Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
If you’re being passed, make it easy
for the following driver to get ahead of
you. Perhaps you can ease a little to
the right.
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 Chevrolet’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, 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 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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking slid.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Problems on the Road
-
A
B
I Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a
xofessional towing service tow your
Zhevrolet. The usual towing equipment
:A) Sling-type tow truck
:B) Wheel-lift tow truck
C) Car carrier
f your vehicle has been changed or
nodified since it was factory-new by
ldding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
iero skirting, or special tires and
uheels, these instructions and
llustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the
lazard warning flashers.
S:
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front with sling-type
equipment.
That, if you have the 2-24, your
vehicle cannot
be towed from the
front or rear with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle. lever.
damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there was an accident, what was
When the towing service arrives, let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions
and illustrations. The operator may
want to see them.
.I I32
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It
should be at
60 psi (420 1tPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. Simply looking at
the tires
will not tell you the pressure,
especially if you have radial tires
-
which may look properly inflated even if
they're underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
x
Tire lnspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have
them inspected and rotated at the
mileages recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule. See
Scheduled
Maintenance Services
in the Index.
Use this rotation pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust
the front and rear inflation pressure as
shown on the Tire-Loading Information
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See
Wheel Nut
Torque in the Index.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
When It’s Time for New Tires
3ne way to tell when it’s time for new
;ires is to check the treadwear
ndicators, which will appear when your
;ires have only
%Z inch (1.6 mm) or less
If tread remaining.
llou need a new tire if:
m You can see the indicators at three or
m You can see cord or fabric showing
B The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
more places
around the tire.
through the tire’s rubber.
or snagged deep enough
to show cord
or fabric.
B The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the
damaEe.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires
you need,
look at the Tire-Loading
Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when
it was new had a Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When
you get new tires, get ones with that
same TPC Spec number. That way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that
are designed to give proper endurance,
handling, speed rating, traction, ride
and other things during normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all-
season tread design, the TPC number
will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud
and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type
(bias, bias-belted or radial) as your
original tires.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Qualify Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate
of the tire
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half (1 Yz)
times as well on the government course
as a tire graded
100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions
of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction-A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are: A,
B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked
C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire
is based on braking (straight-
ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation
of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of
the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No.
109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels
of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment
on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and
have been approved for use on General
Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P
Metric) tires must conform to Federal
safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
1
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I Used Replacement Wheels Tire Chains . ..
NOTICE:
If your Chevrolet has P195/70R14,
P195/65R15 or P205/60R15 size
tires, don’t use tire chains; they can
damage your vehicle. If you have
other tires, use tire chains only
where legal and only when you
must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type
chains that are the proper size for
your tires. Install them on the front
tires and tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly
and follow
the chain manufacturer’s
instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it stops.
Driving too fast with chains on will
damage your vehicle.
Uppearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be
hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can
burst into flame
if you strike a match or
get them on a hot part of the vehicle.
Some are dangerous
if you breathe their
fumes in a closed space. When you use
anything from a container to clean your
Chevrolet, be sure to follow the
manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your
doors or windows when you’re cleaning
the inside.
I87
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
- some
more than others
- and they can all
damage your vehicle, too.
NOTICE:
Don’t use any of these unless this
manual says
you can. In many uses,
these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your
Chevrolet
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl or
leather with
a clean, damp cloth.
Your Chevrolet dealer has two GM
cleaners, a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the
cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can -
before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and
change to a clean area often.
A soft
brush may be used
if stains are
stubborn.
ventilated area only. If you use them,
don’t saturate the stained area.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning,
clean the entire area immediately or it
will set.
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on
Fabric
Vacuum and brush the area to remove
Always clean a whole trim panel or
any
loose dirt.
section. Mask surrounding trim along
stitch or welt lines.
,
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner
following the directions on the
container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section,
use a sponge to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet
sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly
damp paper towel or cloth.
Then dry it immediately with a blow
dryer or a heat lamp.
sponge.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
To clean white bumper covers, first use
Tar and Oil Remover. If the dark areas
are still visible, whiten with White
Sidewall Tire Cleaner, such as GM Part
No. 1050174.
Finish Care of Tdred
SurJace Bumper Covers
To touch up any small spots after
regular washing, use a solvent-type
fabric cleaner such as
GM Part No.
1050214 and a clean, dry cloth.
To help maintain bumper covers, after
washing use a cleaner/protectant like
GM/Armor All" Part
No. 1052919.
I Aluminum wheels (IfSo
Equipped)
Your aluminum wheels have a
protective coating similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Don't use
strong soaps, chemicals, chrome polish,
abrasive cleaners or abrasive cleaning
brushes on them because you could
damage this coating. After rinsing
thoroughly, a wax may be applied.
NOTICE:
If you have aluminum wheels, don't
use an automatic vehicle wash that
has hard silicon carbide cleaning
brushes. These brushes can take off
the protective coating.
Tires
Your Chevrolet dealer has a GM White
Sidewall Tire Cleaner. You can use a
stiff brush with the cleaner.
When applying a tire dressing always take
care to wipe
off any overspray or splash
from painted surfaces. Petroleum- based
products may damage the paint finish.
I Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will
make them last longer, seal better, and
not stick or squeak. Apply silicone
grease with a clean cloth at least every
six months. During very cold, damp
weather more frequent application may
be required. (See
Recommended Fluids
G. Lubricants in the Index.)
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires
sheet metal repair or replacement, make
sure the body repair shop applies anti-
corrosion material to the parts repaired
or replaced to restore corrosion
protection.
I Foreign Material
Calcium chloride and other salts, ice
melting agents, road oil and tar, tree
sap, bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, and other foreign
matter can damage your vehicle's finish
if they remain on painted surfaces. Use
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces to remove foreign matter.