light CHEVROLET EPICA 2006 1.G Repair Manual

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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-36.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths 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 three-fourths 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, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.
4-6

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 pace with 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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will come
on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your ABS 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 or pulses a little. This is normal.
4-7

Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, 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 Traction
Control System Active
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.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
The Traction Control System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position
you have chosen, so you should use the lower gears
only when necessary.
4-9

This light will come on
briefly when the ignition is
turned to ON along
with the anti-lock brake
system warning light.
When the system is on and the parking brake is fully
released, this warning light will also come on to let you
know if there is a problem.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Traction
Control System on. But you can turn the system off
if you prefer.
To turn the system on or
off, press the TCS button
located on the console
below the shift lever.When you turn the system
off, the Traction Control
Off light will come on
and stay on.
If the Traction Control System is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button to turn the system off, the
warning light will come on, but the system will not
turn off right away. It will wait until there is no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The Traction Control System
warning light should go off.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3for more information.
4-10

Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are 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.
4-13

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
•Drive defensively.
•Do not drink and drive.
•Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
•Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
•Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
•In remote areas, watch for animals.
•If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare, as from a
driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle
with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made
much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of
the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass
makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass
would, making the pupils of your eyes contract
repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out
dimly lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should
be checked regularly for proper aim, so should
your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
4-16

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a
wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as
on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise
to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when
your reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if
your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic
signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and
even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled with washer fluid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when
strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before
you hit them.
4-17

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reflections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle.
If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through owing
water, as you might at a low water crossing,
your vehicle can be carried away. As little as
six inches of owing water can carry away a
smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and
other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be
very cautious about trying to drive through
owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
•Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
•Have good tires with proper tread depth.
SeeTires on page 5-46.
4-18

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out
for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
•Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for
a cross-country trip.
•Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and energy.
SeeFreeway Driving on page 4-20.
•Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
4-19

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways,
parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or
superhighways — are the safest of all roads.
But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to
the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as
you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at
close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal,
check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as
often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the
traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to
the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
4-20