2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint ®nish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. See
Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials on page 5-91.
Your vehicle has a ªbasecoat/clearcoatº 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.
Notice:Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat paint ®nish may
dull the ®nish 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 ®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. You can help to keep the paint ®nish
looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade
or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean if beads do
not form when you rinse it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
wiping vigorously with a cloth soaked in full-strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
5-89

Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
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. Do not 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.
Do not take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicone 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 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 ®nish 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 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 avaliable from your dealer. Larger areas of
®nish damage can be corrected in your dealer's
body and paint shop.
5-90

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 your 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, GM 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.
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
See your GM dealer for more information on purchasing
the following products.
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 CleanerCleans vinyl tops,
upholstery and
convertible tops.
Glass CleanerRemoves dirt, grime,
smoke and ®ngerprints.
Chrome and Wire Wheel
CleanerRemoves dirt and grime
from chrome wheels and
wire wheel covers.
5-91

Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
(cont'd)
Description Usage
Finish EnhancerRemoves dust,
®ngerprints, and surface
contaminants. Spray on
wipe off.
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 easy step,
no wiping necessary.
Wash Wax ConcentrateMedium foaming
shampoo. Cleans and
lightly waxes.
Biodegradable and
phosphate free.
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
(cont'd)
Description Usage
Spot LifterQuickly and easily
removes spots and stains
from carpets, vinyl and
cloth upholstery.
Odor EliminatorOdorless spray odor
eliminator used on
fabrics, vinyl, leather and
carpet.
See your General Motors parts department for these
products. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-16.
5-92

Vehicle Identi®cation
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)
This is the legal identi®er 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 Certi®cation and Service Parts
labels and the certi®cates of title and registration.
Engine Identi®cation
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, speci®cations
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identi®cation Label
You'll ®nd 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.
5-93

Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
Notice:Don't add anything electrical to your
vehicle unless you check with your dealer ®rst.
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
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-60.
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 Wiper Fuses
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 ®xed.
5-94

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 ®xed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses. 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.
5-95

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.
5-96