ESP CHEVROLET PRIZM 1998 3.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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?
A: You cuuld 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
A: 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.
wear safety belts?
@’ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: 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 you from things beyond
your control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-12 ~

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
Irn
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.
Insert the key in either front door and turn the key
toward the rear
of the car to unlock the door.
If your vehicle has power door locks, turn the key once
to unlock the driver’s door only. Turn the key back
toward
the center, then toward the rear again to unlock
all the
doors. Using the key in the passenger’s door will
unlock all the doors.
To lock the door from the
inside, push down the
button on the door.
There are several ways
to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key. To lock the door, turn
the key toward the front of the car. If you have power
door locks, all the doors will lock.
To unlock the door, pull up on the button.
2-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trunk Lock Release Theft
To open the trunk lid, use your key and turn it to
the right.
To close the lid, lower and press down on it. After
closing the lid, try pulling it up to make sure it is closed.
Remote Trunk Lock Release
nw Pull the lever on the floor
near the driver’s door to
open the trunk lid from
inside your vehicle. Vehicle
theft
is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle 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 vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a tone 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. If you have an automatic transaxle, taking your
key out also locks your 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.
2-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Lamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition to LOCK or ACC and leave the lamps
on, you’ll hear a tone when you open the driver’s door.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime 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.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when the parking brake
is released with the engine started, even with the lamp
switch in the
OFF position. They will not go off until
the engine is turned off.
When you
turn on the headlamp switch, your DRL will go
out and your headlamps will come on. The other lamps
that come on with your headlamps will also come on.
When you turn
off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off and your low-beam headlamps come
on at the reduced brightness of DRL. DRL also comes
on if you are only using the parking lamps.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need
it.
Automatic Light Control
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor
on top of the instrument panel, so be sure it is not
covered which will cause the nighttime lights to be
on continuously.
When
it is dark enough outside, your ALC will turn
on your low-beam headlamps at the normal brightness
along with other lamps such as the taillamps,
sidemarker, park lamps and instrument panel lights.
There is
a 20-second delay in the transition between
daytime and nighttime operation of the DRL and the
ALC systems. If the light sensor senses a reduction
in lighting that lasts longer than
20 seconds, it will
activate the nighttime lamps. If you are driving through
a parking garage, heavy overcast weather, a tunnel or
fueling your vehicle in a low light area, the ALC will
turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal
brightness along with the taillamps, sidemarker, park
lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will be dimmer.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
2-33

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0
0
When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, move the
fan lever toward
HI for a few moments before
driving
off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow
and moisture, and reduces the chance
of fogging the
inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Shut
off outboard dash vents to keep cold air from
blowing in.
Defogging and Defrosting
Move the air intake lever to CIRCULATE and turn
the airflow knob to DEFROST to direct air to the
windshield vents. The air conditioner is automatically
turned
on. Turn the temperature knob to the
right and the fan knob toward
HI.
When the windshield is clear, turn down the fan speed.
To defog the windshield and side windows, turn
the aifflow knob to DEFROST.
Rear Window Defogger (Option)
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the
rear window.
Press the switch
to turn on the defogger. The defogger
will stay on for about 15 minutes, then it will shut off
automatically. You can also turn it
off by pressing the
switch again. Use it only when the engine is running.
Make sure you turn the defogger off when the window
is clear. Leaving the defogger on for a long time could
cause the battery to run down, especially during
stop-and-go driving. The defogger is
not designed for
drying water or melting snow.
Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license
or a decal across the defogger grid on the rear window.
3-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine RAND (2): Press this button to hear the tracks in
random, rather than sequential, order. Press RAND
or
RPT again to turn off random play.
RPT (5): Press this button once to hear a selection over
again. The current track will continue to repeat. Press
RPT, AM-FM, RAND, or the
TRACK (SEEK) right or
left arrow to
turn off repeated play.
RECALL: Press this button to see which track is
playing. Press
RECALL again, within five seconds,
to see how long it has been playing (elapsed time).
The track number also appears when the disc is
inserted or you change the volume.
AM*FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc
is playing. The disc will
stop but remain in the player.
CD: With a disc loaded in the player and the radio
playing, press this button once to play
the compact disc.
EJECT: Press this button to remove the disc. The radio
will play. The disc will start at the first track when you
reinsert
it.
Understanding Radio Reception
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.
FM 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.
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.
3-14

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.
I CAUTION:
-- -
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.
4-5

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
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking. If
you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you don’t have anti-lock, your
first reaction
-- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
-- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to
your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the
very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze
the brakes hard without locking the wheels.
If you
hear or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control.
(If you do
have anti-lock, it’s different: see “Anti-Lock Brakes”
in the Index.)
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.
0 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.
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
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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.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
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 trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 vehicle’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.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If
you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control.
Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly.
As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.