2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

6-56 Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint
finish. You can get GM
-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. See ªAppearance Care and Materialsº
in the Index.
Your vehicle has a ªbasecoat/clearcoatº paint finish.
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 finish.
NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
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 your vehicle's finish 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. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.

6-57
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Keep your 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.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Don't use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners, cleaners
with acid or abrasive cleaning brushes on them because
you could damage the surface. Do not use chrome polish
on aluminum wheels.
Don't take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can also damage the surface of these wheels.
Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe off any overspray or splash from all painted
surfaces on the body or wheels of the vehicle.
Petroleum
-based products may damage the paint
finish and tires.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti
-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will provide
the corrosion protection while maintaining the warranty.

6-58
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch
-up
materials available from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer's body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are
not removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur
on the underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame,
floor pan and exhaust system even though they have
corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
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 your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet
-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this,
Chevrolet 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 first.

6-59
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials

6-60
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on the
driver's side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You'll find this label on the inside of your trunk lid.
It's very helpful if you ever need to order parts.
On this label is:

your VIN,

the model designation,

paint information and

a list of all production options and
special equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.

6-61
Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don't add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Some add
-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, see ªServicing
Your Air Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp circuit is protected by individual fuses in
the underhood fuse block. An electrical overload will
cause the fuse to blow. If this happens, have your
headlamp system checked right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and 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 fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
A circuit breaker in the driver's side 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 fixed.

6-62 Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected
from short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit
breakers and fusible thermal links in the wiring itself.
This greatly reduces the chance of fires 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.
Driver's Side Instrument Panel Fuse Block
Some fuses are in a fuse
block at the end of the
instrument panel on the
driver's side of the vehicle.
Pull off the cover labeled
FUSES to expose the fuses.
Mini Fuses Description
PCM/BCM/
CLSTRPowertrain Control Module,
Body Control Module,
Cluster (Ignition 0)
WSW Windshield Wipers,
Windshield Washer
PCM (CRANK) Powertrain Control
Module (Crank)

6-63
Mini Fuses Description
CIG/AUX Accommodated
Device (Accessory)
BCM Body Control Module (Accessory)
SRS Supplemental Restraint System
ABS/PCM Anti
-Lock Brake System,
Powertrain Control Module, Brake
Switch, Crank Relay, Canister
Vent Solenoid (Run, Crank)
STOP Brake Lamps, Body Control
Module (Run, Crank)
TURN SIGNAL Turn Signal Flashers
CRUISE Cruise Control Steering
Column Controls
AC/CRUISE HVAC Temp Door Motors &
Module, Cruise Control Module
A/C FAN HVAC Blower
STR COL Steering Wheel LightingMini Fuses Description
DR LK Body Control Module,
Door Lock Controls
PWR MIR Power Mirrors
CLSTR/BCM Cluster, Body Control Module,
Data Link Connector (Battery),
TrapAlert
System
LH HTD
ST/BCMDriver's Heated Seat, Body
Control Module, Battery
Controlled Loads
Circuit Breaker Description
RETAINED
ACCESSORY
PWR BRKRPower Window, Sunroof Breaker
Circuit Relay Description
HEADLAMP
RELAYHeadlamp Relay
RETAINED
ACCESSORY
PWR RELAYRetained Accessory Power Relay