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:
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check
Warning
When you are doing this check, the vehicle could begin to move.
You or others could be injured and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front of the vehicle in case it begins to roll. Be
ready to apply the regular brake at once should the vehicle begin to move.
Park on ...
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be used to plug in electrical equipment, such
as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle has an accessory power outlet in front of the cupholders on the center
stack.
Open the cover to access and replace when not in use.
Warning
Power is always supplied to the ...
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that the brake pedal moves a lit ...
