traction control Oldsmobile Achieva 1995 Owner's Manuals

To Use 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.
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 on 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 YOLI 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.
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.
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.
4-8

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
Oldsmobile’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.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only
the braking skid.
4-12
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Treadwear Temperature - A, B, C
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and C. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction. The
temperature grades are
A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
ninimum required by law.
Warning:
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
6-38

L:
Tires ......................................... 6-33
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-39
Buying New
................................ 6-37
Changing a Flat
.............................. 5-20
Inflation
.................................... 6-34
Inspection and Rotation
....................... 6-35
Spare. Compact
.............................. 5-27
Temperature
................................ 6-38
Traction
.................................... 6-38
Treadwear
.................................. 6-38
Uniform Quality Grading
...................... 6-37
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-36
Wheel Replacement
.......................... 6-39
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-36
TopStrap
..................................... 1-35
TorqueLock
................................... 2-28
Torque. Wheel Nut
......................... 5.25. 6.55
TowingaTrailer
................................ 4-31
Towing Your Vehicle
............................. 5-7
Front
....................................... 5-9
Rear
....................................... 5-11
Towing. Recreational Vehicle
..................... 4-26
TrailerTongue Weight
........................... 4-33
TrailerTowing
................................. 4-31
Brakes
..................................... 4-35
Driving on Grades
............................ 4-37
Driving with a Trailer
......................... 4-35
Hitches
.................................... 4-34
Maintenance
................................. 4-38
ParkingonHills
............................. 4-37
Safety Chains
............................... 4-35
Towing a Trailer
............................. 4-31
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
............. 4-34 Turnsignals
................................ 4-36
Weight of a Trailer
........................... 4-33
Transaxle Fluid. Automatic
....................... 6-17
Transaxle Fluid. Manual
......................... 6-19
Trip Odometer
................................. 2-58
TrunkLamp
................................... 2-46
TrunkLock
..................................... 2-9
Trunk Release. Remote
........................... 2-9
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator ............. 2-34
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
................... 2-33
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
................ 4-36
Transmitters. Matching to
Your Vehicle
.............. 2-7
Underbody Maintenance
........................ 6-48
Underhood Lamp
............................... 6-11
vehicle Damage Warnings
......................... iv
Vehicle Loading
................................ 4-29
Vehicle Storage
................................ 6-29
Vehicle Symbols
....................... : ........... v
Vehicle. Control of a ............................. 4-5
Vehicle. Leaving Your
............................ 2-4
Vehicles First Sold in Canada
............... 1-12.25. 39
Ventilation System. Flow-Through
.................. 3-4
VentilationTips
................................. 3-4
Vision. Night
.................................. 4-13
Visor Vanity Mirrors
............................ 2-48
Visors. Sun
.................................... 2-48
Voltmeter
..................................... 2-61
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
............... 6-50
9-11