Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission
into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transmission.
You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever
out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK
(P)” in the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission in REVERSE
(R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If your vehicle is equipped to tow a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in
the Index.
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your Chevrolet has a Brake-Transmission Shift
Interlock (BTSI). You have
to fully apply your regular
brake before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is
in the RUN position. See “Automatic
Transmission Operation” in the Index.
If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear
you wish.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to the OFF position.
2. Apply and hold the brake.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
2-41
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine [ NOTICE:
It is not recommended to lower the top if the
vehicle is out in cold weather,
0°F (-18" C) or
lower, or you may damage top components.
NOTICE:
Before lowering the convertible top into the
storage area, be sure there are
no objects in the
way of the folded, stored top. The weight of a
stored top on items in the storage area will cause
the convertible top back glass to'break. 2. Unlock the front of the convertible top by pushing
on the smaller part
of the latch, then pulling down
on the larger part
of the latch. Be sure the hook
on the latch that attaches into the hole at the
windshield releases.
2-69
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Many adults -- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 2 1, it’s
against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way
to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends
on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
According to the American Medical Association, a
180-lb.
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
and
during drinking
consume the alcohol. same
BAC by
drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1
- 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent.
A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have
a somewhat lower BAC level.
4-3
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage
of body water than men.
Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that
a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in many
U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, the limit is
0.08 percent. In some
other countries, it’s even lower. The BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases
sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of
0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!
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.
4-4
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 314 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; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount
of brake force applied. 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.
4-6
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel.
When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need
a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when
you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little
as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
i"
.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP.
WT.
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING
& GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT
XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSUKPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
, INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge
of the driver's door tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you
important information about the number of people that
can be in your vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight
and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
4-30
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine s--7
MFDBYGENERALMOTORSCORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle,
or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating GAWR for either the front
or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load,
you should spread
it out. Don’t carry more than 100 lbs. (45 kg) in your
rear area.
I
I ’ A CAUTIl :
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than
the GVWR, or either the maximum front
or
rear GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle
can break, or
it can change the way your
vehicle handles. These could cause
you to lose
control.
Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else
-- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there
is a crash, they’ll keep going.
4-31
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
0
0
0
0
0
Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave
an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
Towing a Trailer
A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Chevrolet dealer
for advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
4-32