2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA heating

Disconnecting the battery for up to a year will not
change the programmed mode of the programmable
automatic power door locks.
Lockout Protection
To protect you from locking your key in the vehicle, this
feature stops the power door locks from locking while
the key is in the ignition and a door is open.
If a power lock switch is pressed while a door is open
and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will
lock and then the driver's door will unlock. A chime will
sound continuously until all doors are closed.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your
door and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door.
Trunk
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can't see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even
death. If you must drive with the trunk lid open
or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the trunk lid:
·Make sure all other windows are shut.
·Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select the
control setting that will force outside air
into your vehicle. See ªClimate Control
Systemº in the Index.
·If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
2-10

Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Your vehicle may have ashtrays and a cigarette lighter.
The front ashtray may be on the instrument panel or
on the console. To remove the instrument panel ashtray,
open it, push down on the locking tab and pull out
the ashtray.
To remove the console ashtray, open the ashtray door,
lift up on the ashtray and pull it out.
If your vehicle is equipped with a center console, a rear
ashtray may be located located behind a small door
at the rear of the console. Push on the right side of the
door. The ashtray will then turn to the right for usage.
You can only access the ashtray by pushing on the
door's right side. To remove the ashtray, push down on
the snuffer located in the middle of the ashtray and
lift it out.
Notice:Don't put papers or other ¯ammable items
into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other smoking
materials could ignite them, causing a
damaging ®re.
Notice:Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your
hand while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back out by itself.
3-21

Climate Controls
Dual Climate Control System
With this system you can control the heating, cooling,
defrost, defog and ventilation for your vehicle.
Manual Operation
Turn the right knob clockwise or counterclockwise to
direct the air¯ow inside of your vehicle.
To change the current mode, select one of the following:
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument
panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level):This mode allows for approximately a
50/50 split of air to the instrument panel outlets and
to the ¯oor outlets.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
¯oor outlets, with some of the air directed to the
windshield and side window outlets. In this mode, the
system will automatically select Outside Air.
The right knob can also be used to select defog or
defrost mode. For more information, see ªDefogging and
Defrostingº later in this section.
It should be noted, that the air conditioning compressor
will be engaged unless the outside temperature is
40É F (4ÉC) or below. Recirculation cannot be selected
when in Floor Mode.
9(Fan):Turn the left knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the fan speed.
If the air¯ow seems low when the fan is at the highest
setting, the passenger compartment air ®lter, if
equipped, may need to be replaced. For more
information, see
Passenger Compartment Air Filter on
page 3-26andPart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services
on page 6-4.
3-22

Engine Coolant Temperature GageThis gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During the majority of the operation, the
gage will read 210ÉF (100ÉC) or less.
If you are pulling a load or going up hills, it is normal for
the temperature to ¯uctuate and approach the 250ÉF
(122ÉC) mark. When the gage reads greater than 250ÉF
(122ÉC), the HOT COOLANT TEMP light will be
illuminated in the message center and a chime will
sound continuously. If the gage reaches the 260ÉF
(125ÉC) mark, it indicates that the cooling system is
working beyond its capacity.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-30.
United States±3400 V6
Engine ClusterUnited States±3800 V6
Engine Cluster
Canada±3400 V6 Engine
ClusterCanada±3800 V6 Engine
Cluster
3-36

Battery Warning Message
When the vehicle is started
this message will be
displayed for three
seconds.
If the message is displayed when the engine is running,
you may have a problem with your charging system.
If there is a problem with the charging system, four
chimes will sound when the message comes on. The
battery display will also stay on while the key is in
ON until the engine is started.
If the message stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or
some other charging system problem. Have it checked
right away. Driving with this message on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this message
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories.
Hot Coolant Temperature Warning
Message
This message is displayed when the cooling
system temperature gets hot. A chime will sound
continuously, also.
Check the coolant temperature gage and the coolant
level. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-27,Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-36andEngine
Overheating on page 5-30for further information.
United StatesCanada
3-42

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:Do not try to clear frost or other material
from the inside of the rear window with a razor blade
or anything else that is sharp. This may damage
the rear defogger grid and affect your radio's ability
to pick up stations clearly. The repairs wouldn't
be covered by your warranty.
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.Because this antenna is built into your rear window,
there is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.
If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your
vehicle, and the antenna needs to be attached to the
glass, be sure that you do not damage the grid lines for
the AM-FM antenna. There is enough space between
the lines to attach a cellular telephone antenna
without interfering with radio reception
Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting to the back glass.
The metallic ®lm in some tinting materials will interfere
with or distort the incoming radio reception. Care
must be taken when cleaning the rear window because
it breaks in the resistive material heating element
and will adversely affect radio and defogger
performance. See your dealer for details.
3-93

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need additional
wiring. Check with your dealer. The arrows on your
instrument panel will ¯ash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also ¯ash, telling other drivers you're about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you have overdrive, you may want to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
X.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-39

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
·start your engine,
·shift into a gear, and
·release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle ¯uid (don't over®ll),
engine oil, drive belts, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you ®nd them quickly. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-30.
4-40