Chapter 17 - Emergencies
Short Description
Download Chapter 17 - Emergencies...
Description
Emergencies CHAPTER 17
17-1 Blowout & Flat Tires Blowout Sudden loss of air pressure in the tire New or old, tires can blowout at any time
Pothole or sharp object in the road
Most blowouts are caused by excessive tire wear
Average tires have a tread life of 60,000 miles The way you drive will determine how short the life of the tires get • • • • • •
Hard cornering or braking Driving in hot temperatures Driving fast Peeling out Road surfaces Over- or under- inflating
How to avoid a blowout
Check tire pressure and tire tread Rotate your tires
Responding to a Blowout Don’t slam on your brakes This is a natural reaction, but can cause you to completely lose control
Grip the wheel tightly and coast
Concentrate on staying in your lane If one of your front tires blows out, the car will pull hard in the direction of the blowout
Steer away from the blown tire
If the back tires blow out, the car will weave like a skid
Steer toward the blown tire
Pull off the road
Flat Tires If your tire blows out, you have two choices…
Call for help Fix it yourself
Make sure the area you are in is safe to change a tire
If you are too close to traffic, don’t attempt to change it
It is not hard to fix a flat tire, most people just don’t
know how to do it or are not prepared Most newer vehicles come with the proper equipment, but make sure you are prepared
Spare tire (DUH!) Car jack Lug wrench
Fixing A Flat Park on level ground Put on your emergency flashers, put parking brake on, and make sure passengers are out of the vehicle Put the jack under the vehicle and crank until the flat
tire is off the ground Remove the tire using the lug wrench
Take them off diagonally in succession
Place the spare tire on the vehicle and replace the lug
nuts
Put them on diagonally in succession
Lower the vehicle and its ready to go
Flat Tires On many vehicles, the spare tire is not full sized Spare tires are not designed for a lot of miles Spare tires can deteriorate from dry rotting or heat Replace the spare when you replace tires
17-2 Mechanical Failures Brake failures Most brakes do not fail…it could be a number of causes
Engine failure or interruption of the flow of brake fluid can cause the power assist or full-power feature of the brakes to fail Brakes will still work but you have to apply much more pressure Brake pads are totally worn out It takes time to wear out the brake pads, so you will notice a gradual reduction in effectiveness of your brakes If your brakes begin grinding, you failed, not your brakes!
Overheated brakes Going downhill on a long, steep descent, you brakes can over heat, called brake fade
Mechanical Failures (cont.) Steering Failure
Most vehicles today have power steering
Steering failure most commonly occurs from engine failure The steering wheel will turn, but is very difficult
If you try to turn the wheel and you can’t, your power steering has completely failed
Stop the car and turn on your flashers
Stalled Engine
Can occur from water getting to the engine or excessively cold weather, and also forgetting to put gas in the car If it stalls while you are driving, try to start the vehicle Put the vehicle in neutral and turn the ignition If it starts, shift to drive and continue If not, pull over Keep in mind, it may be difficult to steer
Mechanical Failures (cont.) Stuck Accelerator
Often caused by an obstruction on the floor in front of the driver’s seat, but can also be caused by a mechanical problem with the vehicle
Try to free the accelerator with your foot by lifting up on the accelerator pad If that doesn’t work and you have a passenger, have them reach underneath and pull up on the accelerator If no passenger, shift to neutral and pull over
Do not turn the car off until you have come to a complete stop
Headlight Failure Try flipping them off and on several times If that doesn’t work, try you high beams
They usually use different bulbs, so they will work even when the low beams do not
If neither work, turn on your flashers and pull over when it is safe to do so
Mechanical Failures (cont.) Dead Battery
If you attempt to start your vehicle and hear nothing, your battery may be dead
Can be caused by Defective alternator Extremely cold weather Leaving your lights on
Jump-Starting Your Car Attach the positive clip (red) to the positive terminal of the working battery Attach the positive clip (red) to the positive terminal of the dead battery Attach the negative clip (black) to the negative terminal of the working battery “Ground” the other end of the negative clip (black) by attaching the clip to the dead vehicle’s frame, metal engine block, of to an engine bolt
Mechanical Failures (cont.) Dead Battery (cont.)
