turn signal CHEVROLET TRACKER 1993 User Guide

Because you will be on an unpaved
I
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.
I CAUTION
’ 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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High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its
high beams on, signal by flicking yours
to high and then back to low beam. This
is the usual signal to lower the headlight
beams.
If the other driver still doesn’t
lower the beams, resist the temptation
to
put your high beams on. This only
makes two half-blinded drivers.
On a freeway, use your high beams only
in remote areas where you won’t impair
approaching drivers. In some places,
like cities, using high beams is illegal. When
you follow
another vehicle on a
freeway or highway, use low beams.
True, most vehicles now have day-night
mirrors that enable the driver to reduce
glare. But outside mirrors are not
of this
type and high beams from behind can
bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving
Suggestions
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.
Tobacco smoke also makes inside glass
surfaces very filmy and can be a vision
hazard if it’s left there. Dirty glass makes lights
dazzle and flash
more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
You might even want to keep a cloth
and some glass cleaner in your vehicle if
you need to clean your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights 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 headlights 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
I
*. ’ i
... 160
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. Road spray can often be worse
for vision than rain, especially if
it
comes from a dirty road.
So it is 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. 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.
I A 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
H City Dnving
... 164
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.
Here are ways to increase your safety in
city driving:
Know the best way to get to where
you are going. Try not to drive
around trying to pick out
a familiar
street
or landmark. 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’ll
save time and energy. (See the next
section, “Freeway Driving.”)
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.
Obey all posted speed limits.
But
remember that they are for ideal road,
weather and visibility conditions. You
may need to drive below the posted
limit in bad weather or when visibility
is especially poor.
clear of intersections when you see or
hear emergency vehicles.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop
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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 flow. Treat the left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
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
flow. If traffic is light, you may have no
problem. But if
it is heavy, find a gap as
you move along the entering lane and
time your approach. Try to merge into
the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch on your turn signal, check your
rearview mirrors as you move along,
and glance over your shoulder as often
as necessary. Try to blend smoothly
with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust
your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay
in the
right lane unless you want to pass. If
you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the
right lane as the slow lane and the left
lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat
the right lane as
the slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through lane, and the left
lane as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your
rearview mirrors. Then use your
turn
signal. Just before you leave the lane,
glance quickly over your shoulder to
165-
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Your Driving and the Road
make sure there isn’t another vehicle in
your
‘ ‘blind’ ’ spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a
center lane on a freeway having more
than two lanes, make sure another
vehicle isn’t about to move into the
same spot. Look at the vehicles two
lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase
in
speed, or moving toward the edge of the
lane. Be prepared to delay your move.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
... 166
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway,
move to the proper lane well in
advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute is dangerous. If you miss your
exit do not, under any circumstances,
stop and back up. Drive on to the next
exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane.
Ideally it should be long enough for you
to enter
it at freeway speed (after
signaling, of course) and
then do your
braking before moving onto
the exit
ramp. Unfortunately, not all deceleration
lanes are long enough
- some are too
short for all the braking. Decide when
to start braking. If
you must brake on the through
lane, and if there is traffic
close behind you, you can allow a little
extra time and flash your brake lights (in
addition
to your turn signal) as extra
warning that you are about
to slow
down and 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. For example,
40 mph (65 km/h)
might seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h).
Obviously, this could lead to serious
trouble
on a ramp designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
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Your Driving and the Road
Weather Forecasts: What’s 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?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is
good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours
at a sitting. Then, either change drivers
or stop for some refreshment like
coffee, tea or
soft drinks and some
limbering up. But do stop and move
around. Eat lightly along the way. Heavier meals tend
to make some people
sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for
some situations not usually found on
freeways. Examples are: stop signs and
signals, shopping centers with direct
access to the highway, no passing zones
and school zones, vehicles turning left
and right
off the road, pedestrians,
cyclists, parked vehicles, and even
animals.
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.
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Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to
go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the
left.
To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal.
Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal
a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash telling other drivers
you’re about
to turn, change lanes, or
stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
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Problems on the Road
I Hazard Warning fishers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lights will flash on and
off.
Press th e button in t :o mak 'our fr 'on t
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
again.
off the flashers,
push the switch
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won't work.
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.
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3. Turn the lock ring to the left to
release the bulb.
4. Puli the lock ring and the headlight
bulb straight out. Save the lock ring
and use with the new bulb.
5. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
Front Parking and Turn Signal Lights
To replace the parking and turn signal
bulb:
1 . Open the hood.
2. Turn the bulb socket to the left and I
pull it out of light housing.
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