engine coolant CHEVROLET IMPALA 2003 8.G Owner's Manual

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
Notice:Your engine has a speci®c radiator
®ll procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could
cause your engine to overheat and be severely
damaged.The radiator pressure cap is located in the front of the
engine compartment near the diagonal cross brace
on the passenger's side of the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12
1. Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it ®rst 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.
5-38

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.3. If you have the 3800 V6 engine, remove the
3800 Series II V6 engine cover shield to access the
bleed valve.
3.1. Clean the area around the engine oil ®ll tube
and cap before removing. Twist the oil ®ll
tube, with cap attached, counterclockwise
and remove it.
3.2. Lift the engine cover shield at the front, slide
the catch tab out of the engine bracket and
remove the cover shield.
3.3. Put the oil ®ll tube, with cap attached, in the
valve cover oil ®ll hole until you're ready to
replace the cover shield.
5-39

4. After the engine cools, open the coolant air bleed
valve or valves.
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. 3400 V6 BLEED
VALVE #1
3400 V6 BLEED
VALVE #2
3800 Series II V6 Bleed Valve
5-40

5. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOLž
coolant mixture, up to the base of the ®ller
neck. SeeEngine Coolant on page 5-27
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close the valve. Otherwise, close
the valves after the radiator is ®lled.
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.7.1. Remove the oil ®ll tube, with cap attached,
from the valve cover.
7.2. Insert the catch tab on the cover shield
under the bracket on the engine.
7.3. Place the hole in the cover shield over the
hole in the valve cover. Install oil ®ll tube and
cap by twisting clockwise.
8. Then ®ll the coolant recovery tank to the COLD
mark.
9. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
5-41

10. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
11. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
®ller neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper DEX-COOL
žcoolant mixture
through the ®ller neck until the level reaches
the base of the ®ller neck.12. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to ¯ow out of the
®ller neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure
the arrow on the pressure cap lines up like this.
13. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the HOT
mark when the engine is hot or at the COLD mark
when the engine is cold.
5-42

Notice:
·When using concentrated washer ¯uid,
follow the manufacturer's instructions for
adding water.
·Don't mix water with ready-to-use washer ¯uid.
Water can cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer ¯uid tank and other parts
of the washer system. Also, water doesn't
clean as well as washer ¯uid.
·Fill your washer ¯uid tank only three-quarters
full when it's very cold. This allows for
expansion if freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is completely full.
·Don't use engine coolant (antifreeze) in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is ®lled with DOT-3
brake ¯uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
5-45

90,000 Miles (150 000 km)
qIf Equipped: Replace passenger compartment air
®lter. If you drive regularly under dusty conditions,
the ®lter may require replacement more often.
qReplace engine air cleaner ®lter. See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-22for more information.An Emission Control Service.
qRotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-65for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote .) (See footnote +.)
97,500 Miles (162 500 km)
qRotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-65for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote .) (See footnote +.)
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
qInspect spark plug wires.An Emission Control
Service.
qReplace spark plugs.An Emission Control Service.
qChange automatic transaxle ¯uid and ®lter if the
vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
þ In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or
higher.
þ In hilly or mountainous terrain.
þ When doing frequent trailer towing.
þ Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
qIf you haven't used your vehicle under severe
conditions listed previously and, therefore, haven't
changed your automatic transaxle ¯uid, change both
the ¯uid and ®lter.
150,000 Miles (240 000 km)
qDrain, ¯ush and re®ll cooling system (or every
60 months since last service, whichever occurs ®rst).
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-27for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser, pressure
cap and neck. Pressure test the cooling system
and pressure cap.
An Emission Control Service.
qInspect engine accessory drive belt.An Emission
Control Service.
6-9

Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed in this part are owner checks and services
which should be performed at the intervals speci®ed to
help ensure the safety, dependability and emission
control performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any ¯uids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones, as shown
in Part D.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or a service station attendant to
perform these underhood checks at each fuel ®ll.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-16for
further details.
Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add DEX-COOLž
coolant mixture if necessary. SeeEngine Coolant
on page 5-27for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer ¯uid level in the windshield
washer tank and add the proper ¯uid if necessary.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-44for further
details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire In¯ation Check
Visually inspect your tires and make sure tires are
in¯ated to the correct pressures. Don't forget to check
your spare tire. See
Tires on page 5-61for further
details.
Cassette Tape Player Service
Clean cassette tape player. Cleaning should be done
every 50 hours of tape play. SeeAudio System(s)
on page 3-53for further details.
6-10

Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identi®ed below by name, part
number or speci®cation may be obtained from your
dealer.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine OilEngine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certi®ed for
Gasoline Engines starburst symbol
of the proper viscosity. To determine
the preferred viscosity for your
vehicle's engine, see
Engine Oil on
page 5-16.
Engine Coolant50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and use only DEX-COOL
ž
Coolant. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-27.
Hydraulic Brake
SystemDelco Supreme 11 Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT-3 brake ¯uid.
Windshield
Washer SolventGM Optikleen
žWasher Solvent or
equivalent.
Power Steering
SystemGM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part
No. U.S. 1052884, in Canada
993294, or equivalent).
Automatic
TransaxleDEXRON
ž-III Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Key Lock
CylindersMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474, or equivalent).
Hood Latch
Assembly,
Secondary
Latch, Pivots,
Spring Anchor
and Release
PawlLubriplate Lubricant Aerosol (GM
Part No. U.S. 12346293, in Canada
992723, or equivalent) or lubricant
meeting requirements of NLGI #2,
Category LB or GC-LB.
Hood and Door
HingesMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 109435474, or equivalent).
Weatherstrip
ConditioningDielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part
No. U.S. 12345579, in Canada
10953014, or equivalent).
6-16

Care of (cont.)
Your CD Player...........................................3-92
Your CDs ...................................................3-92
Cassette Tape Messages.........................3-63, 3-86
Cassette Tape Player Service...........................6-10
CD Adapter Kits.....................................3-63, 3-87
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-43
Center Front Passenger Position,
Safety Belts................................................1-23
Chains, Tires..................................................5-71
Change Engine Oil Message............................3-44
Check Engine Light.........................................3-37
Checking Coolant............................................5-28
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-16
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems......................1-61
Check...........................................................3-37
Engine Light...............................................3-37
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-91
Child Restraints..............................................1-37
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-37
Infants and Young Children...........................1-33
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)..........................1-43
Older Children.............................................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System..............................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position...................................1-45Child Restraints (cont.)
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position..........................1-48
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-42
Top Strap...................................................1-41
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-40
Chime Level Adjustment..................................3-94
CHIRP (Horn Chirp Timer)...............................2-51
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-21
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels..............................5-90
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-88
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-85
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-87
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components.................5-87
Cleaning Leather............................................5-87
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel...........5-87
Cleaning Tires................................................5-90
Cleaning Vinyl................................................5-87
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades..............5-89
Cleaning........................................................5-85
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-85
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-88
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-91
Weatherstrips..............................................5-88
Climate Control System...................................3-26
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment.................3-26
Dual..........................................................3-22
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-25
Compact Disc Messages..........................3-75, 3-89
3