1999 CHEVROLET METRO traction control

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4-10
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you're in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly apply the brakes. Both control systems
-- steering
and braking
-- have to do their work where the tires meet the
road. Unless you have four
-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding
the hard braking can demand too much of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you're steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

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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 ªoverdrivingº
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, yourvehicle 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 ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti
-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti
-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.

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6-44
CAUTION:
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.
It's all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use on your vehicle.
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.

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6-45
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.
Traction
-- AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight
-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.Temperature
-- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.

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9-9
Tachometer 2-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tape Player Care 3-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft 2-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thermostat 6-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Third Gear, Manual Transaxle 2-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time, Setting the 3-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Chains 6-47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire Loading 4-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire-Loading Information Label 4-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tires 6-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alignment and Balance 6-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buying New 6-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chains 6-47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing a Flat 5-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning 6-53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compact Spare 5-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inflation 6-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inflation Check 7-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inspection and Rotation 6-42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading 4-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pressure 6-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Storing the Flat 5-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Storing the Spare 5-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Temperature 6-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Traction 6-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Treadwear 6-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uniform Quality Grading 6-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wear Indicators 6-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wheel Replacement 6-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When It's Time for New 6-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Top Strap 1-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Torque Lock 2
-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Torque, Wheel Nut 5-27, 6-60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Towing
Recreational Vehicle 4
-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer 4-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle 5-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer Towing 4-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transaxle Fluid
Automatic 6
-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual 6-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transportation, Courtesy 8-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trip Odometer 2-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TTY Users 8-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals 2-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever 2-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Underbody Flushing Service 7-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Underbody Maintenance 6-54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle
Control 4-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control, Loss of 4-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Damage Warnings vii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimensions 6
-62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Identification Number 6-56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading 4-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Storage 6-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ventilation System 3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Visors, Sun 2-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .