Chevrolet 2003 Impala User manual

The 2003 Chevrolet Impala OwnerManual
SeatsandRestraintSystems ........................... 1-1
FrontSeats ............................................... 1-2
RearSeats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-31
Air BagSystems ...................................... 1-51
RestraintSystemCheck ............................ 1-61
FeaturesandControls
..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
DoorsandLocks
....................................... 2-8
Theft-DeterrentSystems
............................ 2-16
Startingand Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-18
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-33
Onstar@System
...................................... 2-37
HomeLink@Transmitter
............................. 2-39
StorageAreas
......................................... 2-43
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-44
VehiclePersonalization
............................. 2-45
InstrumentPanel
............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-22
vval I lit ly ilyl ILS, uayes ar IU IIIUICALUIS ......... 3-27
MessageCenter ....................................... 3-40
\AI* A*, I
vvinuuvtS ................................................. 2-13
1111 ^I_._I :-LL- n ---- --A 1--1.--1-
Driver InformationCenter (DIC) .................. 3-48
Trip Computer
......................................... 3-51
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-52
Your Driving, the Road,andYour Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-31
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
CheckingThingsUnder
the Hood
............................................. 5-10
Head!amp
Aiming ..................................... 5-54
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-59
Tires
...................................................... 5-60
AppearanceCare
..................................... 5-83
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-91
Electrical System
...................................... 5-92
Capactties and Specltlcatlons ................... 5-1 01
NormalMaintenanceReplacement Parts .... 5-103
Driving
YQU~ Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Service and AppearanceCare
.......................... 5-1
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
MaintenanceSchedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index
................................................................. 1

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
IMPALA are registeredtrademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it
was printed. We reservethe right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitutethe name “General Motors of
Canada Limited”for Chevrolet Motor Divisionwhenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle,
so it will be
there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the
new owner can use it.
Litho
in U.S.A.
Part
No. 10325249 A First Edition
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’llfind
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back
of the manual. It’s an alphabetical listof what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
@CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation
06/19/02
All RightsReserved

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
Weuse a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
I
These meal. -.lere is sorr---hin- that c--,- hu~
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also finda circle
with a slash through
it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
...
II‘

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damageyour vehicle.
A notice will tell you about somethingthat can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals,you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has componentsand labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message,gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific nameof a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
Seats and RestraintSystems
Featuresand Controls
InstrumentPanel Overview
Climate Controls
Warning Lights, GagesandIndicators
B Audio Systems
EngineCompartmentOverview
iv

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Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ............................................... 1.2
Manual Seats
................................................ 1-2
Six-WayPowerSeats
..................................... 1-3
Manual Lumbar
.............................................. 1-3
Heated Seats
................................................. 1-4
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1-4
HeadRestraints
............................................. 1-6
Rear Seats ....................................................... 1-7
Split Folding RearSeat ................................... 1-7
Safety Belts ..................................................... 1.9
SafetyBelts:TheyAre for Everyone ................. 1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Beits ...... i -1 3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly ................. 1-1 4
Driver Position
.............................................. 1-1 5
SafetyBeltUse During Pregnancy .................. 1.22
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1-23
Center Front Passenger Position
.................... -1 -23
RearSeatPassengers
.................................. 1-25
HearSatetyBeltComtortGuides tor
Children
and Small Adults ....................................... 1-28
SafetyBeltExtender
..................................... 1-30
ChildRestraints
............................................. 1-31
Older Children
.............................................. 1-31
lnfants and Yomg Children ............................ 1-33
Child Restraint Systems ................................. 1.37
Where to Put the Restraint
............................. 1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................. 1-42
LowerAnchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
........................... 1-43
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System
......................................... 1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in aRearSeat
Position
................................................... 1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position
............................................ 1-48
Air Bag Systems
............................................ 1-51
WhenShouldanAirBag Inflate? .................... 1-56
WhatMakesanAirBag Inflate? ..................... 1-57
HowDoes an AirBag Restrain? ..................... 1-57
What Will YouSee After anAir
Servicing YourAirBag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-60
Restraint System Check .................................. 1-61
Top Strap .................................................... 1-41
Where Are the Air Bags?
............................... 1-54
D,, i-gl-+-nq
way 11 Itlatta: 1 -JW
4 co
............................................
CheckingYour Restraint Systems ................... 1-61
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash
................................................... 1-62

