belt CHEVROLET IMPALA 2004 8.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
.......................................1-31
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-51
Restraint System Check
............................1-60
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
®System
......................................2-36
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-38
Storage Areas
.........................................2-42
Sunroof
..................................................2-43
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-44
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-26
Message Center
.......................................3-43
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-52Trip Computer
.........................................3-55
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-56
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-30
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-58
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-63
Tires
......................................................5-64
Appearance Care
.....................................5-94
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-102
Electrical System
....................................5-103
Capacities and Specications
...................5-110
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index.................................................................1
2004 Chevrolet Impala Owner ManualM

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Six-Way Power Seats.....................................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-6
Split Folding Rear Seat...................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-14
Driver Position..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-22
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-23
Center Front Passenger Position.....................1-23
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-24
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults..........................1-28
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-30
Child Restraints.............................................1-31
Older Children..............................................1-31
Infants and Young Children............................1-33Child Restraint Systems.................................1-37
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-40
Top Strap....................................................1-42
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-43
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-49
Air Bag Systems............................................1-51
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-54
When Should an Air Bag Inate?....................1-56
What Makes an Air Bag Inate?.....................1-57
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-57
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inates? . . .1-58
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-60
Restraint System Check..................................1-60
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-60
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-61
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-5

To lower the rear seatback, follow these steps:
1. If your vehicle is
equipped with this
feature, remove
the rear center
lap-shoulder belt latch
by using a pointed
object to press
the release button.2. Pull forward on the seat
tab located on the
outboard side of the
seatback cushion and
fold the seatback down.
This will allow you direct
access to the trunk.
1-7

To raise the rear seatback, follow these steps:
1. Raise the seatback up and make sure it latches.
Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked in position.
2. Reconnect the center
safety belt latch plate
to the buckle.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
The person wearing the belt could be seriously
injured. After raising the rear seatback, always
check to be sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and are not
twisted.
Make sure the safety belt label is pointing to the release
button, and that both are facing the front of the
vehicle. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Push and pull
on the latch plate to be sure it is secure.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
When the seat is not in use, it should be kept in the
upright locked position.
1-8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-31.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:They work.
1-9

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-10

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident, so
youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-13

Q:If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-31
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-33. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
1-14

Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-30.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-15