1995 CHEVROLET S10 Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No
amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I’ll be
careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to take
sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a
moderate
BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
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 Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s only an average. It
might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a
second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the
road (whether it’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry,
icy); tire tread; and the condition of your brakes.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means better
braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control.
If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system warning light on the
instrument panel, it has four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Otherwise, it has
rear-wheel anti-lock brakes. When you start a vehicle that has four-wheel
anti-lock brakes and begin to drive away, you may hear a momentary motor
or clicking noise. This is the
ABS system testing itself.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet. You're driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. With four-wheel
anti-lock: 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
four-wheel anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. With rear-wheel anti-lock: If one
of the rear wheels is about
to stop rolling, the computer will work the brakes at the rear wheels. The
computer
is programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use Four-wheel Anii-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.
On vehicles with four-wheel drive, your anti-lock brakes work at all
times
- whether you are in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
To Use Rear- Wheel Anii-Lock
Use rear-wheel anti-lock like regular brakes. You may feel the brakes
vibrate, or
you may notice some noise outside your vehicle, but this is
normal. Let anti-lock work for you, but remember: Your front wheels can
still stop rolling. If that happens, release enough pressure
on the brakes to
get the wheels rolling again
so that you can steer.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking.
The four-wheel anti-lock system
lets you steer and brake at the same time.
If you have the rear-wheel anti-lock braking system, your front wheels can
stop rolling when you brake very hard. Once they do, the vehicle can’t
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry
it in whatever direction it
was headed when the front wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the
road, into the very thing you were trying
to avoid, or into traffic.
So, unless you have four-wheel anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give
you maximum braking while maintaining steering
control. You do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure. When you do, it
will help maintain steering control. 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.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 apply
the brakes. Both control systems
- steering and braking - have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless
you have four-wheel anti-lock
brakes, adding the hard braking can demand
too much of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing
can happen if you’re steering through a sharp curve and you
suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems - steering and acceleration
- can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you
lose control.
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 vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes
- but, unless you have four-wheel anti-lock, not enough to
lock your front wheels.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx.
Quarter Turn
4. Recover
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
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“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 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.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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 lamps 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
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.
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