Once you have started your car, let it run for a few minutes Remove the cable from both vehicles
Negative first, then positive Make sure the ends of the cables don’t touch
If your battery dies again, have it looked at by a mechanic
Windshield Wiper Failure
Over time, excessive heat or cold can cause your wiper blades to rot or crack
Causes metal to contact and scratch the windshield Can make visibility reduced
You may not be able to drive your vehicle if you cannot properly clear your windshield
Hood Latch Failure
Don’t slam on brakes
Pull over to the side of the road Check to see if it was not latched or if the latch is broken
Put on your flashers Look through the opening between the hood and the dashboard Lean your head out the window if you have to
If it seems to be functioning, shut the hood and begin to drive…slowly In case the hood flies open again It the latch is broken, use wire, cable, or rope to secure it
Take to a service station and have it fixed
17-3 Skids Skid Loss of directional control of a vehicle that occurs when a vehicle loses traction Most likely to happen when driving at high speeds in bad weather, on dirt or gravel roads, or on wet or icy pavement
Can happen on dry surfaces and low speeds, but it depends on conditions
Types of Skids Power Skid Braking Skid Cornering Skid Downshifting Skid
Types of Skids Power Skid
Caused from accelerating too quickly especially on slick road surfaces
Doing this with rear-wheel drive will cause the back end to skid to the side
Ease off the gas when you feel the tires spin Remember to accelerate slowly on slick roads or roads with poor traction
Braking Skid
Caused by one or more of a vehicle’s brakes locking up Can occur only in vehicles without anti-lock brakes
More common on slippery roads
If your front wheels lock, you will plow straight ahead If your back wheels lock, your vehicle may start to spin If this happens, take your foot off the brake until your wheels start spinning again
Types of Skids Cornering Skid Occurs when your vehicle loses traction on a curve Usually caused by driving too fast
If roads are slippery or tires are worn, your chances increase
Take your foot off the gas and make steering adjustments to straighten out
Downshifting Skid Shifting from a high gear to a low gear too quickly Make sure you engage NEUTRAL each time you downshift instead of moving straight to the lower gear
Responding to a Skid Your natural instinct will be to hit the brakes…avoid this!
Slamming on your brakes will only cause you to skid more
Road conditions will determine how to respond to a skid:
Skidding on dry surfaces – turn the wheel sharply in the appropriate direction to correct the skid Skidding on slippery surfaces – turn wheel slightly to bring vehicle back under control
Steps to Follow:
Take foot off gas to decrease speed
Don’t use brakes
Steer car gently in the direction of the skid When the vehicle starts to straighten out, turn wheels back the other way
“Spinning Out” Corrective steering will not work Brake hard ABS will engage all four tires Non Anti-lock vehicles will lock The vehicle will travel in a straight line in its general
direction of travel
17-4 Other Emergencies Not all emergencies are going to be caused by
mechanical failure or driver error Other emergencies you may encounter while driving
Running out of fuel Debris on the roadway Deep water escapes Downed power lines Car fires Car jacking Police chases
Running Out of Fuel Doesn’t necessarily sound like an emergency, but it will
be if…
Stranded on an isolated stretch of road You are in an unsafe area It happens during the night Weather is hot, cold, or inclement weather Middle of the freeway
Odds are that it will happen at least once in your lifetime Don’t wait until your gas gauge reads “empty”
Low levels differ between vehicles Usually located in the owner’s manual Good rule of thumb – no less than ¼ of a tank left before filling
Roadway Debris Occasionally you will encounter things in the road Auto parts Pieces of tire Boxes Rocks Tree branches Furniture
Avoid whenever possible, but don’t swerve
If your windshield becomes obstructed by debris, Turn on wipers to knock it away Pull over and remove it if wipers cannot
Deep Water Escape Cars don’t float very well or for a long time
in water
Do not remove seatbelts before entering deep water
Protection from impact if you fall off a bridge or other elevated point
Go to the window that is highest out of the water and try to open immediately If it doesn’t open, try the door
If your vehicle get trapped in deep water, you need to get out fast
The pressure outside the door will hold it closed As the water level rises inside the vehicle, pressure will equalize and you can open the door
If it still doesn’t work, kick out a window
Remain as calm as possible!
Downed Power Lines Avoid driving over downed power lines Don’t panic if they fall on top of your vehicle Tires will insulate you from any electrical shock
Do not try to exit your vehicle Turn your emergency flashers on and try to alert
other drivers of the downed lines
Car Fires If you suspect your vehicle may be on fire,
pull over immediately
Pick an area without people
Turn off your ignition and get all people
inside the car out of the vehicle Move as far away as possible in case of a fuel explosion If the fire is far away from the fuel tank and is localized, you can try to put it out
Do not use water Try to smother the fire by throwing dirt, sand, large blanket, or clothing onto it
Car Jacking People trying to steal other driver’s vehicles
Choose a route that doesn’t go through a dangerous area Try not to drive alone Make sure your doors are always locked and windows shut
Most likely, they will approach while you are moving
slowly or stopped
Leave enough room in front of you and to the side so that you can escape Turn car off and lock doors any time you leave the vehicle unattended If your car breaks down, stay in the vehicle and lock the doors
When parking…
Stay in well-lit areas Avoid walking to your vehicle alone Have your keys ready in your hand Inspect from the outside to see if anyone is hiding in the vehicle
Most important thing to remember…
If you are a victim or threatened with a weapon, give them what they want It is not worth your life
View more...
Comments