ESP CHEVROLET EPICA 2004 1.G Owners Manual

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident, so
youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are supplemental
systems only; so they workwithsafety belts – not
instead of them. Every air bag system ever offered
for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if
you’re in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to
buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not
only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and
other collisions.
Q:If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in
an accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-15

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked,
the handle will not open it. You increase
the chance of being thrown out of the
vehicle in a crash if the doors are not
locked. So, wear safety belts properly and
lock the doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or the remote keyless
entry transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless Entry System
Operation on page 2-5.
To manually unlock the doors from the outside, insert
the key and turn it toward the front of the vehicle.
To manually lock the doors from the outside, insert the
key and turn it toward the rear of the vehicle.
All doors, except the driver’s door, can be locked from
the outside by pushing down the manual door lock
and then closing the door. The driver’s door lock cannot
be pushed in while the door is opened.
Upon leaving the vehicle, the driver’s door can only be
locked from the outside by using the key or the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
2-7

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat and
suffer permanent injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Never leave a child, a helpless
adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or hot weather.
2-13

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal.
Theft-Deterrent System
Your vehicle has a theft-deterrent system.
The theft-deterrent system will not arm when you lock the
doors using the key or the manual door lock. It activates
only when you use the remote keyless entry transmitter.
Arming the System
To arm the system, do the following:
1. Turn the key to LOCK and remove the key from
the ignition.
If the key is inserted in the ignition, the transmitter
will not operate the theft-deterrent system.
2. Close the doors, the windows, the hood, and
the trunk.
Ensure that the windows are closed, as the system
can be activated even if the windows are open.3. Lock the door using the remote keyless entry
transmitter. The transmitter must be used to activate
the theft-deterrent system.
•The LED on the transmitter will flash.
•All of the doors will lock.
•The hazard warning lamps will flash once and
the horn will chirp.
•The theft-deterrent mode will arm.
•The security light will flash once every second to
indicate that the theft-deterrent system is armed.
The security light is located on the top center
of the instrument panel, near the windshield.
To avoid activating the alarm by accident, do one of
the following:
•Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front door using
the key.
•Press the lock/unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
Unlocking a door any other way will activate the alarm
when a door or the trunk is opened.
If you do not want to arm the theft-deterrent system,
lock the vehicle using the key or the manual door locks.
2-15

At night, when the glare is too high, the mirror will
gradually darken to reduce glare. This change may
take a few seconds. The mirror will return to its clear
daytime state when the glare is reduced.
To activate the automatic dimming feature, press the
button (B) located below the rearview mirror. To turn
the feature off, press the button (B) again.
The ignition must be turned to ON to use the automatic
dimming rearview mirror. The indicator light (C) will
illuminate while this feature is active.
There are two light sensors (A) which detect ambient
light level and glare from vehicles behind you.
Do not cover the sensors as this will cancel the
automatic dimming operation.Outside Power Mirrors
The control for the
power mirrors is located
on the driver’s side
instrument panel,
below the side outlet.
Move the outside power mirror control to L for the left
mirror and to R for the right mirror. If you place the
control in the center position, no movement of the mirror
will occur. To adjust a mirror, press the corresponding
edges located on the four-way control pad to move
the mirror in the direction that you want it to go.
The ignition must be turned to ON to adjust the mirrors.
The outside rearview mirrors can be folded flat against
the side of the vehicle by pushing them toward the
vehicle.
2-32

Your headlamps only work when your key is turned
to ON.
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the band to this position to
turn on the parking lamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
OFF:Turn the band to this position to turn all lamps off,
except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door with the ignition off and
the lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.
Auto-Off Headlamps
Your headlamps will automatically turn off when the
headlamps are on and you turn the key to ACC or LOCK.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness 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.
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, 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.
An indicator light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on when the DRL are on. SeeDaytime Running
Lamps Indicator Light on page 3-44.
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.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-14

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

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.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. 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.
4-4

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.
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 pacewith 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.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with the anti-lock brake
system, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light
on page 3-36.
4-6

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