steering wheel CHEVROLET EPICA 2004 1.G User Guide

Tilt Wheel
Your vehicle has a tilt wheel which allows you to adjust
the steering wheel before you drive. You can raise it
to the highest level to give your legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
The lever that allows you
to tilt the steering wheel
is located on the left
side of the steering
column.
To tilt the steering wheel, hold the wheel and pull
the lever toward you. Then, move the wheel to a
comfortable position and release the lever to lock
the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
•Turn and Lane-Change Signals
•Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
•Flash-to-Pass
For information on the exterior lamps, seeExterior
Lamps on page 3-13.
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 down for a longer delay, or up for a
shorter 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 into, 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.
3-9

Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
The cruise control lever
is located on the right side
of the steering wheel.1. Press the ON/OFF button to turn cruise control on.
An indicator light on the instrument panel cluster
will come on to show you that the cruise control is
on. SeeCruise Control Light on page 3-43.
2. Accelerate to the speed you want.
3. Move the lever toward SET/COAST and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake pedal. This, of course,
shuts off the cruise control. But you do not need to reset
it. Once you are going about 18 mph (29 km/h) or more,
you can briefly move the cruise control lever to
RES/ACC.
You will go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the lever to RES/ACC longer, the vehicle will
keep going faster until you release the lever or apply the
brake pedal. So unless you want to go faster, do not hold
the lever at RES/ACC.
3-11

Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, use your fog lamps for
better visibility in foggy or misty conditions.
The button for the fog
lamps is located on the
center of the instrument
panel, above the front
ashtray.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on. An indicator
light in the button will illuminate while the fog lamps
are on. Press the button again to turn the fog lamps off.
While using the fog lamps, the ignition must be turned
to ACC or ON and the parking lamps or the low-beam
headlamps must be on.
The fog lamps will turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on. When the high-beam
headlamps are turned off, the fog lamps will come
on again.
Continuous use of the fog lamps will shorten bulb life.
Limit use as necessary.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
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 lights or down
to dim them.
3-15

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven in kilometers.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can record the number of kilometers
traveled for up to two trips.
The trip odometer
buttons are located to
the right of the steering
wheel above the ignition
switch.
You can cycle between the odometer and trip
odometers A and B by pressing the MODE button.
By pressing this button, you can tell how many
kilometers have been recorded on either Trip A or
Trip B since you last set the odometer back to zero.Press the RESET button until zeros appear to reset each
trip odometer. The RESET button resets only the trip
odometer that is being displayed. Each trip odometer
must be reset individually.
Tachometer
The tachometer
displays your engine
speed in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
Notice:If you operate the engine with the
tachometer in the shaded warning area, your vehicle
could be damaged, and the damages would not be
covered by your warranty. Do not operate the engine
with the tachometer in the shaded warning area.
3-32

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering
wheel.
VOL
wx(Volume):
Press the up or the down
arrow to increase or to
decrease volume.
MODE:Press this button to select FM1, FM2, or AM,
a source, radio, or CD.
SEEK:Press and hold this button to seek to the next
radio station.
Press this button to play the next station you have
programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons.
PWR (Power):Press this button to turn the radio
on and off.
Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause
stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise
from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the
treble to reduce this noise.
FM
FM stereo will give you 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 come and go.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled, dampen a clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it,
wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
3-59

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake pedal
pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System (TCS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
briefly when the ignition
is turned to ON along
with the anti-lock brake
system warning light.
This light will blink when
your Traction Control
System is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. This light will also come on when the anti-lock
brake system is working.
4-8

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject
to the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you
are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of those places.
You can lose control. SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-8.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-10

Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can not; there is not room. That is the
time for evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. SeeBraking on page 4-6.
It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided
the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-11

Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
•“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass,
wait for a better time.
•Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and
lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it is all
right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or
a double solid line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching traffic.
4-12