1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA stop start

Your Driving and the Road
110
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON ANT’- LOCK I
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic
braking system that can help you keep
it under control. When you start your
vehicle and begin to drive away, you
may hear a momentary motor or
clicking noise. This is the ABS system
testing itself. Here’s how anti-lock works.
Let’s say
the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out in front
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what
happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that the wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels. The anti-
lock system can change the brake
pressure faster than any driver could.
The computer is programmed to make
the most of available tire and road
conditions. You can steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
of
you.
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 Four-wheel Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you. You may feel the brakes
vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
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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.
markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
Watch for traffic signs, pavement 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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
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.
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hur Driving and the Road
114
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 Oldsmobile’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
quicldy 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 skid.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of the
best ways to control your vehicle is to
control your speed. Here are some
things to keep in mind. At higher
speeds:
you approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when
you drive over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking,
especially since you’re on an unpaved
surface.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain.
You
need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here are
some things to consider.
Surface Conditions
Off-roading can take you over hard-
packed
dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow or ice. Each
of these surfaces
affects the steering, acceleration, and
braking of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are on, you may experience slipping,
sliding, wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction, and longer
braking distances.
Surface Obstacles
Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you
if you’re not
prepared for them. Often these obstacles
are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and
fall of the terrain itself.
Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change
Does the travel take you uphill or
abruptly
up ahead?
downhill? (There’s more discussion of
these subjects later.)
change direction quickly?
Will you have to stop suddenly or
When you drive over obstacles or rough
terrain, keep a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface
features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or
other obstacles, your wheels can leave
the ground. If this happens, even with
one or two wheels, you can’t control the
vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved
surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a
different kind of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights.
You have to use your own
good judgment about what is safe and
what isn’t.
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Driving Uphi//
Once you decide you can safely drive
up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than you need, because
you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all
possible. If the path twists and turns,
you might want to find another route.
Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top of the.hill..
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the
top of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
stalls,
or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some
things you should
do, and there are
some things you must not do. First,
here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the
vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need
to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to
P (Park) and
restart the engine. Then, shift to
reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put
your left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able to tell if
your wheels are straight and
maneuver
as you back down. It’s
best that you back down the hill
with your wheels straight rather
than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far
to the
left or right will increase the
possibility
of a rollover.
If your engine is still running, shift
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Q: Am I likely to stall when going
downhill?
A It’s much more likely to happen
going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the
regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to P (Park) and, while still
braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the
parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out
and get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline of a
hill. If
this happens, you have to decide
whether to
try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up or
down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down
a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front wheels
to the rear wheels) reduces the
likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end. But when you drive across
an incline, the much more narrow
track width (the distance between the
left and right wheels) may not prevent
the vehicle from tilting and rolling
over. Also, driving across an incline
puts more weight
on the downhill
wheels. This could cause
a downhill
slide or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem
when you drive across a hill. Loose
gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass
can cause your tires to slip sideways,
downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways,
it can hit something that will trip it (a
rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline even worse. If
you drive across a rock with the uphill
wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop
into a rut or depression, your vehicle
can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to
decide carefully whether to
try to drive across
an incline. Just because the trail
goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you have to drive it. The last vehicle to
try it might have rolled over.
Q: What if I’m driving across an
incline that’s not too steep, but
I
hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to
slide sideways, turn downhill. This
should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping.
However, a much better way to
prevent this is
to get out and “walk
the course”
so you know what the
surface is like before you drive it.
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Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. But heavy rain can
mean flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find
out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles, or
exhaust pipe, don’t
try it - you
probably won’t get through.
Also, water
that deep can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through it slowly. At fast speeds, water
splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under
water.
And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to
start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes
get wet, it may take you longer to stop.
After OtY-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis or
under the hood. These accumulations
can be a fire hazard.
After operation
in mud or sand, have
the brake linings cleaned and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and
uneven braking. Check the body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle
will require more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule for additional
information.
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1 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 arc
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.
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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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