weight CHEVROLET AVEO 2004 1.G Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint, state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
1-32

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle) on page 2-29.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)
Your automatic transaxle vehicle has an automatic
transaxle shift lock control system. You have to fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition is turned to ON. SeeAutomatic
Transaxle Operation on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P) while holding the
brake pedal down, try this:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition off and remove the key.
3. Remove the cover over the shift-lock release slot
by prying it off using a small, flat object, like a
screwdriver. The shift-lock release slot is located at
the top of the shift lever.
2-30

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 an increasing number of 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

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.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up
your foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 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 3/4 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 (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle
can carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight or maximum load amount and includes the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Certification label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
A. Vehicle Capacity WeightExample 1 - United States
4-32

The Tire and Loading Information label shows your
vehicle’s seating capacity, the total weight it can properly
carry and the original equipment tire size and the
recommended cold tire inflation pressure for those tires.
For more information on tires and inflation seeTires
on page 5-51andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-59.
If your vehicle was purchased in the United States,
the Tire and Loading Information label, Example 1, is
attached to the driver’s side, center pillar, below the door
latch. Vehicles purchased in Canada, will find the Tire
and Loading Information label, Example 2, attached
to the inside of the glove compartment.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see “Certification
Label” later in this section.
Example 2 - Canada
4-33

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. If your vehicle has the Tire and Loading Information
label, Example 1, locate the Vehicle Capacity
Weight ”. If your vehicle has the Tire and Loading
Information label, Example 2, locate the “Maximum
Load” amount.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from Vehicle Capacity Weight
(Example 1-United States) or subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passengers from Maximum
Load (Example 2-Canada).
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
the Vehicle Capacity Weight or the Maximum Load
amount equals 1400 lbs. (635 kg) and there will
be five 150 lb. (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs. (295 kg).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
or Maximum Load,
for Example 1=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight=700 lbs (317 kg) Example 1
4-34

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
or Maximum Load for
Example 2=1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs (340 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
or Maximum Load for
Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
200 lbs (91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information
label for specific information about your vehicle’s
capacity weight and seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should
never exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight or
maximum load weight. Example 2
Example 3
4-35

Certication Label
The Certification label, found either on the center pillar,
near the Tire and Loading Information label or on
the end of the driver’s door, tells you the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. United States
Canada
4-36