2005 CHEVROLET CLASSIC steering

Windshield Washer
To wash your windshield, push in the button at the end
of the lever until the washers begin.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
When you release the button, the washers will stop,
but the wipers will continue to wipe for about three cycles
and will either stop or will resume the speed
you were using before.
Windshield Wiper Lever
Use this lever located on the right side of the steering
wheel to operate the windshield wipers.
OFF:Move the lever to OFF to turn off the windshield
wipers.
INT (Intermittent):Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. Turn the INT ADJ (Intermittent
Adjust) band down for a longer delay or up for a shorter
delay. The wiper speed can only be adjusted when
the lever is in INT.
LO (Low Speed):Move the lever up to the first setting
past INT, for steady wiping at low speed.
3-9

Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
The cruise control buttons are located on the steering
wheel for your convenience.1. Press the OFF/ON button to turn cruise control on.
The indicator light on the button will come on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET DECEL button and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
3-11

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to
step on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Applying the
brake takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find
this to be too much trouble and do not use cruise
control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal;
•Press the OFF/ON button.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has three positions:
<(Parking Lamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the parking lamps, together with the following:
•Sidemarker Lamps
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamps
•Instrument Panel Lights
3-13

Instrument Panel Brightness
The thumbwheel for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the
left of the steering wheel.
Move the thumbwheel to the right to brighten the lights
or to the left to dim them.
Dome Lamp
The switch on this lamp has three positions. The ON
position will turn on the lamp. The DOOR position
will turn on the lamp while a door is opened. The
OFF position will shut off the lamp completely, even
while a door is opened.
Entry/Exit Lighting
When you open any door, the dome lamp inside your
vehicle will go on. This lamp will fade out 10 seconds
after the last door is closed, or when the ignition
is turned on after all doors have been closed. This lamp
will also go on when you press the trunk release
button, the unlock button or the horn button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
The lamps inside of your vehicle will stay on for about
10 seconds after your key is removed from the ignition
to provide an illuminated exit.
Trunk Lamp
The trunk lamp comes on when you open your trunk.
Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a battery run-down protection feature
designed to protect your vehicle’s battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk, reading, footwell, visor
vanity or glove box) is left on when the ignition is
turned off, the battery run-down protection system will
automatically shut the lamp(s) off after 20 minutes.
This will avoid draining the battery.
3-16

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-7
Steering........................................................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-10
Passing.......................................................4-10
Loss of Control.............................................4-11
Driving at Night............................................4-13
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-14
City Driving..................................................4-17Freeway Driving...........................................4-18
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-19
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-20
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-20
Winter Driving..............................................4-22
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-26
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-27
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-27
Towing..........................................................4-32
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-32
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-33
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep
pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
4-5

As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, your first reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will
carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the
wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into
the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze”
braking technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
4-7

This will help you retain steering control. If you do have
anti-lock brakes, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 4-6.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
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 is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves.
Here is 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 is no traction, inertia will
keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you
have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will
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
are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you are 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 are 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 will want to go slower.
4-8