Driving Tips - Chevrolet Spark Owner's Manual

Parking under wet / cold weather
Under cold weather conditions, the park-
ing brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen if the
brakes are wet.
If there is a risk that parking brake may
freeze after driving through water deep
enough to wet brake components or hav-
ing the vehicle washed:
1. Apply the parking brake only tempo-
rarily while you put the gear selector le-
ver in first or reverse gear.
2. Block the rear wheels with wedge
blocks.
3. Then release the parking brake.
WARNING
• Do not use parking brake while the
vehicle is in motion, or as a substi-
tute for the brake pedal.
Doing so may cause you to lose con-
trol of the vehicle, resulting in a colli-
sion, property damage and personal
injury.

DRIVING TIPS

ENGINE BRAKING
To help use of braking effect of the engine
compression when driving on a long
downhill:
For manual transaxle, downshift to a lower
gear in a sequential order.
WARNING
Do not downshift your manual
transaxle by two or more gear posi-
tions at a time.
This prevents damage to your
transaxle or loss of control and per-
sonal injuries.
NOTE
Use of engine compression during long
mountainous descents may prolong the
life of your brakes.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE 5–13
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Hold the brake pedal down and firmly ap-
ply the parking brake.
For vehicles with a manual transaxle:
1. Parking on level ground, place the gear-
shift lever in neutral.
2. On a downhill grade, place the gearshift
lever in reverse.
3. On an uphill grade, place the gearshift
lever in first gear.
WARNING
To prevent your parked vehicle from
moving accidentally, do not leave the
front wheels in a straight ahead posi-
tion when parking on a hill.
• Turn the wheels away from the road
and apply the parking brake if
parking facing downhill.
• Turn the wheels towards the road
and apply the parking brake if park-
ing facing uphill.