Page 198 of 378
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  slud. 
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,  and  you  may even notice  that your brake 
pedal  moves  a little. 
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 
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 
both rear wheels. 
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        Page 204 of 378

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 
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Do  not  get  too close to the vehicle  you  want to 
pass  while  you’re  awaiting an opportunity.  For  one 
thmg,  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. 
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and  start  your  left lane change signal before moving  out 
of  the right lane to pass. When you  are  far enough 
ahead  of the passed vehicle to  see  its  front  in your 
inside  mirror,  activate  your right  lane  change  signal 
and move back intu the right lane. (Remember that 
your right outside mirror  is convex.  The vehicle you 
just  passed  may seem to be farther away from  you 
than  it really is.) 
Try not  to pass more  than one vehicle  at a time 
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the 
next vehicle. 
Don’t overtake  a slowly moving vehicle  too rapidly. 
Even though the brake lamps  are not  flashing,  it  may 
be slowing down  or starting to turn. 
If  you’re being passed, make  it  easy for the 
following driver  to get ahead  of you. Perhaps you 
can ease  a little  to the right. 
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.   
     
        
        Page 205 of 378

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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  vehicle’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. 
Remember:  Any traction  control  system  helps  avoid 
only  the acceleration  skid. 
If your TCS system  is off, then  an  acceleration  slud 
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. 
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        Page 208 of 378

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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. 
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