1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE stop start

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
H Freeway Driving (CONK)
along the entrance ramp, you should
begin to check traffic. Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the flow.
Try
to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your 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
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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.
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 Pontiac 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:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
0 Fuel. Engine Oil. Other Fluids: Have
you checked all levels?
0 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?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the 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?
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Your Driving and the Road
Driving with a Trailer
(CONT.)
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll
need to
go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lights will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working. Your
vehicle has bulb warning lights.
When you plug trailer lights into your
vehicle’s lighting system, its bulb warning
lights may not let
you know if one of your
lights goes out.
So, when you have trailer
lights plugged
in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lights from time
to time
to be sure they’re all working. Once you
disconnect the trailer lights, the bulb
warning lights again can tell you if one
of
your vehicle lights is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to “D”
(Drive) and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle
overheating.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, here’s how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
“P” (Park) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the
trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then shift to
“F”’ (Park).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1.
2.
3.
4.
Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
Let up on the brake pedal.
Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you’re pulling a trailer.
See the
Maintenance Schedule for more
on this.
Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle
fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, belt(s),
cooling system, and brake adjustment,
Each
of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good
idea to review these sections before. you
start your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
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