Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
(Continued)
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9
WARNING (Continued)
You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert—
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more. The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑30 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
9-18 Driving and Operating
LOCK (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF):When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
This position locks the steering
wheel, ignition, shift lever and
transmission. This is the only
position in which you can insert or
remove the key.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
In an emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location. 3. Come to a complete stop. Shift
to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑31.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, then the vehicle needs
service.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position operates some of the
electrical accessories, such as the
radio, but not the climate control
system. ON (ON/RUN):
This position can
be used to operate the electrical
accessories, and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. The switch
stays in this position when the
engine is running. If you leave the
key in the ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN position with the engine
off, the battery could be drained.
You may not be able to start the
vehicle if the battery is allowed to
drain for an extended period of time.
START: This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
cranks, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving. Do not turn the key to
START if the engine is running.
Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-27
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D4 (Automatic Overdrive): This
position is for normal driving.
When operating the vehicle in
severe cold conditions, the
transmission may be prevented
from shifting into D4 gear until the
transmission fluid has warmed up to
its operational temperature.
Notice: If the vehicle seems to
start up rather slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle
that way, you could damage the
transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. You can
drive in 2 (Second) when you are
driving less than 55 km/h (35 mph)
and D4 (Automatic Overdrive) for
higher speeds until then. 2 (Second):
This position gives you
more power but lower fuel economy.
You can use 2 (Second) on hills.
It can help control vehicle speed as
you go down steep mountain roads,
while using the brakes off and on.
Notice: Do not drive in
2 (Second) at speeds over
105 km/h (65 mph), or you can
damage the transmission. Use
D4 (Automatic Overdrive) as
much as possible. Do not shift
into 2 (Second) unless you are
going slower than 105 km/h
(65 mph) or you can damage the
engine.
1 (First): This position gives you
even more power but lower fuel
economy than 2 (Second). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep
snow or mud. If the shift lever is put
in 1 (First), the transmission will not
shift into first gear until the vehicle is
going slowly enough. Notice:
Spinning the tires
or holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
If there is a malfunction with
the automatic transmission, the
malfunction indicator lamp or the
HOLD indicator light will turn on or
flash. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 5‑14.
Have the vehicle fixed as soon as
possible.
Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
9-30 Driving and Operating
Up‐Shift Light
Vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission may have an up-shift
light. This light indicates when to
shift to the next higher gear for
better fuel economy.
For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on, and if the weather,
road, and traffic conditions allow.
It is normal for the light to go on
and off if the accelerator position
changes quickly. Ignore the light
during downshifts.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
The vehicle might have the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
If the vehicle has ABS, this warning
light comes on briefly when the
vehicle is started.
The warning light is on the
instrument panel cluster. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 5‑17.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 the 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
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-31
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
antilock work. You might feel a slight
brake pedal pulsation or hear some
noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver
gets into a situation that requires
hard braking.
If the vehicle has ABS, it allows the
driver to steer and brake at the
same time. However, if the vehicle
does not have ABS, the first
reaction—to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it down
—might be
the wrong thing to do. The wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the
vehicle cannot respond to the
driver's steering. Momentum will
carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the wheels stopped
rolling. That could be off the road,
into the very thing the driver was
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If the vehicle does not have ABS,
use a “squeeze” braking technique.
This gives maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. Do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with
steadily increasing pressure. In an
emergency, you will probably want
to squeeze the brakes hard without
locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the
brake pedal. This helps retain
steering control.
In many emergencies, steering can
help more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located
between the bucket seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down and pull up on the
parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light
will come on. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 5‑16.
Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.Cruise Control
For vehicles with cruise control, a
speed of about 39 km/h (24 mph)
or more can be maintained
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below 39 km/h
(24 mph).
When the brakes are applied, or the
clutch pedal if you have a manual
transmission, the cruise control
turns off.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the 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 excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
The cruise control buttons are
located on the right side of the
steering wheel.
I/O(On/Off): Press to turn the
cruise control on or off.
RES+ (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET− (Set/Coast): Press to set the
speed and activate cruise control or
make the vehicle decelerate.
Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-33
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on after the cruise control has been
set to the desired speed.
1. Press
I/Oto turn cruise
control on.
2. Accelerate to the speed desired.
3. Press the SET− button and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerate pedal. Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, or the clutch pedal if
you have a manual transmission,
the cruise control is disengaged
without erasing the set speed from
memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 39 km/h (24 mph) or more,
press the RES+ button on the
steering wheel. The vehicle returns
to the previous set speed and stays
there.
If the RES+ button is held, the
vehicle speed will continue to
increase until the button is released
or the brake pedal is applied. Do not
hold in the RES+ button, unless you
want the vehicle to go faster. Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the RES+ button
on the steering wheel until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase the vehicle speed in
small amounts, press the RES+
button. Each time this is done,
the vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
The accelerate feature only works
after the cruise control is turned on
by pressing the SET− button.