tires CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO 1996 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 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 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; and the condition of your brakes.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot
up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and
let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some noise, but
this is normal.
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light”
in the Index.
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 emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or
the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving an Curves
It’s important to take 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 tires 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 you’ve ever
tried to steer
a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires 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. Try
to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain
a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems -- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as
you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
ril in E enc:
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes
you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s
the time for evasive action -- steering around
the problem.
Your Chevrolet can perform very well
in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove
as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem,
to the left
or right depending on the space available.

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 A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Driving at Night
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.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface
with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery
until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid. Night driving
is more dangerous
than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or
by fatigue.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can’mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement. The heavier the rain,
the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled. Replace
’your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas
on the windshield, or wheh
strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
4-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try
to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t,
try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if
the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more is
low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road.
If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t
a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.

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.
4-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 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?
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?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
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:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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
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.
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.