ECU CHEVROLET IMPALA 2003 8.G User Guide

In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be
anchored. In the United States, some child restraints
also have a top strap. If your child restraint has a
top strap, it should be anchored.
Anchor the top strap to an anchor point speci®ed in
Top
Strap Anchor Location on page 1-42. Be sure to use
an anchor point located on the same side of the vehicle
as the seating position where the child restraint will
be placed.Once you have the top strap anchored, you'll be ready
to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the top
strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions say.
Top Strap Anchor Location
Your vehicle has top strap anchors already installed for
the rear seating positions. You'll ®nd them behind
the rear seat on the ®ller panel.
1-42

With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle's safety belts to secure a child restraint.
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint isn't attached to
its anchorage points, the restraint won't be
able to protect the child correctly. In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed.
Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is
properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint. See ªSecuring a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH Systemº, ªSecuring a
Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat
Positionº or ªSecuring a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Positionº in the Index for
information on how to secure a child restraint
in your vehicle.
1-44

Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System
1. Find the anchors for the seating position you want
to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the
back of the seat cushion.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach the anchor points on the child restraint to the
anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. See
Top Strap on
page 1-41. Tighten the top strap according to
the child restraint instructions.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect the
anchor points.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-43.
1-45

{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front
seat can be badly injured or killed by the right
front passenger's air bag if it in¯ates. Never
secure a child restraint in the center front seat.
It's always better to secure a child restraint in
the rear seat. You may secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat,
but before you do, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go. It's
better to secure the child restraint in a rear
seat.
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See
Top Strap on
page 1-41if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-46

4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. If you're using a forward-facing child
restraint, you may ®nd it helpful to use your knee to
push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
1-47

To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-43.
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag.
Neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this seat.
Here's why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag in¯ates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the in¯ating air bag.
Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a
rear seat.
Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the
Top Strap on page 1-41, if the child restraint
has one. Be sure to follow the instructions that came
with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child
restraint when and as the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
See
Manual Seats on page 1-2.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
1-48

6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. You may ®nd it helpful to use your knee to
push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
1-50

{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact air bags in¯ate
with great force, faster than the blink of an
eye. If you're too close to an in¯ating air bag,
as you would be if you were leaning forward, it
could seriously injure you. Safety belts help
keep you in position for air bag in¯ation before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with frontal air bags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle, and should
not lean on the door.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in¯ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see the part of this manual called ªOlder
Childrenº or ªInfants and Young Children.º
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-33for more information.
1-53

Power Door Locks
A power door lock switch
is located on each front
door above the armrest.
Press the top of the switch to unlock all doors, or press
the bottom part of the switch to lock all doors.
The rear doors do not have power door lock switches.
The manual lever on each rear door works only that
door's lock.
If your vehicle has the optional content theft-deterrent
system and it is armed, the power door lock switches will
be disabled. You must use your remote keyless entry
transmitter or your key to unlock the doors when
the system is armed.
Programmable Automatic Door
Locks
Programmable automatic power door locks are a
standard feature that is intended to provide enhanced
security and convenience by automatically locking
and unlocking doors.
Programmable Modes
Mode 1:No automatic door lock or unlock.
Mode 2:Automatic all-door lock when the transaxle is
shifted out of PARK (P); no automatic door unlock.
Mode 3:Automatic all-door lock when the transaxle is
shifted out of PARK (P); automatic unlock for the
driver's door only when the transaxle is shifted into
PARK (P).
Mode 4:Automatic all-door lock when the transaxle is
shifted out of PARK (P); automatic all-door unlock
when the transaxle is shifted into PARK (P).
Your vehicle was originally programmed to Mode 4. The
mode may have been changed since then. To
determine the current mode, or to change the mode,
see
Vehicle Personalization on page 2-45.
2-9

Trunk Lock
To unlock the trunk from the outside, insert the key in
the lock and turn it. You can also press the car
symbol on your remote keyless entry transmitter, if
equipped.
Remote Trunk Release
You can also unlock the trunk from inside the vehicle.
Press the button located
below the exterior lamps
control on the underside of
the dashboard. The shift
lever must be in PARK (P)
for the remote trunk
release button to work.
Trunk Assist Handle
There is an assist handle
located on the inside of
the trunk lid toward
the driver's side of the
vehicle.
Pull down on the handle to lower the trunk lid. Then
close the trunk with your other hand. If the trunk is not
properly closed, the TRUNK OPEN message will
appear in the message center of your instrument panel
cluster. See
Trunk Ajar Warning Message on
page 3-45for more information.
Notice:The trunk assist handle is not designed to
be used to tie down the trunk lid or as an anchor
point when securing items in the trunk. Improper
use of the trunk assist handle could damage it.
2-11