2004 CHEVROLET EPICA steering

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
If your vehicle has an
anti-lock brake system,
this light will come on when
the ignition is turned to
ON and may stay on
for several seconds.
That is normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to LOCK. Or, if the
light comes on, stop as soon as possible and turn the
ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you are driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light is not on, you still
have brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning light is also on,
you do not have anti-lock brakes and there is a problem
with your regular brakes. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-35.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. This is
normal. If the light does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Speed Sensitive Power Steering
(SSPS) Warning Light
This warning light will
come on briefly when
you turn the ignition
to ON as a check to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out after a few seconds.
If the warning light does not come on, have it fixed so
it will be able to warn you if there is a problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on while you are
driving, the SSPS system may not be working. If this
happens, see your dealer for service.
3-36

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering
wheel.
VOL
wx(Volume):
Press the up or the down
arrow to increase or to
decrease volume.
MODE:Press this button to select FM1, FM2, or AM,
a source, radio, or CD.
SEEK:Press and hold this button to seek to the next
radio station.
Press this button to play the next station you have
programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons.
PWR (Power):Press this button to turn the radio
on and off.
Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause
stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise
from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the
treble to reduce this noise.
FM
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled, dampen a clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it,
wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
3-59

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
City Driving..................................................4-19Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-28
Towing..........................................................4-29
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-29
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-29
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-31
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
4-5

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake pedal
pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System (TCS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
briefly when the ignition
is turned to ON along
with the anti-lock brake
system warning light.
This light will blink when
your Traction Control
System is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. This light will also come on when the anti-lock
brake system is working.
4-8

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject
to the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you
are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of those places.
You can lose control. SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-8.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-10

Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can not; there is not room. That is the
time for evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. SeeBraking on page 4-6.
It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided
the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-11

Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
•“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass,
wait for a better time.
•Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and
lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it is all
right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or
a double solid line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching traffic.
4-12