CHEVROLET MALIBU 2007 6.G Owners Manual

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets
is the amount of traffic on them. You will 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 will save time and
energy. SeeFreeway Driving on page 312.
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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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 ow. 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 ow. 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 ow.
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Once you are on the freeway, adjust your
speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it is 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 is not
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. 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 are ready. Try to be well rested.
If you must start when you are not fresh — such
as after a day’s work — do not plan to make
too many miles that rst 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 is ready to go. If
it needs service, have it done before starting out.
Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts in GM dealerships all across
North America. They will be ready and willing to
help if you need it.
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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?
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 inated to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is 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?
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. Do not 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.
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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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different
from driving in at or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that
can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all uid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transaxle. These parts
can work hard on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could
get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine assist
the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
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.
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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. Do not 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 winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your trunk.
Also seeTires on page 397.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply of windshield washer uid, a rag,
some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a
ashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reective
warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under
severe conditions, include a small bag of sand,
a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly
secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires
meet the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the
tires and the road, you can have a very slippery
situation. You will have a lot less traction, or
grip, and will need to be very careful.
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What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
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.
Unless you have the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), you will want to brake very gently, too.
If you do have ABS, seeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 293. This system improves
your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard
stop on a slippery road. Whether you have ABS
or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner
than you would on dry pavement. Without ABS,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up
on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal
down steadily to get the most traction you can.
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Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just
slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling
and you can still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as 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
are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You Are 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 ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets or
extra clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
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