1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO lock

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and
you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.
ABS
INOP
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
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. 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.
4-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
make the most
of available tire and road conditions.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. 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.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and
let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the system working, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid, this light will come on.
See “Low Traction Light” in the Index.
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The ASR system automatically comes on whenever you
start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions,
you should always leave the
system on. But you can turn the ASR system off if
you
ever need to. (You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
To turn the system off, press
the switch
on the instrument
panel. The light on the
switch will
go out. The
ASR system warning light will come on and stay
on. If the
ASR system is limiting wheel spin when you
press the switch, the warning light will come
on -- but
the system won’t turn off right away. It will wait until
there’s no longer a current need
to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the switch again. The ASR system warning light should
go off and the light on the switch will come on.
If your car is equipped with P245/5OZR16 tires, the
ASR system will automatically turn off at speeds above
108 mph
(174 kmh). (The ASR system warning light
will not come
on.) When the vehicle speed drops below
103 mph (166 kmh) the system will automatically come
on again.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
4-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 Chevrolet can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier
in this section.) 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. 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.
4-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 Chevrolet’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
is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the ASR system, remember: It helps avoid
only the acceleration skid. If
you do not have
ASR, or if the system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also 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.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid
only the braking skid.
4-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on
a slippery road. Even
though you have
the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement.See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
0 Allow greater following distance on any
0 Watch for slippery spots. The road might
slippery road.
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.
__ -
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:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
4-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been
stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~
IOU can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
4-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hitches Safety Chains
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here
are
some rules to follow:
0 The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended
for hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or
other bumper-type hitches to them. Use only
a frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If
you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the
road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer
or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its
own brakes -- and they must
be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust
and maintain them properly. Because you have anti-lock
brakes,
do not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system.
If you do, both brake systems won’t work well,
or at all.
4-36