If you
don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1 NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Trying to start your Chevrolet by
pushing or pulling it won’t work, and it could
damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery
with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.