Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When this warning light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
LOW TRAC
Low Traction Light
When your anti-lock system is adjusting
brake pressure to help avoid a braking
skid, the “LOW TRAC” light will appear
on your instrument cluster. If you have
the traction control system, this light
will
also come on when the system is limiting
wheel spin. Slippery road conditions may
exist if this light comes on,
so adjust your
driving accordingly. The light
will stay
on for a few seconds after the anti-lock
system stops adjusting brake pressure or
the traction control system stops limiting
wheel spin. The “LOW TRAC” light also
comes
on for three seconds, as a bulb
check, when
the engine is started.
hgine Coolant Temperature Gage
?his gage shows the engine coolant
emperature. If the gage pointer moves
nto the red area, your engine is too hot!
t means that your engine coolant has
jverheated. If you have been operating
’our vehicle under normal driving
:onditions, you should pull off
the road,
top your vehicle and turn
off the engine
IS soon as possible.
IOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
3ADLY!
n “Problems on the Road,” this manual
#bows what to do. See “Engine
herheating”
in the Index.
97 ...
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features and Controls
Toltmeter
!ou can read battery voltage on your
,oltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts or
nore than
16 volts while your engine is
unning, and it stays there, you may have
problem with the electrical charging
ystem. Have it checked right away.
)riving with
the voltmeter reading in a
taming zone could drain your battery.
F you idle your engine for a while, the
oltmeter reading might move into the red
one. If the reading stays in the red zone
thile you are driving, you may have a
iroblem with the electrical charging
ystem. Have it checked. While the
oltmeter reads in
the red zone, your
sattery may not be able to power certain
lectrical accessories, like
ABS. (If this
. .98
happens, your “ABS INOP” light will
come on. See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light”
in this part.)
If you must drive a short distance with the
voltmeter reading
in a warning zone, turn
off all your accessories, including your
comfort control and audio systems. SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
A computer monitors operation of your
fuel, ignition and emission control
systems. This light should come on when
the ignition is on, but the engine
is not
running, as a check to show
you it is
working. If it does not come on at all,
have
it fixed right away. If it stays on, or
it comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating
that you have a
problem.
You should take your vehicle in
for service soon.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features and Controls
CHECK GAGES
Check Gages Light
This light will come on briefly when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes
on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages to see if they are in the
warning areas.
LOW OIL
,ow Oil Light
‘our vehicle is equipped with an oil level
lonitoring system. When you start your
ngine, the light will come
on briefly. If
le light doesn’t come on, have it
:paired. If the light stays on after starting
our engine, your engine oil level may be
10 low. You may need to add oil. See
Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTICE:
The oil level monitoring system only
checks the oil level
when you are
starting your engine. It does not keep
monitoring the level once your en-
gine is running.
Also, the oil level
check only works when the engine
has been turned off long enough for
the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
. . .IO0
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine This is a mistake. Your brakes may not
have time to cool between hard stops.
Your brakes will wear out much faster if
you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep
pace with the traffic 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.
inti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
tour Chevrolet has an advanced
klectronic braking system that
will help
- revent sludding.
ABS
INOP
?his light on the instrument panel will go
m when you start your vehicle.
Nhen you start your vehicle, or when yo1
)egin to drive away, you may hear a
nomentary motor or clicking noise. And
’ou may even notice that your brake
bedal moves a little while
this is going on
:his
is the ABS system testing itself. If
here’s a problem with the anti-lock brake
ystem, the anti-lock brake system
varning light will stay
on or flash.
;ee “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
ight” in the Index.
1
127 ...
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ‘I i
If your vehicle is in cruise control when
the ASR system begins
to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control will automaticallq
disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. (See
“Cruise Control” in the Index.)
The “ASR” warning light will come on
when you tu-n the ASR system off. Whe~
the system is on, this light will come on
to let you know if there’s a problem with
your ASR system.
See “ASR System
Warning Light” in the Index.
When this warning light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
drjving accordingly.
ASR
The ASR system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can
turn the ASR system
off if you ever need
to. (You should turn the system
off if
your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand,
mud, ice or snow.
See “Rocking Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
To turn the system
off, press the button on
the console near the cigarette lighter. The
“ASIC” warning light will come on and
stay on. -If the ASR system is limiting
wheel spin when you press the button, the
system won’t turn off right away. It will
wait until there’s no longer a current need
to limit wheel spin. You
can turn the system back on at any
time by pressing the button again. The
*‘ASR’ warning light should go
off.
[f your car is equipped with P245/50ZR16
tires, the ASR system will automatically
turn
off at speeds above 108 mph (173
km/h). (The “ASR” warning light will
not come on.) When vehicle speed drops
below
103 mph (165 km/h), the system
will automatically turn on again.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when
you need to. With anti-lock, you can
steer and brake
a1 the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
129 ...
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine much throttle causes the driving wheels to
spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by
easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If you have the ASR system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If
you do not have traction control, or
if the
system is
off, then an acceleration skid is
also best handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your
foot
off the accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
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
traction, try
your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration,
or braking
(including engine bralung 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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.
. ..
I
4
Driving at Night
\Tight driving is more dangerous than day
hiving. One reason is that some drivers
tre likely to be impaired
- by alcohol or
lrugs, with night vision problems, or by
atigue.
lere
are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
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.
133 ...
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
0
0
0
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 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