CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1993 4.G Owners Manual

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Drunken Driving (cam)
The law in most U.S. states sets the
legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In
Canada the limit is 0.08 percent, and in
some other countries it’s lower than
that. The
BAC will be over 0.10 percent
after three
to six drinks (in one hour).
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Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on
how much alcohol is in the drinks, and
how quickly the person drinks them.
But
it’s very important to keep in mind
that the ability
to drive is affected well
below
a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research
shows that the driving slrills of many
people are impaired at a BAG
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the
effects are
worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at BAC levels above 0.05
percent. Statistics show that the chance
of being in an accident increases- sharply
for drivers who have a BAG of 0.05
percent or above. A driver with a BAC
level of 0.06 percent (three beers in one
hour
for a 180-pound or 82 kg person)
has doubled his or her chance of having
an accident. At a BAC level of 0.10
percent, the chance of that driver
having an accident is six times greater;
at a level of
0.15 pexent, the chances
are twenty-five times greater!
And, the
body takes about
an hour to rid itself of
the alcohol in one drink. No amount of
coffee or number of cold showers will
speed that
up.

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Braking
Braking action involves perception
time .and reaction: time.
First, you have.to .decide to push on the
br&i pedal. That’s perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot
and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time .is about 3/4 -of, a
second. But that’s only an average. It
might be less with one driver and- as
long as two or three seconds or mQre
with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all
play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 Wh)
travels 66 feet (21) m). That could be a
lot
of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your
vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the surface
of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel) ; the conditian uf the road (wet,
dry, icy); tire tread; arid the. condition of
your brakes.
Most drivers;treat.their brakes with
care. Some, however, overwarlc the
braking system with poor driving habits.
. Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people. drive in spurts-heavy
acceleration followed.
by heavy
braking-rather- than lreeping pace
with traffic, This.is a mistake. Your
brakes may
not have he to cool
between hard.stops. Your brakes will
wear out much faster if you do a lot of
heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting
your left
foot rest lightly on the hake
pedal while driving.
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“Riding” yom brakes. can
cause them to overheat $u:,~&e
point that they.won’t work well.
You might not be able to-stop .your
vehicle in time -to avoid an accident.
If you “ride” your bides,. they w3’i
get, suhot they :direquire a bt of
pedal force to slow you down.
Avoid “riding” the’brakes.
INoTIcE .
If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and
longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re
driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you wilI still have
some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it may take
Homgez ta stop and the brake pedal will
be harder to push.
Anti-L~ck Brakes (ABS)
Your Corvette has an advanced
electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
This light on the instrument panel will
go on when you start your vehicle.
See the Index under Anti-Lock Brake
System Light.

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Anfi-Lock Brakes (CONT.)
Here's haw 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 brakesat each front wheel
and at the .rear wheels.
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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 alid road
conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving
updates on wheel speed ad
controls braking pressure accordingly.
CAUTION

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine P TO Use Anti-L.ock:
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal downand let anti-lock
work for you. You may feel the brake
pedal
vibrate, or you -may notice some
noise,
but thi.s is normal.
When the ABS is active, the ABS
ACTIVE light- conies on to-indicate luw
traction conditions.
Adjust your -driving
accordingly.
When
you start your vehicle and begin
to drive away, you may hear a
momentary motsr Qr .clicking, noise-and
you. my even notice that, yow bmke
pedd -moves a little while this is going
on.
This is the ABS test-ing itself. You-
may also hear and feel this durihg a
hard stop.
Corvette ASR (Acceleration SIip
R.egulati0.n) System
Yo& vehicle has an ASR system that
limits wheel
spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The
ASR system works at all speeds. It
limits
wheel spin by reducing englne
torque
by cLusing the throttle and
managing
sp'ark and .applyiag the rear
brakes. You may €&el the system
working., .or
you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.

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Corvette ASR System (CONT.)
The ASR system comes on when the
ignition is -turned
on and operates at all
speeds. When your ASR system is
operating, the
ASR ACTIVE indicator
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC)
will come on. It indicates the system
has detected excess wheel slip, like the
conditions found on slippery-roads.
Also, when ASR is active, the cruise
control
will be automaticaIly turned off
The SERVICE ASR warning light lets
you know
when there is a problem with
your ASR system. When this light is on,
you have no-automatic wheel spin
protection. Adjust your driving
accordingly, See the
Index under
Service ASR Light..
Turning the ASR System Off
To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should
always leave your ASR. system on. But
you can turn the ASR system off if you
ever need to. ASR OFF means the
controller is passive, but still
monitoring wheel
speed informauon.

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To turn the system off, press the button
located above the headlight switch. The
ASR OFFlight will come on and stay
on. If you are driving and push the ASR
OFF button, the ASR system will not
be turned off until the rear wheels
stabilize with the front wheels.
Any
time the ASR system is off, it can be
switched.
on again. The ASR OFF light
should
go off. The ASR system
automatically comes
on whenever you
start your vehicle.
NOTE: When ASR is active the cruise
CQntrOl will go off.
Disc Brake Wear lndicators
Your Corvette has four-wheel disc
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
aIl the time your vehicle is moving
(except when you
are pushing on the
brake pedal firmly). 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.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.

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Your Driving and the Road
Brake Pedal Travel Brake Adjustment
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, Qr if there
AS you make brake stops, your disc
couid be a sign of brake trouble
is
a rapid- increase in pedal travel. This
brakes automatically adjust .for wear. , .. .
178
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.emagencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best
braking;.

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Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist
because the engine stops
or the system
fails to function, you c-an steer but it
will take much more effort.
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steering Tips-Dtiving on Curves
It's important to tale 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 tixes 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
yuu"ve mer tried to steer a vehicle on
wet ice> you:U understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve
depends on the condition of your tizies
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
a.xve. Then you suddenly acwlerate. If
excess wheel spin is detected, ASR will
reduce erigine torque to the wheels. Lf
your ASR system is off, those two
control systems-steering and
acceleration-can ovGrwhelm those
i places where-the tires meet the road and
~ make you lose control.
1 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.