
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn.
But take
care that someone isn’t
trying to pass
you as you pull out
to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over
your shoulder and check the blind
spot.
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 convex. The vehicle you
just
passed may seem to be farther 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 when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have 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 possible.
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Your Driving and the Road
The three types of skids correspond to
your Chevrolet’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
foot 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 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 on the road to
make
a “mirrored surface” - and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember:
Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.
Steer the way you want to go.
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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. 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. Your
anti-lock brakes improve your
ability
to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have the anti-lock
braking system, you’ll want to begin
stopping sooner than you would on
dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
0
0
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
before you are on
it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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Your Driving and the Road
178
weight of the trailer. And always keep in
mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by itself,
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand
to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll
need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return
to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand
to the right. Always back up
slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal.
Do this so your
trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
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When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition
key off. 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 this.
The transmission should be in Neutral
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the rear
wheels, unless you must.
If the vehicle
must be towed on the rear wheels, don’t
EO more than 35 mDh (55 kmh) or I
CAUTION:
RA
I Front Towing Hook-Ups
A vehicle can fall from a car
Attach T-hook chains to slots in frame
carrier if
it isn’t properly rearward of front wheels on both sides.
secured. This can cause a collision,
tightly secured with chains or steel
cables before
it is transported.
Don’t
use substitutes (ropes, leather
straps, canvas webbing, etc.) that
can be cut by sharp edges
underneath the towed vehicle.
Farther than
50 miles (80 km j or your
transmission
will be damaged. If these
limits must be exceeded, then
the rear
wheels have to be supported on
a dolly.
I.
I
Do not attach winch cables or
1 hooks to suspension components
en using car carrier equipment
I Always use T-hooks inserted in the
I I
I T-hook slots. II
191 ProCarManuals.com

Problems on the Road
I lh
1
F. $. '
9. Shut the engine off and replace the
pressure cap. Be sure the arrows
on
the cap line up like this.
Y CI.
10. Then fill the coolant recovery tank
For a complete drain. flush and refill, see
your Chevrolet dealer or a Chevrolet
Carnaro Service
Manual. To purchase
a service manual, see "Service
Publications"
in the Index.
to the proper level.
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.
Steer
to maintain lane position, then
gently brake to a stop well out of
the
traffic lane.
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I Changing a Flat lire
’ A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage by driving slowly to a level
acts much like a skid and may require the place. Turn on your hazard warning flashers.
If your tire goes flat, the next section
shows how to use your jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
1 CAUTION:
same correction you’d use in-a skid. In I -
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. (I
A 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
I place to ccange your tire. To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in P (Park).
3. Shift a manual transmission to 1 (First) or R (Reverse). I
4. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move, you can put chocks at the front
and rear of the tire farthest away from the one being changed. That would be
tht
tire on the other side of the vehicle, at the opposite end.
L
I
205 - =
I
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Problems on the Road
If you let your tires spin at high
speed, they can explode and
you or others could be injured. And,
the transmission or other partsof the
vehicle can overheat. That could
II I
I
cause an engine compartment fire or
other damage. When you’re stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible.
Don’t spin the wheels above
35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
I
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
.ires. If you spin the wheels too fast
Nhile shifting your transmission
aack and
forth, you can destro!,
your transmission.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around your
front wheels. Then shift back and forth
between
R (Reverse) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transmission, between
First or Second gear and Reverse),
spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is
in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out. If you do
need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.
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