steering wheel CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1993 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features & Contds
Every vehicle with power door locks has a pulse lock system. \
A pulse lock
system works like this:
If the sliding door is open and you push the power door lock sw\
itch, the
sliding door will not lock immediately. After you close the do\
or, the system
comes on and, in about five seconds, locks the sliding door.
All models have overriding door locks. When a door is locked, the \
door
handle will not work the latch. This will help stop a door from being
accidentally opened. However, power door locks do not affect th\
e operation of
the hatch.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your door and set t\
he
locks from inside. Then get out and close the door.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities. Although your vehicle
has a number of theft deterrent features, we know that nothing\
we put on it
can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can help.
Key in the ignition: If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys inside,
it’s an easy target for joy riders
or professional thieves-so don’t do it. When
you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door, you’ll \
hear a chime reminding you to remove your key from the ignition and take i\
t with you.
Always do this. Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your ignition
and transmission. And remember
to lock the doors.
Parking at Night: Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight. Put the\
m in a storage
area,
or take them with you.
Parking Lots: If you park in a lot where someone will be watching your
vehicle,
it’s best to lock it up and take your keys. But what if you have to
leave your ignition key? What
if you have to leave something valuable in your
vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area out of sight.
Lock all doors except the driver’s.
Then take the door key with you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE
Ignition Switch
Use your ignition key to start your vehicle. The ignition key lets you turn the
ignition switch to five different positions.
Acc (Accessory): Lets you use things like the radio and the windshield
wipers when the engine is off. To get into
Acc, push in the key and turn it
toward you. Your steering wheel will remain locked, just as
it was before you
inserted the key.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine LOCK: This position locks your ignition, steering wheel and transmissi\
on. It‘s
a theft deterrent feature. You will only be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to LOCK.
Off: This position lets you turn off the engine, but still turn the steering
wheel.
It doesn’t lock the steering wheel like LOCK. Use Off if you must
have your vehicle in motion while the engine is
off (for example, if your
vehicle is being pushed).
Ron: This is the position for driving.
Start: This starts your engine.
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t turn it, be sure it is ai
Starting Your Engine
Engines start differently. The 8th digit of your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) shows the code letter or number for your engine. You will find the VIN
at the top left of your instrument panel. (See “Vehicle Identification Number\
”
in the index.)
Follow the proper steps to start the engine.
To Start Your 4.3 Liter (WN Codes Z and W) V6
€nglnes:
1. Move your shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). Your engine won’t start
in any other position-that’s a safety feature. To restart when you’re
already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
2. Don’t push the accelerator pedal before starting your engine.\
In some
other vehicles you might need to
do this, but because of your vehicle’s
computer systems, you don’t.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FeatuEs & Contmls
Horn
NO047
Press the pad in the center of the steering wheel to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
NO046
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel be\
fore you drive.
You can
also raise it to the highest level to give your legs more room wh\
en
you exit and enter the vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the lever. Move the
steering wheel
to a comfortable level, then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
The 7brn Signal/Multifunction Lever
PO436
The lever on the left side of the steering column includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlight High-Low Beam & Passing Signal
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control (Optional)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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
fails
to function, 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. Those two control systems-steering and acceleration-can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make \
you lose
control.
What should you
do if this ever happens? Let 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
speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and\
then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead of
you because
it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason to drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braki\
ng. 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 proble\
m.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes.
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. You must then be prepared
to steer
back to your original lane and then brake to a controlled stop.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Depending on your speed, this can be rather violent for an un\
prepared driver.
This is one of the reasons driving experts recommend that you use your
safety belts and keep both hands on the steering wheel.
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason
to practice defensive driving at all times.
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 is
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 a quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel
to go straight down the
roadway.
I
AM428001
If the shoulder appears to be about four inches (100 mm) or more below the
pavement, this difference can cause problems.
If there is not enough room to
pull entirely onto the shoulder and stop, then follow the same\
procedures. But
if the right tire scrubs against the side of the pavement, do NOT steer more
sharply. With too much steering angle, the vehicle may jump back onto the
road with
so much steering input that it crosses over into the oncoming traffic
before you can bring
it back under control.
Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering input, straddle the
pavement once more, then try again.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
0
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 c\
onvex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem
to be further 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 lights 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.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens whe\
n the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t ha\
ve 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 possib\
le.
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 (as when you turn
a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foo\
t
off the
accelerator pedal
as soon as you feel the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer
the way you want the vehicle
to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle will straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front wheels.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .
AN48001 9
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold \
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble \
because it may
offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice
until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition-smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow-drive
with caution. Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile \
traction.
If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the\
surface under
the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on \
a slippery
road. Even though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’\
ll want to begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See “Anti-lo\
ck” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hi\
t a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice pa\
tches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface\

of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads\
are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are o\
n
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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