1995 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Multifunction Lever
The lever on the driver’s side of the steering column includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High-Low Beam
0 Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
Cruise Control (Option)
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has
two upward (for
Right) and two
downward (for Left)
positions. These
positions allow you
to
signal a turn or a lane
change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return automatically.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
When using concentrated washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer fluid. Water can
cause the solution to freeze and damage your washer fluid
tank and other parts of the washer system. Also, water
doesn’t clean
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only 3/4 full when it’s very cold.
This allows for expansion, which could damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your windshield washer. It
can damage your washer system and paint.
Rear Window WiperMasher - Dutch Door
You control your rear
window wipedwasher
from a switch
on your
instrument panel,
on
the driver’s side of
your steering column.
Press the top of the switch to the first position to turn on the wiper.
Press the top of the switch in all the way and hold to release the desired
amount
of washer fluid. The wipers will continue to work after you
release the switch.
0 Press the bottom of the switch (OFF) to turn the wiper off.
The rear window washer system uses
the same fluid tank as the windshield
washer system.
The rear window washer system will run out
of fluid before the windshield
washer system, indicating
you need to check your fluid level and fill the
fluid tank.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Air Conditioning (Option)
You may have rear air
conditioning. The rear
air conditioning
switch
is located
above the radio at the
top
of the instrument
panel. Slide the lever
toward
HI for cooler
air in the rear
area.
Slide the lever to OFF
to turn the system off.
If your vehicle has rear air conditioning, setting it on LO may enhance front
A/C performance by allowing trapped refrigerant in rear lines to circulate.
The system will only send cooled air if the front system is on. It can still
be
used to circulate air, even if the front system is off.
Before
using the rear air conditioning, open the windows to clear the vehicle
of hot air. Close the windows when using the system.
Rear Window Defogger (Option)
If your vehicle has this option, the rear window will have lines running
across the glass. These lines heat your window.
For best results, clear the window of as much snow or ice as possible before
using the
rear window defogger.
To
turn on the rear
window defogger, find
the switch marked
REAR DEFOG on
your instrument panel
to the left of the
steering column. Press
the top
of this switch
until the light in the
switch comes on, then
release it.
The rear window defogger will only work when the ignition switch
is in the
RUN position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people don’t
know. Medical research shows that alcohol in
a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially injuries to
the brain, spinal cord or heart.
This means that when anyone who has been drinking - driver or passenger
- is in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go.
They
are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you
can lose control of your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 vehicle 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
114 turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
I
:,I ‘W I
1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx.
Quarter Turn
4. Recover
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for just the right moment, accel.erates, 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.
4-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loss of Confrol
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 vehicle’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
quickly 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 brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking
skid.
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