If the Light Is Flashing
I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after
a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered
by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required. The
following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains
on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
ProCarManuals.com
PREV (1): Press PREV or the SEEK left arrow to
search for the previous selection. If you hold this button
or press it more than once, the disc will advance further.
Sound is muted
in this mode.
RDM (2): Press this button to play the tracks on the disc
in random order. While
in the RDM mode, RANDOM
appears on the display. Press
RDM again to return to
normal play.
NEXT (3): Press NEXT or the SEEK right arrow to
search for the next selection. If you hold this button or
press it more than once, the disc will advance further.
The next track number will appear
on the display. Sound
is muted in this mode.
REV (4): Press and hold REV to return rapidly to a
favorite passage,
You will hear the disc selection play at
high speed while you press the
REV button. This allows
you to listen and find out when the disc is at the desired
selection. Release
REV to resume playing.
FWD (6): Press and hold this button to advance rapidly
within a track. You will hear the disc selection play at
high speed while you press the
FWD button. This allows
you to listen and find out when the disc is at the desired
selection. Release FWD to resume playing.
RECALL: Press this button to see what track is playing.
Press
it again within five seconds to see how long the
CD has been playing that track. Elapsed time is
displayed
in minutes and tenths of a second. The track
number will also appear when a new track begins to
play. Press
RECALL again to return to the time display.
AM-FM: While in the CD mode, press this button to
stop playing the CD and play
the radio. The CD symbol
will still display but the word CD will be replaced with
either
AM, FM1 or FM2. (If the radio is turned off, the
disc stays in the player and will resume playing at the
point where
it stopped.)
CD AUX: To switch between the player and the radio
when a disc
is playing, press the AM-FM button. To
return to the player, press CD
AUX. When a disc is
playing, the letters CD and the CD symbol will appear
on the display.
(If the radio is turned off, the disc stays
in the player and will resume playing at the point where
it stopped.)
EJECT: Press this button to eject the disc from the
player and play the radio. When
the same or a new disc
is inserted, the disc will start playing on track one. If a
compact disc is left sitting in the opening for more than
a few seconds, the player will pull the CD back in. The
radio will continue playing. When the ignition
is off,
press this button to load a
CD. If you leave a compact
disc in the player while listening to the radio,
it may
become warm.
3-21
ProCarManuals.com
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.
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 and 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. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
in ANTI -
LOCK
4-7
ProCarManuals.com
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is
a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or
an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross
a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching trafEc.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting
an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area
of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn.
But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you
as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
4-12
ProCarManuals.com
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.
4-14
ProCarManuals.com
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
V. 1
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 traction. 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.
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 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.
4-16
ProCarManuals.com
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 GM
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:
0
e
0
0
0
0
e
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?
4-21
ProCarManuals.com
Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
limn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal flasher (included in
the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about
to turn, change lanes or stop. When towing
a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer
are burned out. Thus,
you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you
start down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 kmh) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
When towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn
your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on
level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine
off. If you do
get the overheat warning, see “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
4-36
ProCarManuals.com