1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

Your Driving and the Road
Traction Control System
(OPTION) (CONI)
snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle” in the
Index.)
To turn the system off, press the
“TRACTION CONTROL” button.
The “TRACTION
OFF” warning light
will come on and stay on. If the system is
limiting wheel spin when
you press the
button, the system won’t turn off right
away. It will wait until there’s no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any
time by pressing the button again. The
“TRACTION
OFF” warning light
should go off.
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.
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.
Variable Effort Steering
If your vehicle is equipped with this
option,
you have a variable effort steering
system that eases steering effort at speeds
less than
20 mph (32 km/h). This is
particularly useful when parking your
vehicle.
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. 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.
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What should you do if this ever happens?
Ease up on the brake or 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.
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
Pontiac 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
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 slight1
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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9
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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. 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
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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.
0 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.
0 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
zontrol 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 Pontiac’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 skic€-.too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to
spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerato? pedal.
If you have the traction control system,
remember: It helps avoid only the,
acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control$ or if
the system is off, then an acceleration
skid is
also 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
Skidding (CONI)
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.
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.
0 Drive defensively.
0 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.
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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, making 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.
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rn 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
;ee. Even if your Windshield wiper blades
Lre in good shape, a heavy rain can make
t harder to see road signs and traffic
;ignals, pavement markings, the edge of
:he road, and even people walking.
[t’s wise
to keep your wiping equi*rnent
:n good shape and keep your wihhield
washer tank filled. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show
;ips of streaking or missing are& on the
windshield, or when strips
of rubher start
to separate from the inserts.
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Your Driving and the Road
I
Driving in the Rain
(CONX)
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.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen
if the road is wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it
can if your tires haven’t much tread or if
the pressure in one or more is low.
It can
happen if a lot of water is standing on the
road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and *aindrops “dimple” the water’s surface,
;here
could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
;peeds. There just isn’t a hard and fast
ule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy
Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights --
not just your parking lights -- to help
make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful
when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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city Driving
One of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount
of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for what the
other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase
your safety in
city driving:
o Know the best way to get to where
you are going. Get a city map and plan
your trip into an unknown part
of the
city just
as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next
section, “Freeway Driving.”)
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 bcith
ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be
running the red light.
Freeway Driving ..;;.
. ./
Mile for mile, freeways (also calked
thruways, parkways, expresswaysi:.
turnpikes, or superhighways) are. @e
safest
of all roads. But they have their
own special rules. j: , ..
The most important advice on frwway
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 0n.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 drive
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