service CHEVROLET IMPALA 2002 8.G Owner's Manual

2-91
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts
of air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire.
The system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct
this condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be
detected by the system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the CHECK
ENGINE light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still
does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.

2-92 Low Oil Pressure Message
United States Canada
This message is displayed in the message center when
the engine oil pressure is low. A chime will sound
continuously, also.
If this occurs, you should have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

2-94
Here are four situations you may experience with
your fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with
the fuel gage.

At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.

The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.

The gage pointer moves while cornering, braking
or acceleration.
Message Center
The message center is located below the temperature
gage or the tachometer gage (if equipped) on the
instrument panel cluster. It gives you important safety
and maintenance facts.
Modes
Service Traction System (If Equipped)
United States Canada
If this message appears when you are driving, there is a
problem with your traction control system and your
vehicle is in need of service.
When this message is displayed, the system will not
limit wheel spin. The message will stay on for 60
seconds and then go out. Four chimes will also be heard.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
When the ignition is turned off, this message will be
displayed again for three seconds to remind you that
your traction control system is not working properly. Be
sure to have your vehicle serviced right away.

2-96
Hot Coolant Temp
United States Canada
This message is displayed when the cooling system
temperature gets hot. A chime will sound
continuously, also.
Check the coolant temperature gage and the coolant
level. See ªEngine Coolant,º ªEngine Coolant
Temperature Gageº and ªEngine Overheatingº in the
Index for further information.Low Coolant LevelUnited States Canada
This message is displayed when the cooling system is
low on coolant. Four chimes will also sound.
The engine may overheat. See ªEngine Coolantº in the
Index and have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.

2-97
Low Oil Pressure
United States Canada
This message is displayed when the engine oil pressure
is low. A chime will sound continuously, also. See ªLow
Oil Pressure Lightº earlier in this section.Low Eng Oil LevelUnited States Canada
This message is displayed for 60 seconds at the start of
each ignition cycle when the engine oil level is low.
Four chimes will also sound.
When the ignition is turned off, this message will be
displayed again for three seconds to remind you that
your engine oil level is low. Be sure to have your vehicle
serviced right away.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index on how to check the oil
level and for what type of oil to add.

2-99
Security
United States Canada
This message is displayed to monitor the
Passlock

system.
If the security message is displayed continuously while
driving and stays on, there may be a problem with the
Passlock system. Your vehicle will not be protected by
Passlock, and you should see your dealer for service.Low Brake Fluid
United States Canada
This message will be displayed when your vehicle has a
brake problem. The brake system warning light will also
be illuminated.
If this message appears, the brakes aren't working
properly. You should have your vehicle serviced
immediately. See ªBrake System Warning Lightº in the
Index for more information.

2-101
Low Tire Pressure (If Equipped)
United States Canada
The low tire pressure system monitors the inflation
pressure of the tires.
After the system has learned tire pressure with properly
inflated tires, the LOW TIRE PRESSURE message will
be displayed and four warning chimes will sound if the
tire pressure in one tire becomes 12 psi (83 kPa) lower
than the other three tires.
When you have checked the tire pressures, be sure to
reset the tire inflation monitor. See ªTiresº in the Index.Service Vehicle SoonUnited States Canada
This message will come on if you have engine problems.
These problems may not be obvious and may not
affect vehicle performance or durability. Consult a
qualified dealership for necessary repairs to maintain
top vehicle performance.
This message may also appear if there are electrical
problems with the trunk release sensor. See ªTrunk
Release Sensorº in the Index for more information.

3-13
When a traffic announcement comes on the current
radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is
muted or a cassette tape is playing. The traffic symbol
and TRAFFIC will appear on the display while the
traffic announcement plays. If the cassette tape player
was being used, the tape will stay in the player and
resume play at the point where it stopped.
Radio Messages
CAL ERR (Calibration Error): This message is
displayed when the radio has not been calibrated
properly for the vehicle. You must return to the
dealership for service.
LOCKED: This message is displayed when the
THEFTLOCK

system has locked up. You must
return to the dealership for service.Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer
than that are so thin they may not work well in this
player. The longer side with the tape visible should face
to the right. If the ignition is on and the radio is off,
the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. A tape
symbol is shown on the display whenever a tape is
inserted. If you hear nothing but a garbled sound, the
tape may not be in squarely. Press EJT to remove the
tape and start over. If you want to insert a tape when the
ignition is off, first press EJT or DISP.
While the tape is playing, use VOL, TUNE, SEEK and
PSCAN controls just as you do for the radio. The radio
will display TAPE and an arrow showing which side of
the tape is playing.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCassette Tape
Messagesº later in this section.

3-22
TRAF (Traffic): Press this button to receive traffic
announcements. If the current station does not broadcast
traffic announcements, the radio will seek to a station
that does. The traffic symbol will flash on the display.
When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic
announcements, it will stop. If no station is found,
NO TRAF will appear on the display.
Your radio can be programmed to interrupt the playback
of a CD or FM station by enabling the traffic interrupt
feature. Press the TRAF button once to seek to an RDS
station that supports the traffic interrupt feature if the
current station does not. The traffic symbol will flash
on the display when seeking for a station that supports
traffic interrupt. When the traffic interrupt feature is on,
TRAF will appear on the display.
When a traffic announcement comes on the current
radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is
muted or a compact disc is playing. The traffic symbol
and TRAFFIC will appear on the display while the
traffic announcement plays. If the compact disc player
was being used, the compact disc will stay in the player
and resume play at the point where it stopped.Radio Messages
CAL ERR (Calibration Error): This message is
displayed when the radio has not been calibrated
properly for the vehicle. You must return to the
dealership for service.
LOCKED: This message is displayed when the
THEFTLOCK

system has locked up. You must
return to the dealership for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer.
Playing a Compact Disc
Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up.
The player will pull it in and the disc should begin
playing. The display will show the CD symbol.
If you want to insert a compact disc with the ignition
off, first press DISP or EJT.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCompact Disc
Messagesº later in this section.

3-31
When a traffic announcement comes on the current radio
station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or
a cassette tape or compact disc is playing. The traffic
symbol and TRAFFIC will appear on the display while
the traffic announcement plays. If the cassette tape or
compact disc player was being used, the tape or compact
disc will stay in the player and resume play at the point
where it stopped.
Radio Messages
CAL ERR (Calibration Error): This message is
displayed when the radio has not been calibrated
properly for the vehicle. You must return to the
dealership for service.
LOCKED: This message is displayed when the
THEFTLOCK

system has locked up. You must
return to the dealership for service.Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer
than that are so thin they may not work well in this
player. The longer side with the tape visible should face
to the right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off,
the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. A tape
symbol is shown on the display whenever a tape is
inserted. If you hear nothing but a garbled sound,
the tape may not be in squarely. Press EJT to remove
the tape and start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOL, AUDIO and
SEEK controls just as you do for the radio. The display
will show TAPE and an arrow showing which side of
the tape is playing.
If you want to insert a tape when the ignition is off,
first press EJT or DISP.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCassette Tape
Messagesº later in this section.