CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1993 1.G Owners Manual

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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 Chevrolet 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.
Depending
on your speed, this can be
rather violent for an unprepared 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
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 ?4 turn
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Off-Road Recovev (CONT.)
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.
So here are some tips for passing:
“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
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for
a better time.
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.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you suspect that the driver of the
vehicle
you want to pass isn’t aware of
your presence, tap the horn a couple
of times before passing.
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.
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 cance1,your pass, you
need only slow down and drop back
again and wait for another opportunity.
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
If other cars are lined up to pass a and
move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside
mirror is convex. 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.
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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
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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.
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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 Chevrolet’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 foot 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 these conditions. It is
important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will
be longer and vehicle control more
limited.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid. Steer
the way you want to
go.
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.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
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.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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‘I
Night Wsion
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase. A SO-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 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
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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
If the vehicle approaching you has its
high beams on, signal by flicking yours
to high and then back to low beam. This is the 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 cities, using high beams is illegal.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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
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Driving in the Rain (CONT:)
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
2quipment 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.
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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
werl in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could. lose
control of the vehicle.
After driving though a large
puddle
of water or a car wash,
apply your brake pedal lightly until
your
brakes work normally.
mm. I46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
You might
not be aware of hydroplaning.
You could drive along for some time
without realizing your tires aren’t
in
constant contact with the road. You
could find out the hard way: when you
have to slow, turn, move out to pass-or
if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could
suddenly find yourself
out of control. 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, and be careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your headlights-not just your
parking lights-to help make you
more
visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming
from behind. You may want
to use
your headlights even
in daytime if it’s
raining hard.
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. If
the road spray is so heavy you
are actually blinded, drop back. Don’t
pass until conditions improve. Going
more slowly is better than having an
accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See
the Index under fires.)
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Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
Fog can occur with high humidity or
heavy frost. It can be
so mild that you
can see through it for several hundred
feet (meters). Or it might be
so thick
that you can see only a few
feet (meters)
ahead. It may come suddenly to an
otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When
you drive into a fog patch, your
visibility will be reduced quickly. The
biggest dangers are striking the vehicle
ahead or being struck by the one
behind. Try to “read” the fog density
down the road.
If the vehicle ahead
starts to become less clear or, at night, if
the taillights are harder to see, the fog is
probably thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you a chance to slow
down.
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Everybody then has a better chance to
avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only
for a
few feet (meters) or for miles
(kilometers); you can’t really tell while
you’re
in it. You can only treat the
situation with extreme care.
One common fog condition-sometimes
called mist or ground fog-can happen
in weather that seems perfect, especially
at night or in the early morning
in valley
and low, marshy areas.
You can be
suddenly enveloped
in thick, wet haze
that may even coat your windshield.
You
can often spot these fog patches or mist
layers with your headlights. But
sometimes they can be waiting for
you
as you come over a hill or dip into a
shallow valley. Start your windshield
wipers and washer to help clear
accumulated road dirt. Slow down
carefully.
Tips on Driving in Fog
If you get caught in fog, turn your
headlights on low beam, even in
daytime. You’ll see-and be
seen-better.
Don’t use your high beams. The light
will bounce
off the water droplets that
make up fog and reflect back at you.
Use your defogger. In high humidity,
even a light buildup of moisture
on the
inside
of the glass will cut down on your
already limited visibility. Run your
windshield wipers and washer
occasionally. Moisture can build up
on
the outside glass, and what seems to be
fog may actually be moisture on the
outside of your windshield.
Treat dense fog as an emergency. Try to
find a place
to pull off the road. Of
course you want to respect another’s
property, but you might need to put