PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1996 Owners Manual

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 Pontiac’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wh’eels
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 throttIe causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control, 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
i,s 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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Driving at Night Here are some tips on night dnving.
0 Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
gl&e from headlamps behind you.
slow down and keep more space between
you and
other vehicles.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
0 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 chugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
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Night Vision
No one c8n 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 afTect 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 adNsting 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. Keep
you 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 farless 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 .
You can be temporarily blinddby approaching. aren't even aware of it.
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 fkom a driver who doesn't
lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with mished '
headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring directly
into the approaching headlamps.
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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads 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.
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.’
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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.
.Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in
a quick stop and may cause pulling to ‘one
side.
You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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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 can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it
is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
~~~~~~~~
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
I
some Other Ralg Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible
to others.
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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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:
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a
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-countq 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 signd A traftic light is
there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When
a light huns 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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Freeway Driving
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.
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 rarnp 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 th’e 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 certaih 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 tu
the next exit.
The exit rarnp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
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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. We,ar 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
Pontiac 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:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
0 Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses dean?
0 Tires: They are vitally irnportmt to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires
all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
0 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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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 h Zess
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
a
0
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
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or ,rolling terrain.
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