2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA stop start

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit,
do not, under any circumstances, stop and back
up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,you will nd experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They will be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-22

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
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 (D).
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.
4-42

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.
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 overll),
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 5-32.
4-43

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-18
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-21
Supercharger Oil..........................................5-24
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-25
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-26
Engine Coolant.............................................5-29
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-31
Engine Overheating.......................................5-32Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-34
Cooling System............................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-43
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-44
Brakes........................................................5-45
Battery........................................................5-48
Jump Starting...............................................5-49
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-54
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-54
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-54
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and
Parking Lamps..........................................5-55
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.....................................5-57
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-58
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-59
Tires..............................................................5-60
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-61
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-64
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-66
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-68
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open
the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll the
tank and wait a few seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle. Clean fuel
from painted surfaces as soon as possible.
SeeWashing Your Vehicle on page 5-93.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise until it
clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. This would
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-35.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling, do not
remove the nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by notifying the
station attendant. Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not t properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-35.
5-9

4. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/lter.
5. To reinstall the cover, position the tabs through the
slots on the housing. A notch on the sides of the
lter cover will indicate the correct engagement.
Reinstall the two clips on the top of the housing
when you are nished.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps
to stop ame if the engine backres. If it is
not there and the engine backres, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre
can cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt
can easily get into your engine, which will damage
it. Always have the air cleaner/lter in place
when you are driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transaxle uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change the uid and lter at the intervals listed in
Additional Required Services on page 6-6, and be sure
to use the transaxle uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
How to Check Automatic Transaxle
Fluid
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage the
transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the uid
could come out and fall on hot engine or exhaust
system parts, starting a re. Too little uid could
cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check the transaxle uid.
5-26

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster...........................1-20
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change.......................... 3-8
Spare Tire
Compact....................................................5-88
Installing....................................................5-80
Removing...................................................5-79
Storing.......................................................5-86
Specications, Capacities...............................5-106
Speedometer..................................................3-30
Split Folding Rear Seat..................................... 1-6
Starting Your Engine.......................................2-17
Steering........................................................4-11
Steering Wheel Controls, Audio.........................3-87
Steering Wheel, Tilt Wheel................................. 3-6
Storage Areas
Center Console Storage Area........................2-36
Convenience Net.........................................2-37
Front Storage Area......................................2-36
Glove Box..................................................2-36
Rear Storage Area.......................................2-36
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................4-29
Sun Visors.....................................................2-13
Sunroof.........................................................2-37T
Tachometer....................................................3-30
Taillamps
Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps...................................5-57
TCS Warning Light..........................................3-33
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-87
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-14
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-14
Passlock
®...................................................2-15
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-6
Tire
Low Message.............................................3-44
Tires.............................................................5-60
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning..........................5-95
Buying New Tires........................................5-72
Chains.......................................................5-76
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-78
Cleaning....................................................5-95
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-88
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-77
Ination -- Tire Pressure...............................5-66
Inspection and Rotation................................5-70
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-80
12