brakes CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1998 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on
an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
ACID COULD BAlTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS TURN
A
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(@)
COOLANT
a
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
WA
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER
HORN
b
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
X

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the ON position. If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the
shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) and release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
(If you do not apply the brake after
15 seconds once the
ignition is turned on, you will receive a
PRESS BRAKE
BEFORE SHIFT message in the Driver Information
Center.) See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I 1
I NOTICE:
r
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE (R) only
after your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission,
see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed)
is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
2-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
1
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is for
normal driving.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow
or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand
or mud or were up against a solid
object.
You could damage your transmission.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and
you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle. Make sure the brake warning light is not on before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Hold the release button in as
you move the brake lever
all the
way down.
2-33

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips. Cruise
control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph
(40 km/h).
When using cruise control, the accelerator pedal will
return to its fully-released position and will not move
while cruise control. is engaged.
The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display the
cruise set speed in
a digital number. For example, the DIC will
say CRUISE SET
60 mph (97 km/h). When
you apply your brakes or push the clutch pedal, the
cruise control disengages. The DIC will show CRUISE
DISENGAGED. See “DIC Warnings and Messages” in
the Index.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. (See “Traction
Control System” in the Index.) When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back
on.
2-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the light comes on while you are driving and you have Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
a LOW -BRAKE FLUID message showing on the DIC,
pull
off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
engine and may stay on for
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing on
when you
start your
to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still system,
the light will come
the pedal is, harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer With
the anti-lock brake
several seconds.
Your Vel le” in the Index.)
w v v
That’s’normal.
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
brake warning light on can lead to an accident.
If
the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or
comes
on again while you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light
is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System
Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ABS ACTIVE (Anti-Lock Brake System Active) - :
When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid, the ABS ACTIVE message
will be displayed.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this message is
displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The
message will stay on for a few seconds after the system
stops adjusting brake pressure.
SERVICE ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) - : If the
SERVICE ABS message is displayed when you
are
driving, stop as soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the system. If
the message stays on, or comes back on again while you
are driving, your vehicle is in need of service. If the
regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you still
have brakes, but don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system light is also on, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there is a problem with your
brakes.
See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier in
this section.
If the SERVICE ABS message is being displayed, your
traction control system and the optional active handling system will also be disabled. The driver information
center will scroll three messages SERVICE ABS,
SERVICE TRACTION SYS. and SERVICE ACTIVE
HNDLG and the instrument cluster car icon will be illuminated.
The driver can acknowledge these messages
by pressing the reset button three times. When the
service message is displayed the computer controlled
systems will not assist the driver and you should have
the system repaired as soon as possible. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
SERVICE COLUMN LOCK: The system that
controls the locking and unlocking of the steering
column may not work properly. Have the vehicle towed
to a dealer for service.
LOW OIL PRESSURE: You will hear four chimes and
the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when this
message is displayed.
To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the
RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until the vehicle is serviced.
If you
do not press RESET, the message will remain on the
digital display until the vehicle is serviced.
Low oil pressure may be the result of a combination of
low oil level and abrupt changes in the vehicle’s
direction. When this warning
is displayed, you should
not operate the engine at high
RPM or make fast abrupt
moves. When convenient, you should check the oil
level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected
by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with
a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
4-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake 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 314 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 more 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 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 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 condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount
of brake force applied. Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster
if you
do
a lot of heavy braking. 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 will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
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. .. ,.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking slud.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little.
This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
4-7