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 and an acceleration skid
are 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 reauced 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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Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Certification label at the rear edge of the driver’s door or
see “Tire Loading” in
the Index. Then be sure you don’t
go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle, including the
weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
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:
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. Do not use a ball hitch, because it could pull
the bumper loose.
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than
4,000 lbs. (1 800 kg), be sure to use
a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch and
sway control
of the proper size. This equipment is
very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling when you’re driving.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch?
If you’re using the wiring provided by the
factory-installed hitch, you should not need to make
any holes in the body
of your vehicle. However, if
you have an aftermarket hitch installed, you may
need to make holes in
the body.
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.
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How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later in this section for more
information. If your vehicle has dual rear wheels,
also see “Dual Tire Operation” later
in this section. The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires
on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If
your vehicle has single rear wheels, always use one of
the correct rotation patterns shown
here when rotating
your tires.
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’
A CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinflated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly inflated.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificationmire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number
on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow). If
you ever
replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
I
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires
on all wheels.
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I A CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United
States.) The grades are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires.
The Uniform Tire Quality
Grading system does
not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters
of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires. While
the tires available
on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a
half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon
the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due
to variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and climate.
ProCarManuals.com
Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NUMBER SIZE DESCRIPTION USAGE
994954 23 in. x 25 in. Polishing Cloth - Wax
Treated
Exterior polishing cloth
1050172 16
oz. (0.473 L) Tar and Road Oil Remover Removes tar, road oil and asphalt
1050 173 16
oz. (0.473 L) Chrome Cleaner and Polish
Use on chrome, stainless steel, nickel, copper and brass
1050174 16 oz. (0.473 L) White
Sidewall Tire Cleaner Removes soil and black marks from whitewalls
10502 I4 32
oz. (0.946 L) Vinyl Cleaner Cleans vinyl tops, upholstery and
convertible tops
I050427
23 oz. (0.680 L) Glass Cleaner Removes
dirt, grime, smoke and fingerprints
1052870 16
oz. (0.473 L) Wash Wax
Concentrate Cleans
and lightly waxes
I 10529 18”“ I 8 oz. (0.237 L) I Armor All Protectant Protects leather, wood,
acrylics, Plexiglas l‘, plastic,
rubber and vinyl
I 1052925 1 16 oz. (0.473 L) I I
Multi-Purpose Interior Cleans
carpets, seats, interior trim, door panels
Cleaner and floor mats
1052929
16 oz. (0.473 L) Wheel Cleaner
Spray on and rinse with water
1052930
8 oz. (0.237 L) Capture Dry Spot Remover Attracts, absorbs and removes
soils
12345002 16
oz. (0.473 L) Armor All TM Cleaner Cleans
and shines a variety of surface types
1234572
1 2.5 sq. ft. Synthetic Chamois Shines
vehicle without scratching
12345725 12
oz. (0.354 L) Silicone Tire Shine Spray on tire shine
12377964
16 02. (0.473 L) Finish Enhancer Removes dust, fingerprints and surface contaminants
I 12377966 I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I Cleaner Wax I Removes light scratches and oxidation and protects finish
I 12377984 I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I Surface Cleaner I Removes contaminants, blemishes and swirl marks
See your General Motors
Parts Department for these products. **Not recommended for use on instrument panel vinyl.
See “Fluids and Lubricants’’ in the Index.
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Brakes (Continued) System Warning Light
......................... 2-56
Trailer
...................................... 4-33
Transmission Shift Interlock Check
............... 7-40
Wear
....................................... 6-30
Brakes. Anti-Lock
............................... 4-7
Braking in Emergencies
........................... 4-8
Break-In. New Vehicle
.......................... 2- 17
BTSICheck
................................... 7-40
Braking
........................................ 4-6
Brightness Control
.............................. 2-40
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-32
Camper-Type Mirrors
.......................... 2-47
Canadian Roadside Assistance
...................... 8-7
Capacities and Specifications
...................... 6-67
Carbon Monoxide
............... 2.29.2.30.2.33. 4.26
Cassette Deck Service
........................... 7-38
Cassette Tape Player Care
........................ 3-25
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
................... 2-42
Center Passenger Position
........................ 1-39
Center Rear Passenger Position
.................... 1-39
Certification Label
.............................. 4-27
Certificatioflire Label
.......................... 4-27
Chains. Safety
................................. 4-33
Chains. Tire
................................... 6-50
Changing a Flat Tire
............................. 5-22
Care
of Compact Disc
Player ...................... 3-26
Cassette Tape Player
........................ 3.9. 3. 11
Charging System Light
.......................... 2-54 Check Gages
Light
.............................. 2-62
Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
.................. 6-18
Checking Your Restraint Systems
.................. 1-61
Chemical Paint Spotting
.......................... 6-58
Child Restraints
................................ 1-46
Securing
in a Rear Outside Seat Position ........... 1-52
Securing
in the Center Rear Seat Position .......... 1-54
Securing
in the Center Seat Position .............. 1-54
Securing in the Passenger Seat Position
........... 1-55
Securing in the Right Front Seat Position .......... 1-55
TopStrap
................................... 1-51
Where to Put
........................... 1-50. 1-51
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
....................... 6-61
Cleaner. Air
................................... 6-16
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
............................ 6-56
Fabric
...................................... 6-52
Glass ....................................... 6-54
Inside
of Your Vehicle ......................... 6-51
Instrumentpanel
............................. 6-53
Leather
..................................... 6-53
Outside of Your Vehicle ........................ 6-55
Special Problems
............................. 6-52
Stains
...................................... 6-52
Tires
....................................... 6-57
Wheels
..................................... 6-56
Windshield and Wiper Blades
................... 6-54
Climate Control System
........................... 3-2
Clock. Setting the ................................ 3-7
Cigarette Lighter ............................... 2-48
Vinyl
....................................... 6-53
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