1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER brake

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake System Warning Light
Standard Cluster Digital Cluster
PO641
This light appears on your instrument cluster to warn you if your regular
braking system needs service. See “Brake System Warning Light” in the
Index.
Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light
Standard CIusfer Digital Cluster
This light appears on the instrument cluster to warn you if your anti-lock
brake system needs service. See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. Disc brake\
pads
have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when
the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound m\
ay come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
I CAUTION
A The brake wear warning sound means that sooner or later your
4 brakes won’t work well. That could lead to an accident. When you
hear the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle serviced. \
I
NCTICE
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly applied. This does not mean something is
wrong with your brakes.
Rear Drum Brakes
Your rear drum brakes don’t have the wear indicators, but if you ever hear a
rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings inspected\
. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When
have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
there
is a rapid increase in pedal travel.
trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your you have
the front brakes replaced,
as complete axle sets.
not return to normal height, or
if
This could be a sign of brake
disc brakes adjust for wear.
If your
brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your rear drum brak\
es may need
adjustment. Adjust them by backing up and firmly applying the brakes a few
times.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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
fails
to function, 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 you 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. 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? Let 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.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead of
you because
it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason to drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braki\
ng. 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 problems 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 proble\
m.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes.
It is better to 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.
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. You must then be prepared
to steer
back to your original lane and then brake to a controlled stop.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
0
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your \
left lane
change signal before moving out of the right lane
to pass. When you
are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move \
back into
the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is c\
onvex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem
to be further away from you than it
really
is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver
to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease a little
to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens whe\
n the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t ha\
ve 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 possib\
le.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’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 (as when you turn
a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foo\
t
off the
accelerator pedal
as soon as you feel the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer
the way you want the vehicle
to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle will straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front wheels.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
AM455019
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going thr\
ough 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 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.
I
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I
I
Hydropraning
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.
You might not be aware of hydroplaning. You could drive along for some time
without realizing your tires aren’t in constant contact with the road. You could
find out the hard way: when you have
to slow, turn, move out to pass-or if
you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly find yourself out of control.
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,
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Driving on the Freeway
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. If
you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the s\
low lane and the
left lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the \
slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the higher-speed through lane,\
and the left lane as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors. Then use yo\
ur turn
signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over yo\
ur shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind” \
spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a freeway\
having
more than two lanes, make sure another vehicle isn’t about \
to move into the
same spot. Look at the vehicles
two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving toward \
the edge of the
lane. Be prepared to delay your move.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a \
reasonable
following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane \
well in
advance. Dashing across lanes at the last minute is dangerous. \
If you miss
your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. \
Drive on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally
it should be long enough for
you to enter
it at freeway speed (after signaling, of course) and then do yo\
ur
braking before moving onto the exit ramp. Unfortunately, not al\
l deceleration
lanes are long enough-some are too short for all the braking. \
Decide when
to start braking.
If you must brake on the through lane, and if there is traffic
close behind you, you can allow a little extra time and flash\
your brake lights
(in addition to your turn signal) as extra warning that you \
are about
to slow
down and 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. For example,\

40 mph (65 km/h) might seem like only 20 mph (30 kmk). Obviously, this
could lead to serious trouble on
a ramp designed for 20 mph (30 kmlh)!
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hill and Mountain Roads
AM470001
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 enjoyab\
le.
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. Don't make your brakes
do it all. Shift
to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill.
That way, you will
slow down without excessive use of your brakes.
* If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they
L b 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.
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