Chevrolet 2009 Malibu Automobile User Manual


 
Driving in Rain and 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.
{ CAUTION:
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 your
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
your 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 your 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 5-51.
Turn off cruise control.
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