check engine CHEVROLET MALIBU 1997 5.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to
turn.
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
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 trymg 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t dnnk and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare from
headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 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. But
if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. 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 headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
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. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps 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 headlamps 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities.
You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When a light
turns green, and just before you
start
to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there
is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay\
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The exit speed is usually posted.
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:
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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?
Lamps: 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 Forecasts: What’s the 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?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
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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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels
and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle.
These parts can work hard on mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine
do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill, You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine
assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
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I A CAUTION: -
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor
braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle
in gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
gear possible.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center of
the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area
or windmg
roads. Be
alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 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.
A CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to
be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just
a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This
will help
keep
CO out.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving with a nailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform (and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal \
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible, have someone guide you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t
strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different
turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Chevrolet dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,\

change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
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