2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA fuel

2-76
Instrument Panel Cluster
3400 V6 Engine Cluster: United States Version Shown, Canadian Similar
Your instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast
you're going, about how much fuel is in your tank and many other things you need to drive safely and economically.

2-84 Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On
-Board
Diagnostics
-Second Generation) and is intended
to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the CHECK ENGINE light to
come on. Modifications to these systems could
lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.

2-85
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

2-86
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a
few driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected
by the system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the CHECK
ENGINE light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still
does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center
to prepare the vehicle for inspection.

2-88 Fuel Gage
United States-3400 V6
Engine ClusterUnited States-3800 V6
Engine Cluster
Canada-3400 V6
Engine ClusterCanada-3800 V6
Engine ClusterThe fuel gage, when the ignition is on, tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will first indicate empty before you are out of
fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon as possible.
Here are three situations you may experience with
your fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with
the fuel gage.

At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.

The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.
Message Center
The message center is located below the temperature
gage or the tachometer gage (if equipped) on the
instrument panel cluster. It gives you important safety
and maintenance facts.

2-94
Low Brake Fluid
United States Canada
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. See ªBrake System Warning Lightº in
the Index for more information.Low Fuel United States Canada
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.

2-98
RESET (Reset Button):

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 confirm that your requested change has been
made and all the segments of the display will briefly
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
confirm the new selection.

The reset button can be used to set the compass zone
variation. See ªCompass Varianceº in the Index.

The reset button can also be used to manually
calibrate the compass. See ªManual Compass
Calibrationº in the Index.MODE (Mode Button):

Press this button to cycle through three modes of
operation
-- Off, Compass/Temperature and Trip
Computer mode.

In the Trip Computer mode, pressing the MODE
button cycles through the five displays. Press the
MODE button after the last Trip Computer display to
return the DIC to the OFF 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 38F (3C), the word
ªICEº is displayed for two minutes.

2-100
To calibrate the compass, in an area free from large
metal objects, make one to two 360
turns.
The calibration symbol will turn off and the compass
reading will be displayed.
Manual Compass Calibration
If the compass appears erratic and the calibration
symbol does not appear, you must manually put the
compass into the calibration mode.
Turn the ignition on and cycle the DIC to the
Compass/Temperature mode. Press the RESET button
for at least 10 seconds until the calibration symbol
appears and all segments of the compass display are
illuminated. A chime will sound to confirm that the
calibration mode is active. Release the button and
complete two or three 360
turns in an area free from
large metal objects. The calibration symbol will turn off
and the compass reading will be displayed. A chime will
sound to verify that the calibration is complete.
Error Displays

An error of the speed sensor or fuel sender will
cause
-E- to be displayed.

In the absence of vehicle communications, a
dash ª
--º is displayed.
If one of these error messages appear, see your dealer.
Trip Computer
There are five trip computer displays which may be
stepped through by pushing the MODE button.
The information will appear in the following order:

AVG ECON (Average Fuel Economy): This shows
the average fuel economy since the last reset.

INST ECON (Instantaneous Fuel Economy): This
shows fuel economy for the most recent second
of driving.

RANGE (Trip Range): This shows the estimated
distance that can be traveled with the remaining fuel.
The fuel economy used to calculate range is based on
the last few hours of driving. When in a low fuel
condition, the word ªLOº is displayed.

FUEL USED (Trip Fuel Used): This shows the
accumulated fuel used since the last reset.

AVG SPEED (Average Speed): This shows the
average speed since the last reset.
Resetting the Trip Computer
Press and hold the RESET button for at least three
seconds. The reset is acknowledged with all segments of
the display lit briefly and a chime. A reset can only be
done in AVG ECON, FUEL USED and AVG SPEED
displays. Each setting must be reset individually.