Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a national
tragedy. It's the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands
of victims every year.
Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone
needs to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that half
of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol-a driver,
a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are the result
of someone who
was drinking and driving. Over 25,000
motor vehicle-related deaths occur each
year because
of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured. person plans
to drive? Ideally, no one
should drink alcohol and then drive. But
if one does, then what's
"too much" can
be
a lot less than many might think.
Although it depends on each person and
situation, here is some general
information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of
someone who
is drinking depends upon
four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker's body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol. According to the American
Medical
Association,
a 1SO-pund (82 kg) person
who drinks three 12-ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up
with
a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The
person would reach the same BAC
by
drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed
drinks if each
had 1% ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like
whiskey, gin or
vodka.
It's the amount of alcohol that counts.
For example, if the same person drank
three double martinis
(3 ounces or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour,
the person's BAC would be close to
0.12 percent. A person who consumes
food
just before or during drinking will
have a slightly lower BAC level.
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If you’re going uphill on a one-way
uphill,
turn the wheels to the right.
street and you’re parking on the left
If there is no curb when you’re parking
uphill on the left side
of a one-way right.
If there is no curb when you’re parking
side, your wheels should point to the
street, your wheels should
be turned to
the left:
Toque Lock (AUTOMATN: rtunsAxLq
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into
P (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out
of P (Park).
This is called “torque lock,” To prevent
torque lock, always be sure
to shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see the
Index under Shifting Into P (Park).
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out
of P (Park) before you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill to take some
of the pressure
from the transaxle, so you can pull the
shift lever out of P (Park).
c
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Your Driving and the Road
Towing a mailer (CONTJ
Pulling a trailer improperly can :i+-a .,, >
damage your vehicle and result inf. i,$i
costly repairs not covered by you$.<; .:
warranty. To pull a trailer correct&$; ’:
follow the advice in this section. ,,
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Do not tow a trailer if your vehicle is
equipped with the
2.3L OHC or Quad
4 Engine (Code 3 or D).
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the
2.3L High Output
Quad
4 (Code A) or 3300 V6 (Code N)
engine and proper trailer towing
equipment. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle,
you should read the information
in
Weight of the Trailer that appears later in
this section. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling,
durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering
takes correct equipment,
and it has to be used properly. That’s the reason for this section.
In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of
these are important for your safety and
that of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the drag
of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads, generating
extra heat. What’s more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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If Bu Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where you
live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information can
be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
a Don’t tow a trailer at all during the
first
500 miles (804 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or
other parts could
be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles
(804
km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make
starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
161
I. Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than
1,OOO
pounds (450 kg).
But even that can be too heavy. It
depends on how you plan to use your
rig. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are
all important. And, it can
also depend on any special equipment
that you have
on your vehicle.
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Your Driving and the Road
If bu Do Decide to Pull a nailer
(COrvT)
You can ask your dealer for our
trailering information or advice, or
you can write us at:
Pontiac Customer Services
One Pontiac Plaza Pontiac, Michigan
48340-2952
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center 1908 Colonel
Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 8P7
Department
In Canada, write to:
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The
tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an
important weight to measure
because it affects the total capacity
weight
of your vehicle. The capacity
weight includes the curb weight of the
vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it,
and the people who will be riding
in
the vehicle. And if you will tow a
trailer, you must subtract the tongue
load from your vehicle’s capacity
weight because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See the
Index under Loading Your Vehicle for
more information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity. The trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10 %
of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh
the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able
to get them right simply by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated
to the limit for cold tires. You will find
these numbers on the Certification
label at the rear edge of the driver’s
door
(or see the Index under Ere
Loading). Then be sure you don’t go
over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
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Your Driving and the Road
Driving with a lbiler
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get to
know your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel of handling and braking with the
added 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.
164
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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Service & Appearance Care
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Replacement blades come in different
types and are removed in different ways.
Here’s how to remove the type with a
release clip:
1 . Pull the windshield wiper arm away
2. Lift the release clip with a
from the windshield.
screwdriver and pull the blade
assembly off the wiper arm.
the wiper arm.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on
Loading bur Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight it may properly carry. The
Tire-Loading Information label found on
the rear edge of the driver’s door tells
you the proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for the
tires on your vehicle. It also gives
you
important information about the number
of people that can be in your vehicle and
the total weight that you can carry. This
weight is called the Vehicle Capacity
Weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory- installed options. The other label is the Certification
sticker, also on the rear edge of the
driver’s door. It
tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called
the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel
and cargo. Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you
should spread it out. Don’t carry more
than
132 lbs. (60 kg) in your trunk.
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IIC
A
Do not load your vehicle any
heavier
than the GVWR or the
maximum
front and rear CiAWRs.
If you do, parts on your vehicle
can
break, or it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control. Also,
overloading
can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
I Your warranty does not cover parts 1
I
or component
overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle-
like suitcases, tools, packages,
or
anything else-they will go as fast as the
vehicle goes.
If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they’ll
keep going.
A
CAUTION
Things you put inside your I
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
0 Put things in the tnuik of your
vehicle. In a trunk, put them as
far forward as you can.
* Try tu spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so
that some of them are above the
tops
of the seats.
When you carry something
inside
the vehicle, secure it
whenever
you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down
unless you
need to. 1:
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