OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1998 Owners Manual

Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A SO-year-old
driver may require at least twice
as much light to see the
same thing at night as
a 20-year-old.
What you do
in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they
also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take
a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle
with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps. 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. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light
up fhr 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 headlamps 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.
ProCarManuals.com

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads 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 with
washer hid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on
the windshield. or when strim of rubber start to separate
from the inserts.
4-30
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’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
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it can if your
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
LISLI~~Y 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.
L qoing fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
4-31
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 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”
in the Index.)
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.
4-32
ProCarManuals.com

Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
0
0
0
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.
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.
4-33
ProCarManuals.com

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. 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
GM retail facilities all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
ProCarManuals.com

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
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.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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 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.
4-35
ProCarManuals.com

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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. (See "Off-Road
Driving" in the Index
for information about driving
off-road.)
0
0
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. 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.
If you don't shift down, your brakes 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. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on
a steep I
1 downhill slope.
4-36
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your
engine and transmission, and you can climb the
hill better.
0 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.
ProCarManuals.com

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. 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 cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And,
if 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.
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.
4-38
ProCarManuals.com