1994 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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. flow. Try
to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your
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 &ive
along the entrance ramp, you should
begin to check traffic. Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the turn
signal, check your mirrors and
glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try 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
quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
.Irn I20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion.
After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend
to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long
Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested.
If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part
of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you 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:
Windshield Washer Fluid Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
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 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?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
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.
a

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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 country,
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
transaxle. 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
down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may
want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4 Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Chevrolet in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your trunk.
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 wnere
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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
I..
Whatever the condition - smooth ice,
packed, blowing or loose snow
- drive
with caution. 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.
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.
I24
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 warm,
but be careful.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run the
engine, malte 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.
~~
Recreational Towing
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle,
you can tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle for use at your
destination. Be sure
to use proper
towing equipment designed for
recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
Tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground. Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF to
unlock the steering wheel.
OFF will
also prevent the automatic door locks
from locking.
(Neutral).
3.
Shift your manual transaxle to
N
4. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed
does not exceed
55 mph (90 lm),
or your vehicle could be badly
damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
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Towing Your Vehicle from the Rear
I NOTICE:
Do not tow your vehicle from the
rear. Your vehicle could be badly
damaged and the repairs would not
be covered by your warranty.
Towing A Trailer
Your Chevrolet is neither designed nor
intended
to tow a trailer.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here you’ll find what to do
about some problems that can
occur
on the road .
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
............... 128
Jump Starting
........................................................................\
.................................. 128
Towing Your Vehicle
........................................................................\
...................... 132
Engine Overheating
........................................................................\
......................... 136
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
........................... 145
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
........................ 146
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
........................ 151
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
......................................................... 152