ESP CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1996 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q:
A:
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Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with-
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle
up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
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t
Q:
A:
If.1’m a good driver,, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety bdts?
You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident-- even one that isn’t your fault --- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect ybu from things beyond your ’
control, such as bad drivers.
I
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 lun) sf
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths OCCUT at spee.cls .of less than 40 mph
(65 W). . ,
,Safety belts are for everyone. I
’ 1-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
I I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out
of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better
off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your door key or Remote Lock
Control transmitter, if your vehicle has this option. From the inside,
push the lever
to lock the door. To
unlock, pull the lever.
Power Door Locks
Press the power door lock switch to lock or unlock
all doors.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your
door and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remote Trunk Release (Option)
Press the button under
the instrument panel
on
the driver’s side. Your
transaxle shift lever must
be in PARK
(P).
Remember that your trunk can be opened at any time
using this lock release. Be sure to lock your doors.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Chevrolet has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it. When
you park your Chevrolet and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear
a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
Tf you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best
to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if
you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
Lock the glove box.
or glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Lamps
The lamp controls are on the instrument panel. They
control these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
0 Parking Lamps
License Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lamps
0 Courtesy Lamps
-g- Turn the knob to this symbol (C) to turn on the
headlamps and other operating lamps.
pf Turn the knob to this symbol (B) to turn on the
parking and other operating lamps without the
headlamps.
Turn the knob to
OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound when you turn
the ignition
switch to
OFF, LOCK or ACC with the lamps on.
"time Ru: ling Lamps (Canada Only)
mytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn't covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on
at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering Wheel Controls (Option)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons
on your steering wheel.
VOLUME: Press the up arrow to increase the volume
and the down arrow to decrease volume,
PLAY Press this button to play a cassette tape or
compact disc when the radio is playing.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again to turn on the sound.
SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to the next radio
station and the down arrow to tune to
the previous radio
station.
If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the
player will advance with the up arrow and rewind with
the down arrow.
PRESET: Press this button to play a station you have
programmed on the radio preset buttons.
AM-FM: Press this button to choose AM, FM1 or
FM2. If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, it will
stop and the radio will play.
derstanding Radio Reception
Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and
go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting
the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to
it.
3-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. “I’ll be careful”
isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something
else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol
in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
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.
4-4 =

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The driver OT a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane
highway
is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or
a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of
all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line
on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following
a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space
if the vehicle
ahead suddenly
slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for
the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your
turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind
spot.

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.
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 hying 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.
4-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
0 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.
4- 14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that
is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
I
. through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
0
0
your parking lamps -- to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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.
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