light CHEVROLET IMPALA 2005 8.G Service Manual

Low Fuel Warning Message
This message is displayed when your vehicle is low on
fuel. Four chimes will also sound.
Refer to the fuel gage for a better indication of the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.
Low Brake Fluid Warning Message
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. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-32for more information. United States
CanadaUnited StatesCanada
3-47

Driver Information Center (DIC)
If your vehicle is equipped with the DIC, it will show
information about the vehicle and the surroundings. It is
located in the headliner between the sun visors.
RESET:You can reset the AVG ECON, FUEL USED
or AVG SPEED trip computer modes by pressing
and holding this button for three seconds while you are
in the mode you wish to reset. A chime will sound to
conrm that your requested change has been made and
all the segments of the display will briey light up.To change the display to a metric or English reading,
press the RESET and MODE buttons at the same time.
Hold them down for three seconds and the display
will change. A chime will be heard to conrm the new
selection.
The reset button can also be used to manually calibrate
the compass. See “Manual Compass Calibration”
later in this section.
The reset button can be used to set the compass zone
variation. See “Compass Variance” later in this section.
MODE:Press this button to cycle through three modes
of operation: Off, Compass/Temperature and Trip
Computer mode.
Off:No driver information is displayed in this mode
of operation.
Compass/Temperature Mode:One of eight
compass readings and the outside temperature are
displayed. If the temperature is below 38°F (3°C),
the word ICE is displayed for two minutes.
Trip Computer:Pressing the MODE button cycles
through the ve displays. Press the MODE button
after the last Trip Computer display to return
the DIC to the OFF mode. Optional Sunroof Version Shown
3-49

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.
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MODE:Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2,
AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped).
Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette
tape or CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD will
remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
MUTE:Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again, or any other radio button, to turn on the sound.
QVOLR(Volume):Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease the volume.
Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with each other. Static
can occur on AM stations caused by things like
storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to
reduce this noise.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out. The radio may
display NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.
Care of the Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and
extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
The tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. The radio may display CLEAN to
indicate that the tape player has been used for 50 hours
without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message
appears on the display, the cassette tape player
needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should
be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage
to the tapes and player. If there is a reduction in sound
quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape
or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player.
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Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled,
dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent
solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the
CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Be sure that the
inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and
that the lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside
surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio
reception. Also, for proper radio reception, the antenna
connector at the top-center of the rear window needs to
be properly attached to the post on the glass.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
3-90

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on briey when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
4-8

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

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-11.
The traction control system operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift
the transaxle only as high as the shift lever position
you’ve chosen, so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation
on page 2-20.
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you know
if there’s a problem.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions,
you should always leave the traction control system on.
But you can turn the system off if you ever need to.You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 4-30andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow on page 4-29for more information.
To turn the system on or
off, press the TRAC OFF
button on the left side
of the instrument panel.
When you turn the system off, a chime will sound and
the TRAC OFF warning light will come on and stay
on. If the traction control system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button to turn the system off,
the warning light will come on and the system will turn
off right away.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The TRAC OFF light should go off.
4-10

Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass,
wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it is all right to pass,
providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
4-13