2004 CHEVROLET OPTRA ignition

Outside Power Mirrors
Your vehicle may have outside power mirrors. The
control for the power mirrors is located on the driver’s
side door trim.
Move the outside power mirror control to L for the left
mirror and to R for the right mirror. If you place the
control in the center position, no movement of the mirror
will occur. To adjust a mirror, press the corresponding
edges located on the four-way control pad to move
the mirror in the direction that you want it to go.
The ignition must be turned to ON to adjust the mirrors.The outside rearview mirrors can be folded flat against
the side of the vehicle by pushing them toward the
vehicle.
Outside Convex Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
{CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
2-36

Front Armrest Storage Area
Your vehicle has a front armrest storage area. To open
the storage area, pull up on the lift lever and raise
the lid. To close the storage area, lower the lid and push
it down until it latches securely.
Rear Seat Armrest
Your vehicle may have a rear seat armrest that contains
two cupholders. To access the cupholders, pull the
armrest down from the rear seatback.
Sunroof
If your vehicle has this feature, the switch is located
between the map lamp buttons. The sunroof will
only operate when the ignition is turned to ON. The
sunroof can be opened to a vent position or it can be
express-opened all of the way.
You must manually open and close the sunroof cover.
2-39

If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows do not go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs. If the arrow still
does not work, check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-83.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal/multifunction lever away from you.
When the high beams are
on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on if the
ignition is turned to ON.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, use your fog lamps for
better visibility in foggy or misty conditions. See
“Fog Lamps” underExterior Lamps on page 3-12for
further information.
3-7

Windshield Wiper Lever
Windshield Wipers
Use this lever located on the right side of the steering
wheel to operate the windshield wipers. The ignition
must be turned to ON to operate the windshield wipers.
HI (High Speed):Move the lever to this position for
wiping at high speed.
LO (Low Speed):Move the lever to this position for
steady wiping at low speed.INT (Intermittent):Move the lever to this position to
choose a delayed wiping cycle. Turn the band on the
windshield wiper lever toward FAST or SLOW for a
shorter or longer delay between wipes. The wiper speed
can only be adjusted when the lever is in the INT position.
OFF:Move the lever to this position to turn off the
windshield wipers.
Misting Function
Move the lever toward, but not completely in, the INT
position for a single wiping cycle. Hold it there until the
windshield wipers start; then let go. The windshield
wipers will stop after one wipe. If you want more wipes,
hold the band toward INT longer.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If they are frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. If your blades do become damaged, get
new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
3-8

Windshield Washer
To wash your windshield, pull the windshield wiper/
washer lever toward you with the ignition turned to ON.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
When you release the lever, the washers will stop, but
the wipers will continue to wipe for about two or
three cycles and will either stop or will resume at the
speed you were using before.
Rear Window Washer/Wiper
Your vehicle may have a rear window washer/wiper.
Operate the rear window washer/wiper system by
pushing the windshield wiper/washer lever away from
you. The wiper operates continuously when the lever is
in the first position. Washer fluid sprays onto the rear
window and the wiper operates continuously when
the lever is pushed to the second position.
Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about 24 mph (39 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below 24 mph (39 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, or the clutch pedal if you
have a manual transaxle, the cruise control shuts off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can not drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
3-9

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake pedal takes you out of cruise control.
Many drivers find this to be too much trouble and do
not use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal, or press the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transaxle.
•Press the ON/OFF button on the cruise control pad.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has three positions:
3(Headlamps):Turn the band to this position to turn
on the headlamps, together with the following:
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamp
•Instrument Panel LightsUplevel shown, Base similar
3-12

;(Parking Lamps):Turn the band to this position to
turn on the parking lamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
OFF:Turn the band to this position to turn all lamps off
except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door with the ignition turned to
LOCK or ACC while leaving the lamps on, you will
hear a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on in daylight when the following conditions
are met:
•The ignition is on.
•The exterior lamp band is in OFF or in the parking
lamp position.
•The parking brake is released.An indicator light will come on when the DRL are on. See
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light on page 3-38.
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, parking lamps and instrument panel lights will
not be illuminated unless you have turned the exterior
lamps control to the parking lamp or headlamp position.
The DRL system will turn off when one of the following
conditions are met:
•The ignition is off.
•The parking brakes are on.
•The high-beam headlamps are on.
•The low-beam headlamps are on.
•The flash-to-pass feature is used.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-13

Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, use your fog lamps for
better visibility in foggy or misty conditions.
The band for the fog lamps is located in the middle of
the turn signal/multifunction lever. While using the
fog lamps, the ignition must be on as well as the parking
lamps or low-beam headlamps.
Turn the band to ON to turn the fog lamps on. An
indicator light will come on while the fog lamps are on.
SeeFog Lamp Light on page 3-37.
Turn the band to OFF to turn the fog lamps off.
The fog lamps will also turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on. When the high-beam
headlamps are turned off, the fog lamps will turn on
again.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The thumbwheel for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
Turn the thumbwheel up to brighten the instrument
panel lights or down to dim them.
3-14