light CHEVROLET CAMARO 1993 Service Manual

Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Chevrolet has an advanced
electronic
braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
I
This light on the instrument panel will go
on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle,
you may
hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise. And you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves
a little while this is
going
on. This is the ABS system testing
itself. If you have your foot
on the brake
pedal, this check won't happen until the
vehicle goes about
3 mph (5 km/h) or
until you take your foot off the brake
pedal. If
there's
a problem with the anti-lock
brake system. the
ABS INOP warning
light will stay on
or flash.
See "Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light" in the Index.
143.m-
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Your Driving and the Road
I
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. The computer separately
works 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.
1
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your conlputer keeps
receiving updates
on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
I CAUTION;
A
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,
1 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.
I'o Use Anti-Lock:
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and
let anti-lock work
for you. When the
ABS is active, the
LOW TRAC light comes on to indicate
low traction conditions. Adjust your
driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for about four seconds after
the
ABS stops being active.
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Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Unless you have the four-wheel disc
brake option, your Chevrolet has front
disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake peda
firmly). 1 The brake wear warning sound
- means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have
your vehicle serviced.
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brake pads could result in rnctl\~
brake repair. Some driving conditions
or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something
is wrong with your
brakes.
Rear Drum Brakes
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t
have wear indicators,
but if you ever hear
a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected.
Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed
for rotation or changing. When you have
the front brakes replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
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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.
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.
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I Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder
(A) 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 1/4 turn (B) until the right
front tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn your steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway. 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 front 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.
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.
149
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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.)
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 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.
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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.
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Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken
Driving’’
in the Index for more on this
problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce
the glare from headlights
behind you.
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Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
Slow down, especially
on higher
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
But if you’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot
of things invisible that should
remain visible
- such as parked cars,
obstacles, pedestrians,
or even trains
blocking railway crossings. You may
want to put
on your sunglasses after you
have pulled into a brightly-lighted service
or refreshment area. Eyes shielded from
that glare may adjust more quickly to
darkness back on the road. But be sure to
remove your sunglasses before you leave
the service
area.-^-
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights.
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 headlights), slow
down a
little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching lights. If there is a line of
opposing traffic, make occasional glances
over the line
of headlights to make certain
that one
of the vehicles isn’t starting to
move into
your lane. Once you are past
the bright lights, give your eyes time to
readjust before resuming speed.
High Beams
[f the vehicle approaching you has its
high beams on, signal
by flicking yours to
high and then back to low beam. This is
:he usual signal to lower the headlight
beams. If the other driver
still doesn’t
lower the beams, resist the temptation
to
put your high beams on. This only makes
two half-blinded drivers.
On a freeway, use your high beams only
in remote areas where you won’t impair
approaching drivers. In some places, like
Zities, using high beams is illegal.
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When you follow another vehicle on a
freeway or highway, use low beams. True,
most vehicles now have day/night mirrors
that enable the driver to reduce glare. But
outside mirrors are not of this type and
high beams from behind can bother the
driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
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.
Tobacco smoke also makes inside glass
surfaces very filmy and can be a vision
hazard
if it’s left there. Dirty
glass makes lights dazzle and flash
more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
You might even want to keep a cloth and
some glass cleaner
in your vehicle if you
need to clean your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights 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 headlights 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 the Rain
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
.I. 156
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. Road
spray can often be worse for vision than
rain, especially
if it comes from a dirty
road.
So it is 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. Driving too fast through large water
puddles or even going through some car
I I
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
- L accidents. They won’t work
I
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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