ignition CHEVROLET IMPALA 2006 9.G Owner's Manual

A warning chime will sound and a brake warning light
located on the instrument panel cluster will come
on, if the parking brake is set, the ignition is on and the
shift lever is not in PARK (P).
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on any hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-36.Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle will not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-29.Ifyou
are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-36.
2-29

Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pulling the
shift lever toward you and moving it up as far as it
will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Console Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding in the
button on the shift lever and pushing the lever all
the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is rmly set before you leave it. After you
have moved the shift lever into the PARK (P) position,
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without rst
pulling it toward you or if you have the console shift
lever, without rst pushing the button. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not fully locked into
PARK (P).
2-30

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may nd it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-29.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You must fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in RUN. SeeAutomatic Transaxle Operation on
page 2-25.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Release
the shift lever button if you have a console shift.
Then move the shift lever out of PARK (P), being sure
to press the shift lever button if you have a console shift.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still cannot
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACCESSORY.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal down until the end
of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL.
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle xed as soon as you can.
2-31

Sunroof
If your vehicle is equipped
with a sunroof, the sunroof
switches are located on
the overhead console.
The sunroof can only be operated when the ignition is in
ACCESSORY, RUN, or when Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) is active. SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 2-22.
Q(Vent/Express-Open):To vent the sunroof when it
is closed, press this switch once. When using the
vent, the sunshade should be fully opened. The
sunshade can be opened or closed manually by sliding
it rearward or forward.
From the vent position, press this switch again to
activate the express-open feature. Press the close
switch to stop movement of the sunroof. The sunshade
will automatically open when using express-open.
A deector will automatically pop up when the sunroof
is opened. The deector will retract when the sunroof
is closed.
R(Close):To close the sunroof, press and hold this
switch until the sunroof motor stops, or release the
switch when the desired position has been reached.
2-44

The main components of your instrument panel are listed here:
A. Air Vent. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-22.
B. Remote Trunk Release Button. See “Remote Trunk
Release” underTrunk on page 2-13.
C. Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn Signal/Multifunction
Lever on page 3-7.
D. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-25.
E. Hazard Warning Flasher Button. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
F. Driver Information Center. (If your vehicle has this
feature). SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-39.
G. Passenger Air Bag status Indicator. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-28.
H. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-58.
I. Exterior Lamps Control. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-12.
J. Instrument Panel Brightness. SeeInstrument Panel
Brightness on page 3-15.
K. Traction Control On/Off Button (If your vehicle has
this feature). SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-9.L. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on
page 3-6.
M. Steering Wheel Cruise Control (If your vehicle has
this feature). SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
N. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-11.
O. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
P. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If your vehicle has
this feature). SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 3-83.
Q. Ignition Switch. SeeIgnition Positions on page 2-21.
R. Climate Controls. SeeClimate Control System on
page 3-19.
S. Accessory Power Outlets. SeeAccessory Power
Outlet(s) on page 3-17.
T. Center Console Shift Lever (If your vehicle has this
feature). See “Console Shift Lever” underShifting
Into Park (P) on page 2-29.
U. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-42.
3-5

Turn Signal On Chime
If you leave either one of your turn signals on and drive
more than 3/4 mile (1.2 km), a chime will sound to
alert you.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal/multifunction lever away from you.
When the high beams are
on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on if the
ignition is on.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
With the turn signal lever in the low-beam position, pull
the lever toward you momentarily to switch to
high-beams (to signal that you are going to pass).
If you have the headlamps on, they will return to
low-beams when you release the lever.
This feature operates even when the headlamps are off.
Windshield Wipers
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they are frozen to the windshield,
gently loosen or thaw them. Damaged wiper blades may
not clear the windshield well, making it harder to see and
drive safely. If the blades do become damaged, install
new blades or blade inserts. For more information, see
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement on page 5-52.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
with the wiper symbol on it.
8(Mist):For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to
mist. Hold it there until the wipers start. Then let go.
The wipers will stop after one wipe. If you want
more wipe cycles, hold the band on mist longer.
3-8

6(Delay):You can set the wiper speed for a long or
short delay between wiping cycles. This can be
very useful in light rain or snow. Turn the band to
choose the delay time. The closer to the top of the lever,
the shorter the delay.
6(Low Speed):For steady wiping at low speed,
turn the band away from you to the rst solid band
past the delay settings.
1(High Speed):For high-speed wiping, turn the
band further, to the second solid band past the
delay settings.
9(Off):To stop the wipers, move the band to off.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there’s a paddle
with the windshield washer symbol on it. To spray
washer uid on the windshield, push the paddle.
The wipers will run for several sweeps and then
either stop or return to your preset speed. The ignition
key must be in ACCESSORY or RUN for this to
work. SeeWindshield Washer Fluid on page 5-39.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
When you are low on washer uid, the LOW WASHER
FLUID message will be illuminated in the message
center for 60 seconds. When the ignition is turned off,
this message will appear again for three seconds
to remind you that the uid level is low.
Until the uid tank is relled, every time you start your
vehicle, the LOW WASHER FLUID message will be
illuminated in the message center for 60 seconds.
Be sure to rell the tank right away.United States
Canada
3-9

Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
To reduce your speed while using cruise control:
Press and hold the SET– 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 SET– button on the steering wheel briey.
Each time you do this, you will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase vehicle speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise speed you set earlier.
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 do not
use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Press the[(cancel) button on the steering wheel.
Press theT(on/off) button on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased by
turning off the cruise control or the ignition, or by
pressing the cancel button.
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamps control
is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
3-12

It controls the following systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Fog Lamps (if equipped)
The exterior lamps control has four positions:
O(Off):Momentarily turn the control to this position
to turn off the automatic light control. Momentarily turn to
this position again to turn automatic light control on
again.
AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this position to
automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the parking lamps together with the
following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position to
turn on the headlamps together with the following lamps
listed below. A warning chime will sound if you open
the driver’s door when the ignition switch is off and the
headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
-(Fog Lamps, If Equipped):Push the fog lamps
control in to turn on the fog lamps.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-15.
3-13

Delayed Headlamps
The delayed headlamps feature provides a period of
exterior lighting as you leave the area around your
vehicle. The feature is activated when the headlamps
are on due to the automatic headlamps control
feature described previously in this section, and when
the ignition is turned off. Your headlamps will then
remain on until the exterior lamps control is moved to
the parking lamps position or until the pre-selected
delayed headlamp lighting period has ended.
If you turn off the ignition with the headlamps switch in
the parking lamps or headlamps position, the delayed
headlamps cycle will not occur.
To disable the delayed headlamps feature or change
the time of delay, seeDIC Vehicle Customization
on page 3-52.
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 is not covered.
The DRL system’s automatic headlamp control will
make the low-beam headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is in RUN.
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO.
The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, only the low-beam headlamps,
at a reduced level of brightness, will be on. The
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker, and other lamps will
not be on. The instrument panel and cluster will also
not be lit.
When it is 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 the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the DRL will come on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-14