stop start CHEVROLET S10 1995 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means better
braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control.
If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system warning light on the
instrument panel, it has four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Otherwise, it has
rear-wheel anti-lock brakes. When you start a vehicle that has four-wheel
anti-lock brakes and begin to drive away, you may hear a momentary motor
or clicking noise. This is the
ABS system testing itself.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
The driver of 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:
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“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.
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.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
0 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Sur$ace Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be hazardous. A rock,
log, hole, rut, or bump can startle you if you’re not prepared for them. Often
these obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
0 Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s more discussion
of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the
steering wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface features can jerk the wheel
out of your hands if you’re not prepared.
When
you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens, even with one or two wheels, you can’t
control the vehicle
as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s especially important
to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind
of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal lights. You have to use your own
good judgment about what is safe
and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this
is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You could have
a serious - or
even fatal - accident if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.)
Driving On Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and an understanding of what your vehicle
can and can’t do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no matter
how well built the vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible to approaching
traffic
on trails or hills.
0 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible
to oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should do, and there are
some things you must not do. First, here’s what
you should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL
(N) if your vehicle
has a manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then, shift to
reverse, release the parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible
in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll be able to tell if your
wheels are straight and maneuver as
you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will
increase the possibility of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going up a hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to Neutral with the manual transmission) and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight
down.
0 If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
Driving Across an lncline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across the incline of a hill.
If this happens, you have to decide whether to
try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or down a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front wheels to the rear wheels) reduces the
likelihood the vehicle will tumble end over end. But when you drive
across an incline, the much more narrow track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle from
tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an incline puts more
weight on the downhill wheels. This could cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive across a hill.
Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass can cause your tires to
slip sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit
something that will trip it (a rock,
a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the incline even worse. If
you drive across a rock with the uphill wheels, or if the downhill
wheels drop into a rut or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully whether
to try to drive
across an incline. Just because the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow, Or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best
to use a low gear when you’re in mud - the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear.
In really deep mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t get stuck.
When
you drive 6fi Sad, you’ll sense a change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has an
effect on steering, accelerating, and braking. You may want to reduce the air
pressure in your tires slightly when driving on sand. This will improve
traction.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction. On these surfaces.
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet ice, for example, the traction is
so poor
that you will have difficulty accelerating. And if
you do get moving, poor
steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But heavy rain can
mean flash flooding, and flood waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep
enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe, don’t try it
- you
probably won’t get through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly. At fwt speeds, water
splashes
on your ignition system and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also
occur if you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able
to start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes get wet, it may take you longer to
stop.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving in the Rain
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 when
strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake
adjustment. Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a
good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Lighting Systems Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Push the button on top
of the steering column
all the way down
to
make your front and
rear turn signal lights
flash on and
off. Your
hazard warning
flashers work
no
matter what position
your key is
in, and
even if the key isn’t
in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work. The
flashers will stop if you step on the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
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