1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA lock

Here you’ll find information about
driving on different kinds
of roads
and in varying weather conditions
.
We’ve also included many other
useful tips
on driving .
Part 4
Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving .. ............................................... ................................................... 106 . ..
Drunken Driving ........................................................................\
............................. 106
Control of a Vehicle
What
Is All-Wheel Drive? ........................................................................\
........... 108
Braking ........................................................................\
......................................... 109
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
........................................................................\
............. 110
Braking in Emergencies
........................................................................\
............... 111
Steering ........................................................................\
........................................ 111
Steering in Emergencies ........................................................................\
.............. 112
Passing ........................................................................\
......................................... 113
Driving Guidelines ........................................................................\
.......................... 115
Operating Your Bravada
Off Paved Roads ............................................................ 115
Driving at Night
........................................................................\
.............................. 124
Driving
in the Rain ........................................................................\
.......................... 125
City Driving
........................................................................\
..................................... 126
Freeway Driving ........................................................................\
.............................. 127
Hill and Mountain Roads ........................................................................\
................ 129
Winter Driving
........................................................................\
................................. 130
Towing a Trailer ........................................................................\
.............................. 132
..
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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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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.
I Steering
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.
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. Unless you have traction control
and the system is on, 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
112
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
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 Oldsmobile can perform very well
in emergemies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as
much speed as
you can from a possible collision. Then
xeer 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.
, IOFF ROAD RECOVERY /
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle
straddles the edge of the pavement.
You
can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4
turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to
go straight down the
roadway.
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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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Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passknger vehicle is
defined as a utility vehicle in Consumer
Information Regulations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) of the United
States Department of Transportation.
Utility vehicles have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to make
them capable of performing in a wide
variety of off-road applications. Specific
design characteristics give them a
higher center of gravity than ordinary
cars. An advantage of the higher ground
clearance is a better view of the road
allowing you to anticipate problems.
They are not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as conventional
2-
wheel drive vehicles any more than low-
slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp
turns or abrupt maneuvers. As with
other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control or vehicle rollover.
3perating Your Bravada Off
Paved Roads
Many of the same design features that
help make Bravada responsive on paved
roads during poor weather conditions
-
features like the locking rear axle and all-
wheel drive - help make it much better
suited for off-road use than a
conventional passenger
car. Its higher
ground clearance also helps Bravada step
over some off-road obstacles. But
Bravada doesn’t have features like special
underbody shielding and a transfer case
low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe
off-road service.
This guide is for
operating your Bravada off paved roads.
Also, see Anti-Lock Brakes in the Index.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it
does have some definite hazards. The
greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the
great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked.
Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery,
rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new
skills. And that’s why it’s very
important that
you read this guide.
You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help malte your
off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before You Go Ofi-Roading
There are some things to do before you
go out. For example, be sure to have all
necessary maintenance and service
work done. Be sure you read all the
information about your all-wheel drive
vehicle in this manual.
Is there enough
fuel? Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are
the fluid levels up where they should
be? What are the local laws that apply
to off-roading where you’ll be driving?
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Your Driving and the Road
I
114
If you don’t know, you should check
with law enforcement people in the
area. Will you be
on someone’s private
land?
If so, be sure to get the necessary
permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to
remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the
load floor and forward of your rear
axle. Put heavier items as far forward
as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly,
so driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t toss things around.
You’ll find other important information
in this manual. See
Vehicle Loading,
Luggage Carrier
and Tires in the Index.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip,
especially when going to a remote area.
Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad
surprises. Get accurate maps of trails
and terrain. Try to learn of any blocked
or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at
least one other vehicle. If something
happens to one of them, the other can
help quickly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road
Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area
that’s safe and close to home before you
go into the wilderness. Off-road driving
does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of
signals. Your eyes, for example, need to
constantly sweep the terrain for
unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to
listen for unusual tire or engine sounds.
With your
arms, hands, feet, and body
you’ll need to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
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Your Driving and the Road
118
Drinking and driving can be very
dangerous on any road. And this is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the
very time you need special alertness and
driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol.
You could
have a serious
- or even fatal -
accident if you drink and drive or ride
with a driver who has been drinking.
(See
Drunken Driving in the Index.)
Driving On Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely on
hills requires good judgment and an
understanding of what your vehicle can
and can’t do. There are some hills that
simply can’t be driven, no matter how
well built the vehicle.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to
decide
if it’s one of those hills that’s just
too steep to climb, descend, or cross.
Steepness can be hard to judge. On a
very small hill, for example, there may
be a smooth, constant incline with only
a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get steeper
as you near the top, but you may not
see this because the crest of the hill is
hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider
as you approach a hill.
Is there a constant incline, or does the
hill get sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside,
or will the surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down
the hill
so you won’t have to make
turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that
can block your path (boulders, trees,
logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff,
an embanlunent, a drop-off, a fence?
Get out and walk the hill
if you don’t
know. It’s the smart way to find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills
often have ruts, gullies, troughs and
exposed rocks because they are more
susceptible to the effects of erosion.
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