lock CHEVROLET IMPALA 2001 8.G Owners Manual

4-29

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.

4-35 Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the Tire
Loading
-Information label, located on the inside of the
trunk lid, or see ªLoading Your Vehicleº in the Index.
Then be sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why you'll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:

The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper
-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.

Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don't seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle. See ªCarbon Monoxideº in the Index.
Dirt and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to
read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes
so you'll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.

If your vehicle has anti
-lock brakes, do not try to
tap into your vehicle's brake system. If you do,
both brake systems won't work well, or at all.

Even if your vehicle doesn't have anti
-lock brakes,
don't tap into your vehicle's brake system if the
trailer's brake system will use more than 0.02 cubic
inch (0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle's master
cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won't
work well. You could even lose your brakes.

5-17
The radiator pressure cap is located in the front of the
engine compartment on the passenger's side, near the
diagonal cross brace. See ªEngine Compartment
Overviewº in the Index for more information on location.
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot. Turn the
pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until it first stops.
(Don't press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.

5-18
3. If you have the 3800 V6 engine, remove the
3800 Series II V6 engine cover shield to access the
bleed valve.
A. Clean the area around the engine oil fill tube and
cap before removing. Twist the oil fill tube, with
cap attached, counterclockwise and remove it.
B. Lift the engine cover shield at the front, slide the
catch tab out of the engine bracket and remove
the cover shield.
C. Put the oil fill tube, with cap attached, in the valve
cover oil fill hole until you're ready to replace the
cover shield.
3400 V6 Bleed Valve #1 3400 V6 Bleed Valve #2
4. After the engine cools,
open the coolant air
bleed valve or valves.
3800 Series II V6
Bleed Valve

5-19
3400 V6 engine: There are two bleed valves. One is
located on the thermostat housing. The other is
located on the thermostat bypass tube.
3800 V6 engine: There is one bleed valve.
It is located on the thermostat housing.5. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL

coolant mixture, up to the base of the filler neck.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant mixture.
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close the valve. Otherwise, close the
valves after the radiator is filled.
6. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and the compartment.
7. If you have the 3800 V6 engine, replace the
3800 Series II V6 engine cover shield.
A. Remove the oil fill tube, with cap attached,
from the valve cover.
B. Insert the catch tab on the cover shield under
the bracket on the engine.
C. Place the hole in the cover shield over the hole
in the valve cover. Install oil fill tube and cap by
twisting clockwise.

5-22
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.

5-23 Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll need
is in the trunk.
Turn the center nut on the compact spare cover
counterclockwise to remove it. Then remove the cover.
Remove the compact spare tire. See ªCompact Spare
Tireº later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.

5-24
Turn the nut holding the jack counterclockwise and
remove it. Then remove the jack and wrench.The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) extension
and protector/guide (B) and wheel wrench (C).
If there is a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps with
the wheel wrench. They won't come off. Then, using the
flat end of the wheel wrench, pry along the edge of the
cover until it comes off.
If your vehicle has wheel nut caps, remove them using
the wheel wrench.

5-27
2. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the spare tire to fit under the vehicle.
Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
3. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.

5-28
CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
4. Install the spare tire.
5. Reinstall the wheel nuts
with the rounded end
of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub.
6. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.