traction control CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER 1993 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features & Controls
mud. If the selector lever is put in 1 (First Gear), the transmission won't
shift into
1 (First Gear) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE 1
I
If your rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to drive. This might happen
you were stuck in very deep sand
or mud or were up against a soli(
obiect. You could damage your transmission or transfar case, or hoth
Atso, IT u stop when goir uphill, m't hold your vel ~ -e tl 'e with only
the accelerator pedal. This could overheat and damage the transmission.
Use yo1 "--kes or shift into :Park) hold your vehicle in position o
Loc&hg Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you additional traction on
snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time,
but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to move\
the vehicle.
Parking Brake
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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 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 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 brak\
ing by shifting
to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to s\
lide. 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 sno\
w on the
road to make a “mirrored sutface”-and slow down when you have any\

doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking
skid. Steer the way you want to go.
Driving at Night
AN450006
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.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more on
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from he\
adlights
this problem.)
behind you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you ever replace your tires with those not having a TPC Spec \
number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating an\
d construction
type (bias, bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires.
A
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mix
tires
of different sizes or types (like radial and bias-belted tires) the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Be
sure
to use the same size and type tires on all wheels. I
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare, though. It was developed for
limited use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grade\
s tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies o\
nly
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 governmen\
t test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (142)
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 var\
iations in
driving habits, service practices and differences in road charac\
teristics 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.
Temperatur+A, B, 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 laborat\
ory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire
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