2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA instrument panel

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-29
Airbag System
.........................................1-49
Restraint System Check
............................1-58
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-28
OnStar
®System
......................................2-30
HomeLink®Wireless Control System
...........2-32
Storage Areas
.........................................2-36
Sunroof
..................................................2-37
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-38
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-26
Message Center
.......................................3-40Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-49
Trip Computer
.........................................3-51
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-52
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
........ 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-35
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-54
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-59
Tires
......................................................5-60
Appearance Care
.....................................5-89
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-98
Electrical System
......................................5-99
Capacities and Specications
...................5-106
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Chevrolet Impala Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specic component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help guring out a specic name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:
Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
Features and Controls in Section 2
Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
Climate Controls in Section 3
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
Audio System(s) in Section 3
Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
1-11

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
seeOlder Children on page 1-29orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-31.There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-31
for more information.
1-51

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
1-52

The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts because ination
would not likely help the occupants.
Your vehicle may or may not have a driver’s side impact
airbag. SeeAirbag System on page 1-49. A driver’s
side impact airbag is designed to inate in moderate
to severe side crashes involving the driver’s door. A side
impact airbag will inate if the crash severity is above
the system’s designed “threshold level.” The threshold
level can vary with specic vehicle design. A driver’s
side impact airbag is not designed to inate in frontal or
near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts, because
ination would not likely help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle
slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side
impact airbags, ination is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both the frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inator,
which inates the airbag. The inator, airbag and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal
airbag modules are located inside the steering wheel
and instrument panel. For vehicles with a driver’s
side impact airbag, the airbag modules are located in
the seatback closest to the driver’s door.
1-55

How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal
airbags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the
airbag. A side impact airbag would not help you in many
types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal
collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward that airbag. Airbags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s and
right front passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in
moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles with a
driver’s side impact airbag.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inated. Some components of the airbag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag. For vehicles with a driver’s side impact
airbag, the side of the seatback closest to the driver’s
door will be hot. The parts of the bag that come
into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to
touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the deated airbags. Airbag ination
does not prevent the driver from seeing or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving
the vehicle.
1-56

{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the
airbags inate (if battery power is available). You can
lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off
by using the door lock and interior lamp controls.
In many crashes severe enough to inate an airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
your airbag system. If you do not get them,
the airbag system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual for your vehicle covers the need to
replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders on page 7-9.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the airbag
covering on the driver’s seatback, the bag may
not work properly. You may have to replace
the airbag module in the steering wheel, both the
airbag module and the instrument panel for the right
front passenger’s airbag, or the airbag module
and seatback for the driver’s side impact airbag.
Do not open or break the airbag coverings.
1-57