wheel CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1994 1.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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..
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can De
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.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times
and wear safety belts properly. I Off-Ruad Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
lvheels have dropped
off the edge of a
soad onto the shoulder while you're
hiving.
:f the level of the shoulder is only
;lightly below the pavement, recovery
;hould be fairly easy. Ease off the
iccelerator and then, if there is nothing
n the way, steer
so that your vehicle
itraddles the edge of the pavement. You
:an turn the steering wheel up to
1/4
urn until the right front tire contacts
he pavement edge. Then turn your
;teering wheel
to go straight down the
toadway.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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.
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, 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 braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking slid.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion.
After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend
to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long
Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested.
If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part
of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to
go. If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Chevrolet dealerships all
across North America. They’ll be ready
and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have
you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy
stretch of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush
of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in
less than a
second,
and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the. sides. Check your
rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness
on the
highway as an emergency.
a

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
I..
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-lock in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road
might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches 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 on it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually
on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
I24
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle
unless you know for sure that you are
near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to do to
summon help and keep yourself and
your passengers safe: Turn on your
hazard flashers. Tie
a red cloth to your
vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra
clothing or wrap a blanket around
you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing,
make body insulators from newspapers,
burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything
you can wrap around yourself or tuck
under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm,
but be careful.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run the
engine, malte it go a little faster than
just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery
charged.
You will need a well-charged
battery to restart the vehicle, and
possibly
for signaling later on with your
headlights. Let the heater run for
awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve
the heat. Start the engine again and
repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it
as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as
long as
you can. To help keep warm,
you can get out
of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half
hour or so until help comes.
~~
Recreational Towing
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle,
you can tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle for use at your
destination. Be sure
to use proper
towing equipment designed for
recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
Tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground. Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF to
unlock the steering wheel.
OFF will
also prevent the automatic door locks
from locking.
(Neutral).
3.
Shift your manual transaxle to
N
4. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed
does not exceed
55 mph (90 lm),
or your vehicle could be badly
damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
-
A
B
I Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a
xofessional towing service tow your
Zhevrolet. The usual towing equipment
:A) Sling-type tow truck
:B) Wheel-lift tow truck
C) Car carrier
f your vehicle has been changed or
nodified since it was factory-new by
ldding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
iero skirting, or special tires and
uheels, these instructions and
llustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the
lazard warning flashers.
S:
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front with sling-type
equipment.
That, if you have the 2-24, your
vehicle cannot
be towed from the
front or rear with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle. lever.
damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there was an accident, what was
When the towing service arrives, let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions
and illustrations. The operator may
want to see them.
.I I32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use
the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transaxle should be in
N
(Neutral) and the parking brake
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the
front wheels, unless you must. If the
vehicle must be towed
on the front wheels,
don’t
go more than 35 mph (56 kdh)
or farther than
50 miles (80 lun) or your
transaxle will be damaged.
If these
limits must be exceeded, then the front
wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
Towing from the Front-Vehicle
Hookup
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be
sure to read all the information in
Towing Your Vehicle earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains into the slots
in the bottom
of the floor pan, just
behind the front wheels, on both
sides.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type
equipment or fascia damage will
occur. Use wheel-lift or car carrier
equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and
wheel straps.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough
surfaces could damage a vehicle.
Damage can occur from vehicle
to
ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage,
install a towing dolly and raise
vehicle until adequate clearance is
obtained between the ground
and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks
to suspension components when
using car carrier equipment. Always
use T-hooks inserted
in the T-hook
slots.
2. Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end
of each lower
control arm.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing from the Rear- Vehicle
Hook-up
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be
sure to read all the information in
Towing Your Vehicle earlier in this
section.
Also be sure to use the proper
hook-up for your particular vehicle.
All Models:
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides
in the slotted holes in the bottom
of
the frame rail just ahead of the rear
wheels.
2. Position lower sling crossbar directly
under the rear bumper.
I-
-24 Model:
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type
equipment or rear bumper valance
will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or
car carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car
carrier equipment. Use safety
chains and wheel straps.
~~
ote: The ignition must be in the Off
Isition to keep automatic door locks
3m locking during tow.
I
I
135 11 -

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
All Models:
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough
surfaces could damage a vehicle.
Damage can occur from vehicle to
ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage,
install a towing dolly and raise
vehicle until adequate clearance is
obtained between the ground
and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks
to suspension components when
using car carrier equipment. Always
use T-hooks inserted in the T-hook
slots.
r I I
3. Attach a separate safety chain to each
side of the axle inboard
of the spring.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage on your Chevrolet’s instrument
panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine