Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about three-quarters of a second. In that time, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20m (66 ft), which could be a lot of distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:
- Keep enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.
- Avoid needless heavy braking.
- Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes. Doing so could make the pedal harder to push down. If the engine stops, there will be some power brake assist but it will be used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a global tragedy.
Warning
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be affec ...
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power steering. It does not have power steering fluid.
Regular maintenance is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due to a system malfun ...
Other materials:
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories may be used for up to 10 minutes after the engine is
turned off:
Audio System
Power Windows
The power windows will continue to work for up to 10 minutes or until any door
is opened. The radio will work when the key is in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY. Once
the key ...
Tire Inspection
We recommend that the tires, including the spare tire, if the vehicle has one,
be inspected for signs of wear or damage at least once a month.
Replace the tire if:
The indicators at three or more places around the tire can be seen.
There is cord or fabric showing through the tire's rubb ...
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about the vehicle. It also displays warning messages
if a system problem is detected. See Vehicle Messages on page 5-26. All messages
appear in the DIC display in the instrument cluster.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has differ ...
