1995 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

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:
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See
the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 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 both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red
light.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The
most important advice on freeway 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 on 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 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.
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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 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 dealers
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:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: 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?
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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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or
whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum
of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
less than a second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that
it can happen.
Then here are
some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take
a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or 11 you re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain
roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some
of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you
can clirnb the hill better.
Stay in
your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in
hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There coula
be something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may
see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Pontiac in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include an
ice scraper,
a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a
small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most o€ the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have
good traction.
However, if there
is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or
“grip” and will need to be very
careful.
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice,” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing (32 OF; 0” G) and freezing rain begins to
€all. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can
get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently, too.
(If you do have anti-lock,
see “Anti-Lock” in the Index. This system improves
your vehicle’s ability to make a hard stop on
a slippery
road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking system or
not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than you
would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes, if
you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes
a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the
most traction you can.
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Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide.
Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the
sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation.
You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you
can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do
to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
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