CHEVROLET IMPALA 2007 9.G Owners Manual

Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and
a car washing soap to clean exterior lamps
and lenses. Follow instructions underWashing
Your Vehicle on page 390.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of the vehicle
by hand may be necessary to remove residue
from the paint nish. Approved cleaning products
can be obtained from your dealer. SeeVehicle
Care/Appearance Materials on page 395.
Notice:Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat paint
nish may damage it. Use only non-abrasive
waxes and polishes that are made for a
basecoat/clearcoat paint nish on your vehicle.The vehicle has a basecoat/clearcoat paint nish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes
that are non-abrasive and made for a basecoat/
clearcoat paint nish.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and
other salts, ice melting agents, road oil and
tar, tree sap, bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can damage the vehicle’s
nish if they remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible. If necessary, use
non-abrasive cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging,
weather, and chemical fallout that can take their
toll over a period of years. To help keep the
paint nish looking new, keep the vehicle in a
garage or covered whenever possible.
391

Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield with glass
cleaner.
Clean the rubber blades using a lint free cloth or
paper towel soaked with windshield washer uid or
a mild detergent. Wash the windshield thoroughly
when cleaning the blades. Bugs, road grime,
sap, and a buildup of vehicle wash/wax treatments
may cause wiper streaking. Replace the wiper
blades if they are worn or damaged.
Wipers can be damaged by:
Extreme dusty conditions
Sand and salt
Heat and sun
Snow and ice, without proper removal
Aluminum Wheels
Notice:If you use strong soaps, chemicals,
abrasive polishes, cleaners, brushes, or
cleaners that contain acid on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels, you could damage the
surface of the wheel(s). The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Use
only approved cleaners on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels.
Keep the wheels clean using a soft clean cloth
with mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water.
After rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean
towel. A wax may then be applied.
Notice:Using chrome polish on aluminum
wheels could damage the wheels. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Use chrome polish on chrome wheels only.
392

The surface of these wheels is similar to the
painted surface of the vehicle. Do not use strong
soaps, chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive
cleaners, cleaners with acid, or abrasive cleaning
brushes on them because the surface could
be damaged. Do not use chrome polish on
aluminum wheels.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle through an
automatic car wash that has silicone carbide
tire cleaning brushes, you could damage
the aluminum or chrome-plated wheels.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Never drive a vehicle equipped with
aluminum or chrome-plated wheels through
an automatic car wash that uses silicone
carbide tire cleaning brushes.
Tires
To clean the tires, use a stiff brush with tire
cleaner.
Notice:Using petroleum-based tire dressing
products on your vehicle may damage the
paint nish and/or tires. When applying a tire
dressing, always wipe off any overspray
from all painted surfaces on your vehicle.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair
shop applies anti-corrosion material to parts
repaired or replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will
provide the corrosion protection while maintaining
the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in
the nish should be repaired right away. Bare
metal will corrode quickly and may develop into
major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with
touch-up materials available from your dealer.
Larger areas of nish damage can be corrected in
your dealer’s body and paint shop.
393

Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and
dust control can collect on the underbody. If these
are not removed, corrosion and rust can develop
on the underbody parts such as fuel lines,
frame, oor pan, and exhaust system even though
they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, ush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where
mud and debris can collect. Dirt packed in close
areas of the frame should be loosened before being
ushed. Your dealer or an underbody car washing
system can do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can
create a chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can
fall upon and attack painted surfaces on the
vehicle. This damage can take two forms: blotchy,
ring-shaped discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this,
we will repair, at no charge to the owner, the
surfaces of new vehicles damaged by this fallout
condition within 12 months or 12,000 miles
(20 000 km) of purchase, whichever occurs rst.
394

Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
Description Usage
Polishing Cloth
Wax-TreatedInterior and exterior
polishing cloth.
Tar and Road
Oil RemoverRemoves tar, road oil,
and asphalt.
Chrome Cleaner
and PolishUse on chrome or
stainless steel.
White Sidewall
Tire CleanerRemoves soil and black
marks from whitewalls.
Vinyl Cleaner Cleans vinyl.
Glass CleanerRemoves dirt, grime,
smoke and ngerprints.
Chrome and Wire
Wheel CleanerRemoves dirt and grime
from chrome wheels and
wire wheel covers.
Finish EnhancerRemoves dust,
ngerprints, and surface
contaminants. Spray on
and wipe off.
Description Usage
Swirl Remover PolishRemoves swirl marks, ne
scratches, and other light
surface contamination.
Cleaner WaxRemoves light scratches
and protects nish.
Foaming Tire Shine
Low GlossCleans, shines, and
protects in one step.
No wiping necessary.
Wash Wax ConcentrateMedium foaming
shampoo. Cleans
and lightly waxes.
Biodegradable and
phosphate free.
Spot LifterQuickly removes spots
and stains from carpets,
vinyl, and cloth
upholstery.
Odor EliminatorOdorless spray odor
eliminator used on fabrics,
vinyl, leather and carpet.
395

Vehicle Identication
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
This is the legal identier for your vehicle. It
appears on a plate in the front corner of the
instrument panel, on the driver side. You can see
it if you look through the windshield from outside
your vehicle. The VIN also appears on the Vehicle
Certication and Service Parts labels and the
certicates of title and registration.
Engine Identication
The eighth character in the VIN is the engine
code. This code helps you identify your vehicle’s
engine, specications, and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identication Label
This label is in the trunk. It is very helpful if
you ever need to order parts. The label has the
following information:
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
Model designation
Paint information
Production options and special equipment
Do not remove this label from the vehicle.
396

Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
Notice:Do not add anything electrical to your
vehicle unless you check with your dealer
rst. Some electrical equipment can damage
your vehicle and the damage would not
be covered by your warranty. Some add-on
electrical equipment can keep other
components from working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain your vehicle’s battery,
even if your vehicle is not operating.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to add anything electrical to your
vehicle, seeServicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 82.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses in the
fuse block. An electrical overload will cause
the lamps to turn off. If this happens, have your
headlamp wiring checked right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to heavy snow, etc.,
the wiper will stop until the motor cools. If the
overload is caused by some electrical problem,
have it xed.
397

Power Windows and Other
Power Options
A circuit breaker in the instrument panel fuse
block protects the power windows and other power
accessories. When the current load is too heavy,
the circuit breaker opens and closes, protecting
the circuit until the problem is xed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected
from short circuits by a combination of fuses
and circuit breakers. This greatly reduces
the chance of res caused by electrical problems.
Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse.
If the band is broken or melted, replace the fuse.
Be sure you replace a bad fuse with a new
one of the identical size and rating.
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
The fuse block is located on the passenger side of
the vehicle in the carpet molding. Remove the
fuse block door to access the fuses.
398

Fuses Usage
PWR/SEAT Power Seats
PWR/WNDW Power Window
RAP Retained Accessory Power
HTD/SEAT Heated Seats
Fuses Usage
AUX Auxiliary Outlets
AMP Amplier
S/ROOF Sunroof
XM XM™ Radio
CNSTR Canister
DR/LCK Door Locks
PWR/MIR Power Mirrors
AIRBAG Airbags
TRUNK Trunk
TRUNK Trunk Relay
399

Underhood Fuse Block
The underhood fuse block is located in the engine compartment. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 306for more information on location.
400