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4-20 Driving Through Deep Standing Water
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.
Driving Through Flowing Water
CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of flowing
water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants could
drown. Don't ignore police warning signs, and
otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
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 ªTiresº in the Index.
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4-21
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.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You'll save time and energy.
See the next part, ªFreeway Driving.º
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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4-22
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
ªblindº 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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4-26
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
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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4-29
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
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.
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5-3
This light on the instrument
panel cluster will flash,
indicating that the hazard
warning flashers are on.
Pull out on the collar to turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
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5-4
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to do it safely.
CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don't follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
The ACDelco battery in your vehicle has a
built
-in hydrometer. Do not charge, test or
jump start the battery if the hydrometer looks
clear or light yellow. Replace the battery when
there is a clear or light yellow hydrometer and
a cranking complaint.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won't work, and it could damage your vehicle.
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5-5
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn't a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
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
before setting the parking brake.
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off the radio and all lamps that aren't
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and
negative (
-) terminal locations on the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative (
-) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.