Front Seats
Manual Seats
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving.The sudden movement couldstartle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle
is not moving. If your vehicle has the manual seat, lift the bar located
under the front
of the seat to unlock it. Slide the
seat to where you want it and release the bar.
Try to
move the seat back and forth to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1 -2

0 Raiseor lower the front portion of the seat cushion
Raiseor lower the rear portion of the seat cushion
by sliding the front of the control up or down.
by sliding the rear of the control up or down.
If your vehicle has this feature, the control is located on
the outboard sideof the front seats toward the front
of the seat cushion.
To adjust the seat do any of
the following:
Move the seat forward or rearwardby sliding the
Raise or lower the seat by sliding the control
control
to the front or the rear.
up or down.
Manual Lumbar
If your vehicle has this feature, the knob is located on
the outboard side of the driver’s seat. Turn the knob
toward the front of the vehicle to increase lumbar
support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the vehicle to
decrease lumbar support.
1-3

Heated Seats Reclining Seatbacks
If your vehicle has this option, both the driver's and
passenger's heated seat switches are located on
the outboard sides of the seats near the front.
Press
LO to warm the seat to a lower temperature.
Press
HI to warm the seat to a higher temperature.
To turn this feature off, move the switch to the center
position.
Lift the lever
to releasethe seatback, then move the
seatback
to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback in place. Pull up on the lever without
pushingon the seatback and the seatback
will move
forward.
I -4

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash,
you could go into
it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
kit forces woerEd be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle
is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat andwear your safety belt
properiy.
1 -5

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top
of your head. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
1 -6

Rear Seats
2. Pullforward on the
seat tab located on
the outboard side
of the seatback
cushion and fold the
seatback down.
Split Folding Rear Seat
If your vehicle has thisfeature you can foldeither side
of the seatback down in your vehicle for more cargo
space. Make sure the front seat isn’t reclined.
If it is, the
rear seatback won’t fold down all the way.
To lower the rear seatback,follow these steps:
1. Removethe rear
center lap-shoulder belt
latch by pressing the
release button.
3. This wi!! a!!ow you direct accsss to the trunk.
1 -7

To raise the rear seatback, follow these steps:
1. Raise the seatback up and make sure it latches.
Push and pull
on the seatback to be sure it is
locked in position. 2. Reconnectthe center
safety belt latch plate
to the buckle.
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed
in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
CAUTION: (Continued)
(Con-..rued)
After raising therear seatback, always check
to be sure that
the safety beltsare properly
routed and attached, andare not twisted.
I
Make sure the safety belt label is pointing tothe release
button, and that both are facing the front of the
vehicle. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Push and pull
on the latch plate to be sure it is secure.
If the seatback isr. - lockec-, .t cJdmove
forward
in a sudden stop or crash.That could
cause injury to
the person sittingthere. Always
press rearward on the seatback tobe sure it is
locked.
I
When the seat is not in use, it should be kept in the
upright locked position.
1 -8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It
also tells you some things you should
not
do with safety belts.
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are
in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can
hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might notbe, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and Check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
It is extremely dangerous to ,,e in a cargo
area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a
collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle
that
is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone
in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
1-9

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminderto buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
on page 3-31.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything,you go as fast as
it goes.
After more than
30 years of safety belts invehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.

Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-1 1

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield
...
or the instrumentpanel ...
1-12

or the safetybelts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
and your strongest bonestake the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Y5.2 set !??ere time tc step. Ye: step 2’.e!- !?-!ere distanss,
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: You could be - whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. Andyour chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater 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
safety 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.
cypp!emgn?z,! swstems en!;/; se ?he\/ wnrk with
3 ---..I .-’-..
1-13