Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Braking

Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual / Driving and Operating / Driving Information / 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

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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:

Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when checking the coolant level. It is normal to see coolant moving in the upper coolant hose return line when the engine is running. Check to see if coolant is visible in the coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling, do ...

Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever is on the right side of the steering column. Move the lever to one of the following positions: HI: Use for fast wipes. LO: Use for slow wipes. INT: Move the lever up to INT for intermittent wipes, then turn the INT band up for more frequent wipes or d ...

Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS), this light comes on briefly when the engine is started. It provides information about tire pressures and the TPMS. When the Light Is On Steady This indicates that one or more of the tires are significantly underinflated. Stop as soon ...