steering wheel CHEVROLET IMPALA 2000 8.G User Guide

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2-42
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course shuts off
the cruise control. But you don't need to reset it.
Once you're going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
press the RESUME button
on your steering wheel.
You'll go right back up to
your chosen speed and
stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the SET button on the steering wheel, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You'll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Press the ACCEL button on the steering wheel. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want and then
release the button. (To increase your speed in very small
amounts, press the ACCEL button for less than half a
second and then release it. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pressing the SET button on the
steering wheel.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Press the COAST button on the steering wheel until
you reach the lower speed you want, then release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, press the
COAST button on the steering wheel for less than a
half second. Each time you do this, you'll go 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) slower.

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2-46 Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
To turn the fog lamps on, press the fog lamps switch
located next to the exterior lamp control on the left side
of the steering column.
A light will glow on the switch to let you know that they
are on. (Your parking lamps must be on or your fog
lamps won't come on.) Press the switch again to turn the
fog lamps off. The fog lamps will go off whenever you
change to high
-beam headlamps. When you return to
low beams, the fog lamps will come on again.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
turning the panel light thumbwheel. Turn the control
clockwise to increase the brightness of the instrument
panel, and counterclockwise to decrease the brightness.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle. You can also turn these
lamps on by moving the panel light thumbwheel all the
way to the right.Some of the lamps have switches so you can turn them
on, even when the doors are closed. These lamps are
reading lamps.
Illuminated Entry (If Equipped)
Your courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever you press UNLOCK on the remote
keyless entry transmitter.
If you open a door, the lamps will stay on while it's open
and then turn off automatically about 25 seconds after
you close it. If you press UNLOCK and don't open a
door, the lamps will turn off after about 40 seconds.
Illuminated entry includes a feature called theater
dimming. With theater dimming, the lamps don't just
turn off at the end of the delay time. Instead, they slowly
dim after the delay time until they go out. The delay
time is canceled if you turn the ignition key to ON,
START or press the power door lock switch so the
lamps will dim right away.
When the ignition is on, illuminated entry is inactive,
which means the courtesy lamps won't come on unless a
door is opened.

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2-58
The Instrument Panel -- Your Information System
The main components of your instrument panel are:
A. Instrument Panel Fuse Block
B. Multifunction Lever
C. Hazard Warning Flasher Switch
D. Audio System
E. Climate ControlsF. Center Console Shift Lever
(If Equipped)
G. Ignition Switch
H. Steering Wheel Cruise
Control SwitchesI. Hood Release
J. Remote Trunk Release
K. Lamp Controls

3-
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3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Manual Single Zone Climate Control
3
-4 Dual ComforTemp Climate Control
(If Equipped)
3
-6 Air Conditioning
3
-6 Heating
3
-6 Ventilation
3
-6 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-7 Rear Window Defogger
3
-8 Ventilation System
3
-9 Audio Systems
3
-9 Setting the Clock for Systems
without Radio Data System
3
-9 Setting the Clock for Systems
with Radio Data System
3
-10 AM-FM Stereo
3
-12 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
with Radio Data System (RDS) and Automatic
Tone Control (If Equipped)3
-21 AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
with Radio Data System (RDS) and
Automatic Tone Control (If Equipped)
3
-27 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data System
(RDS) and Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)
3
-35 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-35 Theft-Deterrent Feature (If Equipped)
RDS Radios
3
-35 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
3
-36 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-37 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-38 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-39 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-39 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-40 Backglass Antenna
3
-40 Vehicle Customization Settings

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3-35 Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning a
portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOC will be displayed.
With THEFTLOCK activated, your radio will not
operate if stolen.
Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning a
portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOCKED will be displayed.
When the radio is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK is armed.
With THEFTLOCK activated, your radio will not
operate if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to the next radio station
and the down arrow to tune to the previous radio station.
If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the player
will advance with the up arrow and reverse with the
down arrow. Holding SEEK for 3 seconds or more will
activate the PSCAN mode.

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4-11 Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti
-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you don't have anti
-lock, your
first reaction
-- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
-- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can't respond to
your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don't have anti
-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or feel
the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This will help
you retain steering control. (If you do have anti
-lock, it's
different: see ªAnti
-Lock Brakesº in the Index.)
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.

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Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems
-- steering and braking -- have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four
-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking
can demand too much of those places. You can
lose control.
The same thing can happen if you're steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the time for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes
-- but, unless you
have anti
-lock, not enough to lock your wheels.
(See ªBraking in Emergenciesº earlier in this section.)
It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available.

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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're 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.

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4-15

Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.

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While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti
-lock braking system, remember:
It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti
-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
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.