1993 CHEVROLET CAMARO brake

Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Chevrolet has an advanced
electronic
braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
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This light on the instrument panel will go
on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle,
you may
hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise. And you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves
a little while this is
going
on. This is the ABS system testing
itself. If you have your foot
on the brake
pedal, this check won't happen until the
vehicle goes about
3 mph (5 km/h) or
until you take your foot off the brake
pedal. If
there's
a problem with the anti-lock
brake system. the
ABS INOP warning
light will stay on
or flash.
See "Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light" in the Index.
143.m-
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Your Driving and the Road
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Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the
road is wet. You're driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of
you.
You slam on
the brakes. Here's what
happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are
slowing down. The computer separately
works the brakes at each front wheel and
at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change
the
brake pressure faster than any driver
could. The computer is programmed
to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
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You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your conlputer keeps
receiving updates
on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
I CAUTION;
A
Anti-lock doesn't change the
time
you need to get your foot
up
to the brake pedal. If you get too
close
to the vehicle in front of you,
1 you won't have time to apply your
brakes
if that vehicle suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead
to stop, even
though
you have anti-lock brakes.
I'o Use Anti-Lock:
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and
let anti-lock work
for you. When the
ABS is active, the
LOW TRAC light comes on to indicate
low traction conditions. Adjust your
driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for about four seconds after
the
ABS stops being active.
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Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Unless you have the four-wheel disc
brake option, your Chevrolet 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 may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake peda
firmly). 1 The brake wear warning sound
- means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have
your vehicle serviced.
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brake pads could result in rnctl\~
brake repair. 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
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t
have 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 you have
the front brakes replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
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Your Driving and the Road
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could
be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake
stop, your disc brakes adjust for wear. If
you rarely make a moderate or heavier
stop, then your brakes might not adjust
correctly. If you drive in that way, then
-
very carefully - make a few moderate
brake stops about every
1000 miles
(1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust
properly. If
your brake pedal goes down farther
than normal, your rear drum brakes may
need adjustment. Adjust them by backing up and firmly applying the brakes a few
times.
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
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Your Driving and the Road
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
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 problem. Your
Chevrolet 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.
Depending on your speed, this can be
rather violent for an unprepared driver.
This is one of the reasons driving experts
recommend that you use your safety belts
and keep both hands on the steering
wheel.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is a good reason
to
practice defensive driving at all times.
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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
.I. 156
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. Road
spray can often be worse for vision than
rain, especially
if it comes from a dirty
road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping
equipment
in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled. 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. Driving too fast through large water
puddles or even going through some car
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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
- L accidents. They won’t work
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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.
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Your Driving and the Road
Just before you leave the lane,’ glance
quickly over your 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.
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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 your
braking before moving onto the exit
ramp. Unfortunately, not all 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 km/h). Obviously,
this could lead
to serious trouble on a
ramp designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
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