traction control CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 1995 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine All- Wheel Drive (Option)
If your vehicle has all-wheel drive, your engine’s driving power is sent to
all four wheels for extra traction,
This is like
four-wheel drive, but
there is no separate
lever or switch to
engage or disengage
the front axle. It is
fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as
needed for road
conditions.
Windows
To open your manual
windows,
tt.u-n the
hand crank on each door to raise or lower
your side door
windows.
If
you have optional
power windows, the controls are on each of
the front side doors.
The driver’s door has
a switch for the front
passenger window as
well. Your power
windows will not
move unless the ignition has been
turned to
RUN.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get your foot up
to the brake pedal. 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.
To Use 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loss of Confrol
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 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires
by treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the
tire when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half (1 112)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A
tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
Temperature - A, 9, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
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