2003 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO mirror

Outside Heated Mirrors
If your vehicle has this option, the surface of both
outside mirrors will heat when you activate the rear
window defogger. See ªRear Window Defoggerº under
Dual Climate Control System on page 3-22.
OnStaržSystem
OnStaržuses global positioning system (GPS) satellite
technology, wireless communications, and call centers
to provide you with a wide range of safety, security,
information and convenience services.
A complete OnStar
žuser's guide and the terms and
conditions of the OnStaržSubscription Service
Agreement are included in your vehicle's glove box
literature. For more information, visit www.onstar.com,
contact OnStar
žat 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827),
or press the blue OnStaržbutton to speak to an
OnStaržadvisor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.A completed Subscription Service Agreement is required
prior to delivery of OnStar
žservices and prepaid
calling minutes are also required for OnStaržPersonal
Calling and OnStaržVirtual Advisor use. Terms and
conditions of the Subscription Service Agreement can be
found at www.onstar.com.
OnStaržServices
One of the following plans is normally included for a
speci®c duration with each vehicle equipped with
OnStar
ž. You can upgrade or extend your OnStarž
service plan to meet your needs.
Safe and Sound Plan
·
Automatic Noti®cation of Air Bag Deployment
·Emergency Services
·Roadside Assistance
·Stolen Vehicle Assistance
·AccidentAssist
·Remote Door Unlock
·Remote Diagnostics
·Online Concierge
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Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has this
feature, the fog lamps
button is located on
the instrument panel next
to the exterior lamps
control wheel to the left of
the steering column.
To turn the fog lamps on, press the FOG button. A light
will glow in the button to let you know that the fog
lamps are on. Press the FOG button again to turn the
fog lamps off.
The ignition must be in ON and your parking lamps
must be on for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamps will go off while you change to high-beam
headlamps.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The knob for the instrument panel light is located on the
exterior lamps control. Pull the knob out halfway and
then turn the knob clockwise to brighten or
counterclockwise to dim the lights.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the courtesy lamps
automatically come on. They make it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle. You can also manually turn
these lamps on by turning the exterior lamps control
clockwise all the way to DOME.
The reading lamps, located on the rearview mirror, can
be turned on or off independent of the automatic
courtesy lamps, when the doors are closed.
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Parade Dimming
The instrument panel has an added feature called
parade dimming. This feature prohibits the dimming of
your instrument panel displays during the daylight
while the headlamps are on so that you'll still be able to
see the displays.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the rearview mirror.
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps come
on when any door is opened. Press the button to turn
them on and off while the doors are closed.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.
You can also turn this lamp on by turning the exterior
lamp control clockwise to DOME.
Battery Rundown Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery in case you accidentally leave on the
interior courtesy lamps, reading/map lamps, visor
vanity lamps, trunk lamp or glove box lamps. If you leave
any of these lamps on, they will automatically turn off
after 10 minutes, if the ignition is off. The lamps
won't come back on again until you do the following:
·Turn the ignition on or
·turn the exterior lamps control off, then on again.
If your vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on
the odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.
Battery rundown protection will also work if the
headlamps are left on. After having been left on for
10 minutes, the headlamps and the parking lamps will
¯ash three times. They will remain on for one more
minute before turning off automatically.
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Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
<(REAR):Press this button to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light in the button
will come on to let you know that the rear window
defogger is activated. During daylight hours, you may
have to adjust the instrument panel brightness control to
the highest setting in order to see the indicator light.
See
Interior Lamps on page 3-17for more information.
The rear window defogger will turn off approximately
20 minutes after the button is pressed. If turned on
again, the defogger will run for the same amount of time.
The defogger can also be turned off by pressing the
button again or by turning off the engine.
If your vehicle has heated outside rearview mirrors, the
Rear Window Defogger also warms the heated
driver's and passenger's outside rearview mirrors to
help clear them of ice, snow and condensation.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the windows are clear.
Notice:Don't use a razor blade or something
else sharp on the inside of the rear window. If you
do, you could cut or damage the defogger and
the repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license, tape,
a decal or anything similar to the defogger grid.
Outlet Adjustment
The ¯ow through ventilation system on your vehicle
allows outside air to enter your vehicle when it is moving.
Outside air will also enter your vehicle when the
air-conditioning compressor is running and even in small
amounts when the recirculation mode is activated.
Use the control located
below or to the side of the
vent, to change the
direction of the air ¯owing
through them or to shut
them off.
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, do the following:
1. Select the vent mode.
2. Select outside air mode.
3. Select the temperature.
4. Select the fan speed.
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·Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you're awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, 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 ªrunning startº 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 vehicles 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.
·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 into 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 ¯ashing, 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.
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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,
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 Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð 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.
4-14

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired Ð by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
·Drive defensively.
·Don't drink and drive.
·Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
·Since you can't see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
·Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
·In remote areas, watch for animals.
·If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you're driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
4-15

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 ¯ow.
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 ¯ow. 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 ¯ow.
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.
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