2006 CHEVROLET EPICA Owners Manual

SEEK:Press and release this button within 0.5 seconds
to go to the next preset station.
Press and hold this button for longer than 0.5 seconds
to go to the next radio station. The radio will only
seek stations with a strong signal that are in the
selected band.
When playing a CD, press and release this button within
0.5 seconds to go to the next track. Press and hold
this button for longer than 0.5 seconds to fast forward
through the tracks.
)VOLUME(:Press the solid circle on the left-side
of VOLUME to increase the volume. Press the open
circle on the right-side of VOLUME to decrease
the volume.
Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and
static during normal radio reception if items such as
cellphone chargers, vehicle convenience accessories,
and external electronic devices are plugged into
the accessory power outlet. If there is interference or
static, unplug the item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for
FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with each other.
For better radio reception, most AM radio stations will
boost the power levels during the day, and then reduce
these levels during the night. Static can also occur
when things like storms and power lines interfere with
radio reception. When this happens, try reducing
the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give 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 fade in and out.
3-79

Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the bottom
surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged,
such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will
not play properly or not at all. If the surface of a CD is
soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with
water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process
starts from the center to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling
it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by
grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and
the outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the internal
lens of the CD optics with lubricants.
Backglass Antenna (Sedan Models)
For the Sedan models, the antenna is integrated
with the rear window defogger, located in the rear
window.
Make sure the inside surface of the rear window glass
is not scratched and that the lines on the glass are
not damaged. If the inside surface is damaged, it
could interfere with radio reception. For proper radio
reception, the antenna connector at the top-center of
the rear window glass needs to be properly attached to
the post on the glass.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to
clear the inside rear window may damage the rear
window antenna and/or the rear window defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not clear the inside rear window with sharp
objects.
3-80

Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting
with metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting to the back
glass. The metallic film in some tinting materials will
interfere with or distort the incoming radio reception.
Care must be taken when cleaning the rear window
because it breaks in the resistive material heating
element and will adversely affect radio and defogger
performance. See your dealer for details.Integrated Windshield Antenna
(Hatchback and Wagon Models)
For the Hatchback and Wagon models, the antenna is
located in the windshield.
The antenna on your vehicle is a very thin metal
layer that outlines near the edges of the windshield.
The connector is at the top of the windshield, where
the headliner ends. For proper radio reception, the
antenna connector at the top of the windshield needs
to be properly attached to the post on the glass.
If difficulty with remote transmitters is experienced,
such as a garage door opener, try pointing the device
through the very top of the windshield.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside windshield may damage the antenna.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not clear the inside windshield with sharp
objects.
Make sure the inside surface of the windshield is not
scratched and that the lines on the glass are not
damaged. If the inside surface is damaged, it could
interfere with radio reception.
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✍NOTES
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17
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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-28
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-29
Towing..........................................................4-33
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-33
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road,
and Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-10.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “Be ready for
anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or
expressways, it means “Always expect the
unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other
drivers are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might do and
be ready. Rear-end collisions are about the
most preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything
that distracts from the driving task makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can
even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do these things, or
pull off the road in a safe place to do them.
These simple defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
4-2

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
•Judgment
•Muscular Coordination
•Vision
•Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have
been associated with the use of alcohol, with more
than 300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological, and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive. But what if people do? How much is
“too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less
than many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some general
information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
•The amount of alcohol consumed
•The drinker’s body weight
•The amount of food that is consumed before
and during drinking
•The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka.
It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example,
if the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour,the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent.
A person who consumes food just before or during
drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada,
sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The
BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States
is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
4-4