1994 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It’s 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
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.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it
can if your tires haven’t much tread or if
the pressure in one or more is low. It can
happen if a lot of water is standing on the
road. If
you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple’’ the water’s surface,
there could be hydroplaning.
135.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There just isn’t
a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your low-beam headlights -
not just your parking lights - to help
make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful
when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See “Tires”
in the Index.)
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount
of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for what the
other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety
in
city driving:
Know the best way to get to where
you are going.
Get a city map and plan
your trip into an unknown part of the
city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next
section, “Freeway Driving.”)
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.
. . .136

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called
thruways, parkways, expressways, 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 flow. Treat the left lane
on a
freeway as a passing lane.
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 entrdnce ramp, you should 3egin
to check traffic. Try to determine
where
you expect to blend with the flow.
Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your
turn
signal, check your mirrors and glance
wer your shoulder
as often as necessary.
Iiy to blend smoothly with the traffic
flow.
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.
Before changing lanes, check your
mirrors. Then use your 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.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When
you want to leave the freeway,
move to the proper lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit do
not, under any
circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on
to the next exit. The
exit ramp can be curved, sometimes
luite sharply. The exit speed is usually
losted. Reduce your speed according to
lour speedometer, not to your sense
of
notion. After driving for any distance at
ligher speeds,
you may tend to think you
we going slower than
you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re i-eady. Try to be well
hted.
If you must start when you’re not
iresh
- such as after a day’s work -
jon’t plan to make too many miles that
first part of the journey. Wear comfortable
zlothing and shoes you can easily drive
Ln.
[s your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
yob keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to
go. If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course, you’ll
find experienced and able service experts
in Chevrolet dealerships all across North
America. They’ll be ready and willing to
help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
e
e
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major
storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date
maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires
on the road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush
of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to
you! If it
does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a second, and you could crash
and be injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that
it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated,
with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and
to the sides. Check your
rearview mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take
a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain
Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep
:ountry, or
if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle
in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work
hard on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing
to know is this: let
your engine do some of the slowing
. . .13%

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes
could get so hot that they wouldn’t
work well. You would then have
poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to
let your engine assist your brakes on
a steep downhill slope.
I
m
Know how to go uphill. You may
want
to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb
the
hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving
on two-lane roads
in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay
in your own
lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be
alert. There could be something
in
your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on
mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Chevrolet in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
I
;i”iii’ i ;i7: ,,:: : . .
0 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 shovel,
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. P. :’
$;.,
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.”
Very cold snow or ice can be slick and
hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even
more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction of all.
You can get “wet ice”
when it’s about freezing
(32°F; OOC) and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid
driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
- smooth ice,
packed, blowing or loose snow
- drive
with caution.
If you have traction control,
keep the system on.
It will improve your
ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even though your vehicle
has a traction control system, you’ll want
to slow down and adjust your driving to
the road conditions. See “Acceleration
. . .I40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Slip Regulation (ASR) System” in the
Index.
If you don’t have the traction control
system, accelerate gently. Try not to break
the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish
the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your
ability to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have the anti-lock
braking system, you’ll want to begin
stopping sooner
than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in
the Index.
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Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road
might be fine until you hit a spot that’s
covered with ice. On an otherwise
clear road, ice patches may appear
in
shaded areas where the sun can’t
reach: around clumps of trees, behind
buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or
an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on
it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be
in a serious situation. You should
probably stay with your vehicle unless
you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through
the snow. Here
are some things to do to summon help and
keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow. Put
on
extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warrn, but
be careful.
141 . I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run the
engine, make it go a little faster than just
idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses less fuel for the heat that you
get and it keeps the battery charged.
You
will need a well-charged battery to restart
the vehicle, and possibly for signaling
later on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for awhile. Then,
shut the engine
off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat this
only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
exercises every half hour or
so until help
comes.
Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can dam-
age your vehicle and result in costly
repairs not covered
by your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follow the
advice
in this section, and see your
Chevrolet dealer for important
information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the 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 md that of your
passengers.
So please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
. . .142