1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Through Deep Standing Water
i Wet brakes can cause 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.
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.
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.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 best 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.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You’ll save time and energy.
(See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up 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 lane 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your
trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include
a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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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 a while.
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.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle fr--m the Front
(With
a Dolly)
Follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Set the parking brake.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
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.
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and
injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash.
0
0
Put things in the trunk or rear area of your
vehicle. In a trunk, put them
as far forward
as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly.
If you have fold-down rear seats, you’ll find
four anchors on the back
wall of your trunk.
You
can use these anchors to tie down lighter
loads. They’re not strong enough
for heavy
things, however,
so put them as far forward
as you can in the trunk or rear area.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection
you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility
of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in
PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette lighter. Turn
off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios.
This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition, it could save your radio.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
I 1
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
I
An electric fan can start up even when me engine is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
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