1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme brakes

Your Driving and the Road
150
Anti-Lock Brakes (CONT.)
And this light on the instrument panel
will go on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle and begin
to drive away 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
4 mph (6 lm/h) or
until you take your foot off the brake
pedal.
You’ll also hear a clicking noise the
next time the vehicle goes about
4 mph
(6 lun/h).
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock
brake system, the anti-lock brake
system warning light will stay on or
flash. See the
Index under Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light.
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.

You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
CAUTION
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, 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.
To Use Anti-Lock: Don’t pump the
brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. When
you start your vehicle and begin to
drive away, you may notice that your
brake pedal moves a little while this is
going on. A brief mechanical noise is
normal. This is the
ABS system testing
itself.
You also may hear a clicking
noise as
you accelerate after a hard
stop.
Disc Brake Wear lndicafors
Your Oldsmobile has four-wheel disc
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 pedal firmly).
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ne Ibr&eUrw walmhg
sound mans that sooner or
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mt could llead to an accident.
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I 151

Your Driving and the Road
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
(CONT.)
zontinuing to drive with worn-01
)rake pads could rest :ostlv
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.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
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
1,000
miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will
adjust properly.

Your Driving ad the Road
Steering Tips-Driving on Curves
154
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 jaws 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 banlted, 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 their
work where the tires meet the road.
Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock
brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much at 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? Let 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 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.
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.

I 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 Oldsmobile can perform very well
in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes-but unless you have anti-
lock, not enough to lock your wheels. 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
quicldy 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.
155

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~~ Your Driving and the Road
158
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.
The three types of skids correspond
to
your Oldsmobile’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
1
traction, try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braldng (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.
If you have the anti-lock braking
system, remember: It helps avoid only
the braking skid.
If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where
the wheels are no longer rolling),
release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the
brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have
steering control. Steer the way you
want to go.
I .@ i 7“
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired-
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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159

Your Driving and the Rad
162
Driving in the Rain (CONT.)
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.
I CAUTION
Driving too fast through large water
puddles
or even going through 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
4 - s 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 liehtly until your
brakes
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