2006 CHEVROLET OPTRA 5 Brake

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
•Use the accelerator pedal to get to a higher speed.
Press the SET button, then release the button and
the accelerator pedal. You will now cruise at the
higher speed.
•Press the RESUME button. Hold it there until you
get up to the speed you want, and then release
the button. To increase your speed in very
small amounts, briefly press the RESUME button
and then release it. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you turn on
the cruise control by pressing the SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
•Press the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.
•To slow down in very small amounts, briefly press
the SET button. Each time you do this, you will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
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.
3-15

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.
SeeDaytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light
on page 3-41.
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.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog lamps, use them for better
visibility in foggy or misty conditions.
The band for the front 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 3-41.
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.
3-17

Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition to ON. If it does not
come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a
problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-33.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service.
3-34

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. See
your GM dealer. 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. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-34.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briefly when you turn the ignition 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
If your vehicle has Speed
Sensitive Power Steering,
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 system may not be working. If this
happens, see your GM dealer for service.
3-35

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-13
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16City Driving..................................................4-18
Freeway Driving...........................................4-19
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-20
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-21
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-21
Winter Driving..............................................4-23
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-27
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-28
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-28
Towing..........................................................4-33
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-34
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver
having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of
0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts into
the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.
4-5

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-34.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.
4-6

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will come
on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
4-7