1996 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

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 MI
the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid
only the braking skid. If you do not have
antblock, then
in a braking skid (where the wheels are
Driving at Night
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the hake pedal
down steadily when you
have to
stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, Night
driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is
that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol QT drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
you
will have steering control.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and dnve.
0 ,Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare from headlamps behind you.
down and ke,ep 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.
0 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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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads 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 tractiqn.
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.
I The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades
are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make
it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge
of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when
they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips
of rubber start to
separate from
the inserts.
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A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in
a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles.
But if
you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
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Hydroplaning . ., ... 1, , , 2 ,2-,a7:-~+.,: <. .:< ’. -- ’.
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your’tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle
is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
, tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning,
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t
a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when
it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
.engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
S,ome Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turri on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your
parking lamps -- to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when
you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in
the Index.)
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City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to ge! to where you are
going. Get, a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
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.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
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.
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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 mwt important advice on freeway hving is: Keep
rap 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 line 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.
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.
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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:
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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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