steering CHEVROLET IMPALA 2005 8.G User Guide

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located
in the center of the
instrument panel.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on your steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise the steering wheel to
the highest level to give your legs more room when you
enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever.
Then move the wheel
to a comfortable position
and release the lever
to lock the wheel in place.
3-6

Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
Turn Signal and Lane-Change Indicator. SeeTurn
and Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. SeeHeadlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
Flash-to-Pass. SeeFlash-to-Pass on page 3-9.
Windshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers
on page 3-9.
Windshield Washer. SeeWindshield Washer on
page 3-10
Cruise Control. SeeCruise Control on page 3-11.
For more information on the exterior lamps, seeExterior
Lamps on page 3-14later in this section.
3-7

3. Press the SET button
located on the steering
wheel and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
The CRUISE light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on after the cruise control has been set to
the desired speed.Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course shuts
off the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
press the RESUME
button on your steering
wheel. You’ll go back
to your chosen speed and
stay there.
3-12

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the SET button on the steering wheel,
then release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll now cruise at the higher speed.
Press the ACCEL (Accelerate) button on the
steering wheel. Hold it there until you get up to the
speed you want and then release the button.
(To increase your speed in very small amounts,
press the ACCEL button briey and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pressing the SET button on the
steering wheel.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press the COAST button on the steering wheel until
you reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, press the
COAST button on the steering wheel briey. Each
time you do this, you’ll go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise speed you set earlier.
3-13

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control.
Many drivers nd this to be too much trouble and don’t
use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to cancel the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Slide the OFF ON lever, on the multifunction lever,
to OFF.
Press the COAST and ACCEL buttons at the
same time.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamps control
is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
3-14

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)/
Automatic Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system’s automatic headlamp control will
make your low-beam headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is ON,
the exterior lamps control is OFF, and
the gearshift is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps,
at a reduced level of brightness, will be on. The
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t
be on. Your instrument panel and cluster won’t be lit
up either.When it’s dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will turn off and the headlamps and parking
lamps will turn on. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, your headlamps will go
off and your DRL will come on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle is equipped
with fog lamps, the button
is located on the
instrument panel next to
the exterior lamps
control wheel to the left of
the steering column.
Your ignition must be in ON for the fog lamps to
illuminate.
3-16

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it
will not operate and LOCKED will appear on the display.
When the ignition is off and RAP is not active, the
blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio will not
operate if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel.They include the following:
QSEEKR:Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous station and stay there.
Press and hold either arrow for three seconds to scan
the radio stations programmed on the preset
pushbuttons. The radio will go to the rst preset station,
play for a few seconds, then go to the next preset
station. Press either arrow again to stop scanning.
The radio will only seek or scan stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a cassette tape or CD is playing, press the up or
the down arrow to fast forward or reverse.
SEEK TYPE:Press this button to go to a station with
the last selected PTY and the last selected PTY
will appear on the display, if it is not already showing.
If a station with the selected PTY is not found, the radio
will return to the original station. If both SEEK TYPE
and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with
the selected PTY and traffic announcements.
PRESET:Press this button to play the stations that are
programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons. The radio
will go to the rst preset station, play for a few seconds,
then go to the next preset station. Press this button again
to stop scanning. The radio will only scan preset stations
with a strong signal that are in the selected band.
3-87

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-18City Driving..................................................4-20
Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-22
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-23
Winter Driving..............................................4-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-30
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-30
Towing..........................................................4-35
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-35
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-37
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
4-6

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will
carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the
wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into
the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze”
braking technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you do have
anti-lock brakes, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 4-7.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power and may also
upshift the transaxle and apply the front brakes to limit
wheel spin.
This light will come on when your traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. SeeTraction Active
Message on page 3-41.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.United States
Canada
4-9