Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep-standing or flowing water.
Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a quick stop and could cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. Driving through flowing water could cause the vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warnings and be very cautious about trying to drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under the vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips include:
- Allow extra following distance.
- Pass with caution.
- Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
- Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
- Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 10-36.
- Turn off cruise control.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that correspond to the vehicle's three control
systems:
Braking Skid - wheels are not rolling.
Steering or Cornering Skid - too much speed or steer ...
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different than driving on flat
or rolling terrain. Tips for driving in these conditions include:
Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
Che ...
Other materials:
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States Government
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could
cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investig ...
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
For vehicles with the RKE transmitter, it may work up to 60m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle.
Press the key release button to extend the key blade. The key can be used for
the ignition and all locks.
Press to unlock the driver door
or all doors and the liftgate.
Press to lock all doors ...
Engine Oil Pressure Light
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil maintenance can damage the engine. Driving
with the engine oil low can also damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Check the oil level as soon as possible. Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operatin ...
