engine CHEVROLET IMPALA 2003 8.G Manual PDF

As in the chart shown previously, if you have the 3400
V6 engine, SAE 5W-30 is the only viscosity grade
recommended for your vehicle. You should look for and
use only oils which have the API Starburst symbol
and which are also identi®ed as SAE 5W-30. If
you cannot ®nd such SAE 5W-30 oils, you can use an
SAE 10W-30 oil which has the API Starburst symbol,
if it's going to be 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or above. Do not use other
viscosity grade oils, such as SAE 10W-40 or
SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
As shown in the following chart, if you have the 3800
V6 engine, SAE 10W-30 is the viscosity grade
recommended for your vehicle. However, you can use
SAE 5W-30 if it's going to be colder than 60ÉF
(16ÉC) before your next oil change. When it's very cold,
colder than 0ÉF (-18ÉC), you should use an SAE 5W-30
oil. These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity, or thickness. Do not use other viscosity
grade oils, such as SAE 10W-40 or SAE 20W-50 under
any conditions.
3800 (Code K) V6 Engine
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Notice:Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certi®ed For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench
žoil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below-20ÉF (-29ÉC), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE 0W-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good performance and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil (GM Oil
Life System)
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and ®lter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will
come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within
the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if
you are driving under the best conditions, the oil life
system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary
for over a year. However, your engine oil and ®lter
must be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer has GM-trained
service people who will perform this work using
genuine GM parts and reset the system. It is also
important to check your oil regularly and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
5-20

How to Reset the Change Engine Oil
Message
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and ®lter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
CHANGE ENGINE OIL message being turned on, reset
the system.
After changing the engine oil, the system must be reset.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message use
one of the following procedures:
Using the Radio
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or ON, with the radio off.
2. Press and hold the TUNE DISP button on the radio
for at least ®ve seconds until SETTINGS is
displayed.
3. Press the SEEK PSCAN up or down arrow to scroll
through the main menu.
4. Scroll until OIL LIFE appears on the display.
5. Press the 1 PREV or 2 NEXT buttons to enter the
submenu. RESET will be displayed.
6. Press the TUNE DISP button to reset. A chime will
be heard to verify the new setting and DONE will
be displayed for one second.
7. Once the indicator has been reset, scroll until EXIT
appears on the display.
8. Press the TUNE DISP button to exit programming.
A chime will be heard to verify the exit.
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Using the Accelerator Pedal
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within ®ve seconds. If the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL message ¯ashes, the system is reset.
However, if it stays on, it did not reset. You'll need
to repeat the reset procedure.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
®lter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or into
streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/®lter at every oil change and
replace at the ®rst oil change after 25,000 miles
(40,000 km).
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/®lter remove the ®lter from the
vehicle and lightly shake ®lter to release loose dust
and dirt. If the ®lter remains ªcakedº with dirt, a new ®lter
is required.
5-22

SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
location of air cleaner/®lter.
1. To check or replace the engine air cleaner/®lter do
the following:
Loosen the two clips on the top of the engine air
cleaner/®lter housing and lift the ®lter cover tabs out
of the housing.
2. Push the ®lter cover housing toward the engine.
3. Pull out the ®lter.
4. Check or install a new engine air cleaner/®lter. See
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 5-105.5. To reinstall the cover, position the tabs through the
slots on the housing. A notch on the sides of the
®lter cover will indicate the correct engagement.
Reinstall the two clips on the top of the housing
when you are ®nished.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to replace the air ®lter.
See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-5.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/®lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ¯ame if the engine back®res. If it isn't
there and the engine back®res, you could be
burned. Don't drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
®lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/®lter is off, a back®re can
cause a damaging engine ®re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/®lter in place when
you're driving.
5-23

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
·In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the ¯uid and ®lter at 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-5.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little ¯uid can damage
your transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
¯uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a ®re. Too little ¯uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle ¯uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the ¯uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180ÉF to 200ÉF
(82ÉC to 93ÉC).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50ÉF
(10ÉC). If it's colder than 50ÉF (10ÉC), you may have to
drive longer.
5-24

Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three to ®ve minutes.Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transaxle ¯uid dipstick handle is the black loop near
the rear of the engine compartment, toward the
center. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for more information on location.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again. 3400 (Code E) V6
Engine
3800 (Code K) V6
Engine
5-25

3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The ¯uid level must be in the cross-hatched
area.
4. If the ¯uid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle ¯uid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
If the ¯uid level is low, add only enough of the proper
¯uid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough ¯uid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn't take much ¯uid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L).
Don't over®ll.
Notice:
We recommend you use only ¯uid labeled
DEXRONž±III, because ¯uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by ¯uid other than DEXRON
ž±III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding ¯uid, recheck the ¯uid level as
described under ªHow to Checkº earlier in
this section.
4. When the correct ¯uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way. 3400 (Code E) V6
Engine
3800 (Code K) V6
Engine
5-26

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is ®lled with
DEX-COOLžengine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs ®rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
žextended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating or if you need to add coolant to
your radiator, see
Engine Overheating on page 5-30.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
žcoolant will:
·Give freezing protection down to-34ÉF (-37ÉC).
·Give boiling protection up to 265ÉF (129ÉC).
·Protect against rust and corrosion.
·Help keep the proper engine temperature.
·Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOLž(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOLžis added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner -- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs ®rst.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL
žis not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
5-27

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOLžcoolant which won't damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don't need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle's coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn't get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch ®re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
žcoolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you don't
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The coolant recovery tank
is located between the
power steering ¯uid
reservoir and the
underhood fuse block in
the engine compartment
on the passenger's side of
the vehicle. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information on location.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the COLD
mark or a little higher. When your engine is warm,
the level should be up to the HOT mark or a little higher.
5-28