1997 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

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 Pontiac’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 Trac System, remember: It helps avoid
only the acceleration skid. If
you do not have the Trac System, 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 slud
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.
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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.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
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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.
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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.
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 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.
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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. 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.
Wet brt L c% le accidents. They won’t work
as 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.
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Hydroplaning
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 do not have 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
I 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.
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Some Other Rainy Weather .-r~s
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
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. Here are ways
to increase your safety
in city driving:
Know the b’est way to get 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 th’e
next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a Bight 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.
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Freeway Driving The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
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. 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.
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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.
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 t’end 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 Furecasts: 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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