Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Brake System Warning Light
Standard Cluster
Digital Cluster
This light appears on your instrument cluster to warn you if your regular
braking system needs service.
If your vehicle has rear wheel antilock brakes,
this light will
also warn you about trouble in that system. It will also light if
your parking brake is not fully disengaged. See the Index unde\
r “Brake
System Warning Light.”
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).
The brake wear warning sound means that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to an accident. When yo
hear the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle serviced. \
I NOTICE
>ontinuing ti
epair.
e with worn-out bra1 could sult in lstly brake
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even tho\
ugh 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 driv\
er 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 conditi\
ons, 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 tires 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 limit\
ed.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your bes\
t to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine brak\
ing by shifting
to a lower gear). Any sudden move 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.
4-22
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I. - - .. .. Your Driving and the Road
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic 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.
Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they are for \
ideal road,
weather and visibility conditions. You may need
to drive below the
posted limit in bad weather or when visibility
is especially poor.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of intersections when y\
ou see
or hear emergency vehicles.
Freeway Driving
..
. ~.
3. -. ..
.I
.1 , I- >. -
AN461 003
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expres\
sways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest of all roads. But they have \
their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up 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 f\
low. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
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.
If traffic is light, you may have no problem. But if it is heavy,
find a gap as you move along the entering lane and time your appr\
oach.
Try
4-42
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn
signal, check your rearview mirrors as you move along, and glance over your
shoulder as often as necessary.
Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
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 slow 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 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.
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
4-43
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
AN480001
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give you less traction
on ice than regular tires.
If you do not expect to be driving in deep
snow, but may have to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shove\
l, 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.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably\
have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and will
need to be very careful.
4-51
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine prOb/ems on the Road
. .-
r
7
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
............. 5-2
Other Warning Devices ........................................................................\
................. 5-3
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
................................ 5-3
Towing Your Vehicle ........................................................................\
...................... 5-7
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
....................... 5-9
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
...................... 5-15
Changing a Flat Tire ........................................................................\
................... 5-16
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
.................... 5-28
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ................................................... 5-30
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
AM505003
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They also let pol\
ice know
you have a problem. Your front and rear turn signal lights will flash on and
off. But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
i
Press the button in to make your front and rear turn signal lights flash on
and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what position your key is in,
and even if the key isn’t in.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To turn off the flashers, pull out on the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won\
’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the sid\
e of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the ste\
ps below to
do it
safely.
mwlmm A
A Batteries cart hurt you. They m be dangerous because:
* They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
* They contain enough electricity to burn you.
I
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some 01: all .of thlese things
can hurt
yoW.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with ti negative
ground system.
IWU I IWL I
5-3