PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1996 Owners Manual

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
drinking -- 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.
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 *.not drink.
~
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Control of a Vehicle Braking
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where Braking action involves perception
time and
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and reaction time.
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work First, you have to decide to push on the brake
at the places where the tires meet the road. pedal. That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot Ad do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average.
It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 h/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
-
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition of your brakes.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. i
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate
a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may
get harder to push down. If your engine -
stops, you dill still have some power brake assist. But
you
will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up,
it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder tol push.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock, brake system
will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is
going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
ANTILOCK (a)
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System
Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly
an animal jumps out in
front
of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes
at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than
any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t cfiange 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 I
and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
workg, or you may notice some noise, but this is normd.
Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction con&ol system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates
only if it senses
that one
or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to limit wheel
spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal,.
If your-vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system. begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise.
control
will automatically disengage. When road ’
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See “Cruise
Control”
in the Index.)
TRACTION
OFF
Men the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to kt
you know if there’s- a
problem with. your traction
control system.
See “Traction Control System
Warning Light’’ in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving .., ’. . ~ i 1 accordingly. --- ,.! “ A
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The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. (You
should
turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
To turn the system off, press
the
TRACTION
CONTROL button located
on the console next to the
gear shift selector.
I I
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press
the button, the warning light will come on -- but the
system won’t
turn off right away. It will wait until there’s
no longex a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should
go off.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even
the very best braking.
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.
Magnasteer
Your vehicle is equipped with GM Magnasteer TM , a
steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you
feel when steering.at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking, yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
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Steering Tips
Driving on 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 you have traction control and the 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 spied. Wait
to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right
in fi-ont of you. You can avoid these
problems by
braking -- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
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Your Pontiac can perfom very well in emergencies like An emergency like this requires close attention and a
these. First apply your brakes. (See ‘‘Braking in quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It
is better to
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
remove as much speed as you can from
a possible turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
right depending on the space available. just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
,
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive ‘driving at
all times and.wear safety belts properly.
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Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
/ // e- LEFT APPAOX. QUARTER TURN
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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 traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
hun or an intersection, delay youi 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 seems empty of approaching trS1c.
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a a 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
. 4, I y other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
- - -8 -“running start” that more than makes up for the
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a
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.
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.
a
a
a
a
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.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at
a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
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.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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