1996 CHEVROLET EXPRESS mirror

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Mirrors
Inside Mirror
Push or pull the tab under the mirror to reduce glare
from headlamps behind you after dark.
Outside Mirrors
Adjust your outside mirrors so you can just see the
side of your vehicle, and have a clear view
of objects
behind
you. Some mirrors can be folded in to enter
narrow doorways.
Electric Outside Rearview Mirrors (Option)
To use the lamp as a flashlight, pull down on the lever
located under the lamp, unlocking the lamp and pull
the
lamp out. The cord will unreel as you pull the lamp.
When
you are done using the lamp, reel the cord back
into the housing by turning the handle.
Then, slide the lamp
into the holder and press the
lever marked
PUSH at the bottom of the holder to
lock into place.
If you have electric mirrors, they can be adjusted to
point where you want from inside the vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Select the mirror you want
to move by rotating the
switch counterclockwise to
adjust the passenger side
mirror and clockwise to
adjust the driver side
mirror. The center position
is neutral.
Then, adjust the mirror angle by pressing the outer
arrows on the switch until the mirror is adjusted
where
you want it.
Your electric outside
rearview mirrors can be
defrosted by pressing the
switch next to the heater
controls. (See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.)
Convex Outside .Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface
is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
I
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Visor Vanity Mirror (Option)
Some visors have illuminated mirrors on them. Pull the
visor down and lift the mirror cover (if there is
one), to
use the mirror.
Cigarette LightedAshtrays
The front ashtray is located in the instrument panel
extension, at the center
of the instrument panel. Lift up
on the ashtray door to open it.
I NOTICE:
To use the cigarette lighter, push it in all the way, and let
go. When it’s ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Holding a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating can make
it overload,
damaging the lighter and the heating element.
Just push the lighter all the
way in and let go.
When it’s done, it will pop back by itself.
Papers and other things that burn into your
ashtrays could be set on
fire by cigarettes or
other smoking materials. That could cause a
fire and possibly damage your vehicle.
Do not
store papers and other things that burn in
your ashtrays.
To remove the front ashtray, pull up on the tab with
a
key or screw driver inserted in the tab, and lift the
ashtray out.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps 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
headlamps 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 headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
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 headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
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 headlamps 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 headlamps 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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:
0 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 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 hinhway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat
or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
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