2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA engine overheat

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with this feature. In very
cold weather, 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum
of four hours prior to starting your vehicle. At
temperatures above 32ÉF (0ÉC), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is attached to the underside of the diagonal
brace, which is located above the engine air
cleaner/®lter assembly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a ®re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won't reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
2-22

THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
but it offers more power and lower fuel economy than
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X):
·When driving on hilly, winding roads.
·When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
·When going down a steep hill.
·When driving in non-highway scenarios (i.e. city
streets, etc.).
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off and on.
Notice:Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25
miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (3) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) as much as possible.
Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph (105 km/h) or you can damage
your engine.FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power,
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is in FIRST (1), the transaxle won't shift into
®rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:If your front wheels won't turn, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don't hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
2-26

Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located to the left of the
brake pedal, near the
driver's door.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
with your right foot. Push down the parking brake pedal
with your left foot.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down with your right foot and push the parking brake
pedal with your left foot. When you lift your left foot, the
parking brake pedal will follow it to the released
position.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on and the shift lever is not in PARK (P).
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on any hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-34. That section shows what
to do ®rst to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle won't move, even when
you're on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See ªShifting Into Park (P)º in the
Index. If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a
Trailerº in the Index.
2-27

Console Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
·Hold in the button on the shift lever.
·Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake ®rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch ®re.
You or others could be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is ®rmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into the PARK (P) position,
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without
®rst pulling it toward you or if you have the console shift
lever, without ®rst pushing the button. If you can, it
means that the shift lever wasn't fully locked into
PARK (P).
2-29

Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If your vehicle is equipped
with anti-lock brakes, the
anti-lock brake system
warning light should come
on for a few seconds
when you turn the ignition
key to ON.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you've started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you're driving, the anti-lock brake system needs
service and you don't have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. This
is normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
Your vehicle may have the
traction control system. If it
does, this warning light
may come on for the
following reasons:
·If you turn the system off by pressing the TRAC
OFF button located on the instrument panel, a
chime will sound and the warning light will come on
and stay on. To turn the system back on, press
the button again. The warning light should go off.
·If there's a brake system problem that is speci®cally
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on. If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction
control system will turn off and the warning light will
come on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
3-35

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

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you're stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don't spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-71.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) (3800 V6 Engine)
on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you
will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If
that doesn't get you out after a few tries, you may
need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out,
see ªTowing Your Vehicleº following.
4-30