2004 CHEVROLET EPICA tow

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-28
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-46
Restraint System Check
............................1-55
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-18
Mirrors
....................................................2-31
Storage Areas
.........................................2-33
Sunroof
..................................................2-35
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-30
Secondary Information Center (SIC)
............3-46
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-48Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
........ 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-29
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-40
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-41
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-47
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-68
Vehicle Identification
.................................5-77
Electrical System
......................................5-78
Capacities and Specifications
.....................5-85
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Epica Owner ManualM

Driver Seat Height Adjuster
Your vehicle may have a manual driver seat height
adjuster.
To adjust the height of
the driver’s seat cushion,
turn the knobs located
on the outboard side of
the seat cushion.
Turn the front knob to adjust the height of the front
portion of the seat cushion. Turn the rear knob to adjust
the height of the rear portion of the seat cushion.
Power Seat
If your vehicle has this feature, the eight–way power
seat controls are located on the outboard side of
the driver’s seat cushion.
This control allows you to move the seat up, down,
forward or rearward. It will also move the front or rear
of the seat cushion up or down, and tilt the seatback
forward or rearward.
To adjust the power seat, do the following:
Move the seat forward
or rearward by pushing
and holding the switch
toward the front or rear
of the vehicle.
1-3

{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can’t properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
If the child is sitting in the center rear seat
passenger position, move the child toward the
safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the
shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so
that in a crash the child’s upper body would have
the restraint that belts provide.
1-29

Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous flat
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with
the seating surface against the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place and,
in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in
the restraint.
1-34

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal air bags, inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
air bags, inflation is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
What Makes an Air Bag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both
frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates
the air bag. The inflator, the air bag and related hardware
are all part of the air bag modules. Frontal air bag
modules are located inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with side impact air bags,
the air bag modules are located in the seatback closest to
the driver’s and/or right front passenger’s door.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal air
bags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the
air bag. Side impact air bags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal
collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward those air bags. Air
bags should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s and
right front passenger’s frontal air bags, and only in
moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles with a
driver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air bag.
1-52

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked,
the handle will not open it. You increase
the chance of being thrown out of the
vehicle in a crash if the doors are not
locked. So, wear safety belts properly and
lock the doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or the remote keyless
entry transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless Entry System
Operation on page 2-5.
To manually unlock the doors from the outside, insert
the key and turn it toward the front of the vehicle.
To manually lock the doors from the outside, insert the
key and turn it toward the rear of the vehicle.
All doors, except the driver’s door, can be locked from
the outside by pushing down the manual door lock
and then closing the door. The driver’s door lock cannot
be pushed in while the door is opened.
Upon leaving the vehicle, the driver’s door can only be
locked from the outside by using the key or the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
2-7

When trying to start the vehicle, if the engine does
not start and the security light continues flashing, the
key may have a damaged transponder. Turn the ignition
off and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and the key appears to
be undamaged, try another key. At this time, you may
also want to check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-79. If the engine still does not start
with the other key, your vehicle needs service. If your
vehicle does start, the first key may be faulty. See your
dealer who can service the theft-deterrent system to
have a new key made.
Up to four keys may be programmed for the vehicle.
If you lose or damage your keys, only a GM dealer
can service the theft-deterrent system to have new
keys made.
If you are ever driving and the security light comes on
and stays on, you will be able to restart your engine
if you turn it off. The theft-deterrent system, however,
is not working properly and must be serviced by
your dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by the
theft-deterrent system at this time.
In an emergency, contact Chevrolet Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance Program
on page 7-6.Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
Do not drive at any one speed — fast or
slow — for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings are not yet broken in.
Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every time
you get new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-35for
more information.
2-18

Automatic Transaxle Operation
The automatic transaxle
has a shift lever located
on the console between
the seats.
There are seven different positions for the automatic
transaxle.
The instrument cluster has a shift lever position indicator
that shows which position the shift lever is in. This
indicator is located on the top right side of the instrument
cluster.
Movement between certain positions requires pushing
the shift lever toward the passenger side while shifting.
This prevents you from changing positions unexpectedly
by blocking the straight movement of the shift lever
while the vehicle is moving. It is also necessary to push
down on the shift lever to shift from NEUTRAL (N) to
REVERSE (R).PARK (P):This position locks your front wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle will not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-27.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle
shift lock control system. You have to apply your regular
brake before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P)
while holding the brake pedal down, seeShifting Out
of Park (P) on page 2-28.
2-22