1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme brake

Part 4
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and
in varying weather conditions
. We’ve
also included many other useful tips
on driving
.
Your Driving and the Road
Road Signs ........................................................................\
....................................... 140
Defensive Driving
........................................................................\
............................ 144
Drunken Driving
........................................................................\
............................ 145
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
........................................................................\
......................................... 148
Anti-Lock Brakes ........................................................................\
......................... 149
Steering Tips
........................................................................\
................................ 154
Steering in Emergencies
........................................................................\
.............. 155
Driving at Night
........................................................................\
............................... 159
Driving in the Rain
........................................................................\
.......................... 161
Passing ........................................................................\
......................................... 156
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
........................................................................\
....... 164
City Drmng
........................................................................\
...................................... 165 ..
Freeway Driving ........................................................................\
............................. 166
Driving a Long Distance ........................................................................\
................ 168
Hill and Mountain Roads ........................................................................\
............... 170
Winter Driving
........................................................................\
................................ 173
Parking
on Hills ........................................................................\
.............................. 171
Towing a Trailer
........................................................................\
............................... 176 139

Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving
, The best advice anyone can give about
144
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety
device in your Oldsmobile: Buckle up.
(See the
Index under Safety Belts. )
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.”
On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.’’
Assume that pedestrians or other
drivers are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from
behind parked cars, often followed by
other children. Expect occupants in
parked cars to open doors into traffic.
Watch for movement in parked cars-
someone may be about to open a door. Expect
other drivers
t .o run st ,op signs
when you are on a through street. Be
ready to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections.
You may not
have to use the brake, but if you do, you
will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping
center parking lot where there are well-
marked lanes, directional arrows, and
designated parking areas, expect some
drivers to ignore all these markings and
dash straight toward one part
of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for
them. In general, you must give way to
pedestrians even if you know you have
the right of way.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver,
in both city and rural
driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about
defensive driving. The most dangerous
time for driving in the
U.S. is very early
on Sunday morning. In fact, GM
Research studies show that the most
and the least dangerous times for
driving, every week, fall
on the same
day. That day is Sunday. The most
dangerous time is Sunday from
3 a.m.
to
4 a.m. The safest time is Sunday from
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Driving the same
distance
on a Sunday at 3 a.m. isn’t just
a little more dangerous than it is at
10
a.m. It’s about 134 times more
dangerous!
That leads to the next section.

Tiding” your brakes can
cause them to overheat to the
point that they won’t work well.
You might not be able to stop your
vehicle in time
to avoid an accident.
If you “ride” your brakes, they will
get
so hot they will require a lot of
pedal force to slow you down.
Avoid “riding” the brakes.

If you keep pace with the tr&c and
allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re
driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it may take
longer to stop and the brake pedal will
be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) (OPTION)
If your Oldsmobile has this system, it
has an advanced electronic braking
system that
will help prevent skidding.
If you have an anti-lock brake system
(ABS), the brake pedal will say
so.

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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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.