weight CHEVROLET EPICA 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.
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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.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This is
necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is
weak and its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in
a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so
the crash forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and
shoulders. Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a body area
that’s unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or fatal
injuries. Young children always should be
secured in appropriate child restraints.
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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) on page 2-27.
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)
Your 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.
4. Insert the key into
the shift-lock release
slot and press and
hold the key.
5. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
6. Remove the key from the shift-lock release slot,
insert the key into the ignition and start the engine.
7. Replace the shift-lock release slot cover.
8. Apply and hold the regular brake fully and release
the parking brake.
9. Shift to the gear you want.
10. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
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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.
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.
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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

Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the Maximum
Load weight 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
The Tire and Loading Information label shows the
seating capacity and the maximum load your vehicle
can properly carry. The Tire and Loading information
label is attached to the center pillar below the door latch.
This label also lists your vehicle’s original equipment
tire size and the recommended tire inflation pressure.
For more information on tires and inflation seeTires on
page 5-48andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-53.
4-31

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.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the “Maximum Load”amount printed on
the Tire and Loading Information label.
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 the maximum load amount,
shown in pounds and kilograms.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“maximum load” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there
will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
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 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
4-32

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Maximum
Load for Example 2=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs (340 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Maximum
Load for Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight
200 lbs (91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information label
for specific information about your vehicle’s maximum
load weight and seating positions. The combined weight
of the driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed
your vehicle’s maximum load weight. Example 2
Example 3
4-33

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.And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out. Do not carry more than 141 lbs (64 kg) in your trunk.
{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.
Notice:Overloading your vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not overload your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else — they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going.
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