lock PONTIAC PONTIAC 1996 Repair Manual

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 apply the brakes. Both control
systems
-- steering and braking -- have to do ~eir
work where the tires meet
the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding
the hard braking
can demand too much of those places. You can
lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- can
overwhelm
those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or 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 conditiolls. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it b’efore you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you
are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over
a hill and find a
truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problem
by braking -- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you,can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Pontiac can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes
-- but, unless you have
anti-lock, not enough
to lock your wheels. (See
“Braking in Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It
is
better t’o remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around
the problem, to -the
left ‘or right depending on the space available.
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.. . . ,.- , . . .. .
. .. :.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
OFF-ROAD
.
t- - LEFT APPROX. r-
QUARTER TURN
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement
edge. TRen turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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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 MI
the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid
only the braking skid. If you do not have
antblock, then
in a braking skid (where the wheels are
Driving at Night
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the hake pedal
down steadily when you
have to
stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, Night
driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is
that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol QT drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
you
will have steering control.
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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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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.
0 Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on
any slippery road.
0 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 before 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
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle
unless you know for sure that you are near help
and
you can hike bough the mow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Ttim on your hazaid flashers.
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Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep
warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
A
I
/! CAUTION: -
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind.
This will help
keep
CO out.
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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your
trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer
or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendition for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack’s0 you can
turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be me to
read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
0
0 If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap
into your vehicle’s brake system.
If you do, both
brake systems won’t work well,
or at all.
Even if your vehicle doesn’t have anti-lock brakes,
don’t tap into
your vehicle’s brake system if the
trailer’s brake system will use more than
0.02 cubic
inch
(0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder.
If it does, both braking systems won’t work
well.
You could even lose your brakes.
0 Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 Pa)
of pressure?
If not, the trailer brake system must not be
used with
your vehicle.
0 If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
fluid tap at the upper rear master cylinder port. But
don’t use copper tubing for this.
If you do, it will
bend and break
off. Use steel brake tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is ~lolw
a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps,
tires and mirror adjustment. I% the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the traiEer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working.
This lets you check your
electrical connection at the Same time.
During your
hip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load
is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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/r\, CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serio’us personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is trapported.
Don’t
use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.)
that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
~~
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
turned
to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a
clamping device designed
for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for ths The
transaxle should be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be
sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or
your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
I NOTICE:
~~
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the
radiator pressure cap when the cooling system, including the
radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator
hose, is no longer hot.
If you hear a hiss, .wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it first stops. (Don't press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
I
Then keep turning
the pressure cap, but
now push down as
you
turn it. Remove the
pressure cap.
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant
on a hot engine.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create
a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
I
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d; use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn
on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. nrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire
on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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