PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996 Owners Manual

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 tractiqn.
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.
I 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 windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. 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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A CAUTION:
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.
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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Hydroplaning . ., ... 1, , , 2 ,2-,a7:-~+.,: <. .:< ’. -- ’.
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.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
, tires haven’t 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.
S,ome Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turri on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your
parking lamps -- to help make you more visible
to others.
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.)
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City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to ge! 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.”)
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.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
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.
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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 mwt important advice on freeway hving is: Keep
rap 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 line 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.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
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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
Pontiac 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:
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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?
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Highway Hypnosis Hill and Mountain Roads
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or
is it just @.am falg asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway.hypnosis, lack of awaeqess,
Q]: 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 &one of the &&e, 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, bt
aware that it can happen.
Then here are
some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
e Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead ad to
the sides. Check your rearview minors and your
instruments frequently.
a If you get sleepy, pull off the mad into a rest, service
or
parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the hghway as
an emergency. Driving
on steep hills or
mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain. I
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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.
0 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.
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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
downhill
slope.
A CAUTION:
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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 transaxle, and you can climb the hill better.
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.
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Winter Drivi: -
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Pontiac in good shape for 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 cloth and a
couple
of 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.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction. 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
However, if there
is snow or ice between your tires and freezing (32 OF; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be can get there.
very careful. Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently, too.
(If you do have anti-lock,
see “Anti-Lock” in the Index. 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.
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