Oldsmobile Alero 2003 Owner's Manuals

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. -Yet
bl_.__ es can cause
acJents. They wc.. t
work as 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.
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Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your Driving Through Flowing Water
tires do not have 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.
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 through them very slowly. Fla
ng or rushi - ater creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through flowing
water, as you might at a low water crossing,
your vehicle can be carried away.
As little as
six inches
of flowing water can carry away a
smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other
vehicle occupants could drown. Don’t ignore
police warning signs, and otherwise be
very cautious about trying to drive through
flowing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
e 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
on page 5-53.
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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.
Here are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. 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 part, “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.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or supernignwaysj are
ine
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 iiow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. 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. Try to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal,
check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the
traffic flow.
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.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in
your “blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
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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.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
- such as after a day’s
work
- don’t plan to make too many miles that first
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip?
If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservior full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
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?
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?
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.
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
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What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
e
e
e
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
dri\/iy Y i~ f!& cy +!inn tnrrain 3 --..I....
4-23

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.
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.
I ou don’l down, 1 ir brakes cou.-. 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. Coasting downhill in
NEUTRAL
(N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work
of slowing down. They 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. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
e
e
e
e
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or
cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like
a stalled car or
an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
4-24

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape tor winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include an ice scraper,
a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a
small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of
burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
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4-25

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to
be very careful. What’s
the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s
about freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
- drive with caution.
Keep your Enhanced Traction System on.
It will improve
your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. Even though your vehicle has this system, you’ll
want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. See
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 4-9.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently,
too. (If you do have anti-lock,
see
Braking on page 4-6. This system improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking
system or not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to
get the most traction you can.
4-26

Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still
steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads
are clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake befor2 you are on
it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. seri”us siiuaii”r,. ‘T’uu si-,uui~ pi-u~a~u~.y. stZly LL’jt;?
4-27