1994 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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 there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system, the anti-lock
brake system warning light will stay on
or flash.
See
Anti-lock Brake System Warning
Light
in the Index.
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.
If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer wil
separately work the brakes at each fro]
wheel and at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the
brake pressure faster than any driver
1
nt
could.*The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
L-
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.
Remember: 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. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when
you need to. With anti-lock, you can
steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best
braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist
because the engine stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
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 laws 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 banked, 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 accelerate.
Both control systems
-
steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the
road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much
of those places.
You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever
happens? Ease up on the 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
P
..
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can De
more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front
of you. You
can avoid these problems by braking -
if you can stop in time. But sometimes
you can't; there isn't room. That's the
time for evasive action
- steering
around the problem.
Your Chevrolet
can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes. It
is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible collision.
Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close
attention and a quick decision.
If you
are holding the steering wheel
at the
recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions,
you can turn it a full
180 degrees very
quickly without removing either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times
and wear safety belts properly. I Off-Ruad Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
lvheels have dropped
off the edge of a
soad onto the shoulder while you're
hiving.
:f the level of the shoulder is only
;lightly below the pavement, recovery
;hould be fairly easy. Ease off the
iccelerator and then, if there is nothing
n the way, steer
so that your vehicle
itraddles the edge of the pavement. You
:an turn the steering wheel up to
1/4
urn until the right front tire contacts
he pavement edge. Then turn your
;teering wheel
to go straight down the
toadway.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates,
moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A
simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane highway is a potentially
dangerous move, since the passing
vehicle occupies the same lane as
oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A
miscalculation, an error in judgment, or
a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly
put the passing driver face
to face with the worst of all traffic
accidents
- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road,
to the sides, and
to crossroads for
situations that might affect your
passing patterns. If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a
successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement
markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken
center line usually
indicates it’s
all right to pass (providing
the road ahead is clear). Never cross a
solid line on your side of the lane or
a
double solid line, even if the road
seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle
you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if you’re
following a larger vehicle. Also, you
won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too
close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to
move into the other lane.
If the way is
clear to pass,
you will have a “running
start” that more than makes up for
the distance you would lose by
dropping back. And if something
happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and
drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over
your shoulder and check the blind
spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of
the right lane to pass. When you are
far enough ahead of the passed
vehicle to see its front in your inside
mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right
lane. (Remember that your right
outside mirror is convex. The vehicle
you just passed may seem to be farther
away from you than
it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving

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 Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired
- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here 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.
Slow down, especially on higher
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at
night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also
affect your night vision. For example, if
you spend the day in bright sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to
night. But if you’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights. It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from
a driver who doesn’t lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed
headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching
lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle clean - inside and out.
Glare at night is made much worse by
dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the
glass can build up a film caused by dust.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
flash more than clean glass would,
malting the pupils of your eyes contract
repeatedly.
Remember that your headlights light up
far less of a roadway when you are in a
turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving;
that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlights
should be checked regularly for proper
aim,
so should your eyes be examined
regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness
- the inability to see in
dim light
- and aren’t even aware of it.
7

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Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads can mean driving
trouble. On a wet road you can’t stop,
accelerate or turn as well because your
tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads. And,
if your tires don’t have
much tread left, you’ll get even less
traction. It’s always wise to go slower
and be cautious if rain starts to fall
while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement. The
heavier the rain, the harder it is to
see. Even
if your windshield wiper
blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the
edge of the road, and even people
walking.
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.

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