CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Owners Manual

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 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 feel
the brakes vibrate, or you
may notice some noise, but
this
is normal.
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,
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. 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.
4-8

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.
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 front 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.
Your vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking
in
Emergencies’’ earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem,
to the left or
right depending on
the space available. An
emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and
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.
4-9

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.
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:
0 “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 w’hatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
0 Watch for traffic 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 seems empty of approaching traffic.
4-10

0 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.
0 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.
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.
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.
0 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.
4-11

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 vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In
the steering or cornering skid, too
muchspeed 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 and an acceleration skid are 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.
4-12

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason
is that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
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.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
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.
4-13

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.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
L
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.
4-14

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
with
washer fluid. 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. 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.
49.1 5

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.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 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.
“Tires’’
in the Index.)
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
4-16