2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA ESP

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond
your control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-32
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-34. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
1-16

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. You increase the chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key in the driver’s door or
use the remote keyless entry transmitter. From the
inside, use the manual or power door locks.
To unlock the driver’s side door from the outside with
the key, insert the key and turn it counterclockwise.
To lock the driver’s side door from the outside with your
key, insert the key and turn it clockwise.
To lock the door from the
inside, push the manual
lock knob down. To unlock
the door, pull the knob up.
2-10

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm
or hot weather.
2-15

Sun Visors
To block out glare, swing down the sun visors. They
can be detached from the center retainer and slid along
the rod to cover different areas of the front window
and turned to cover the side windows.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Swing down the sun visors and lift the cover to expose
the vanity mirror. Do not drive with the cover lifted
due to possible glare impeding other drivers behind or
to the side of the vehicle.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may have the optional content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
To activate the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the power door lock switch or
the remote keyless entry transmitter. If you are
using the remote keyless entry transmitter, the door
does not need to be open.
3. Close all doors.
Once armed, the alarm will go off if someone tries to
enter the vehicle without using the remote keyless entry
transmitter or a key or turns the ignition on with an
incorrect key. The horn will sound and the turn signal
lamps will ash for approximately two minutes.
When the alarm is armed, the trunk may be opened
with the remote keyless entry transmitter. The power
door lock switches are disabled and the doors remain
locked. You must use your remote keyless entry
transmitter or your key to unlock the doors when the
system is armed.
2-17

Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate the engine and
transaxle gently for the rst 2 minutes to allow
the oil to warm up and lubricate all moving parts.
Your vehicle has a Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in starting the
engine and protects components. If the ignition key
is turned to the START position, and then
released when the engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for a few seconds or
until the vehicle starts. If the engine does not
start and the key is held in START for many
seconds, cranking will be stopped after 15 seconds
to prevent cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running. Engine cranking
can be stopped by turning the ignition switch to the
ACCESSORY or OFF position.
Notice:Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by returning the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has ended, can overheat
and damage the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to cool down.2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F
or−18°C), it could be ooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the accelerator pedal all the
way to the oor and holding it there as you hold
the key in START for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least 15 seconds between
each try, to allow the cranking motor to cool down.
When the engine starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts briey but then
stops again, do the same thing. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate the engine and
transaxle gently until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.
2-23

Directions & Connections®Plan

All Safe & Sound Plan Services
Driving Directions
RideAssist
Information and Convenience Services
OnStar®Hands-Free Calling
OnStar®Hands-Free Calling allows OnStar®subscribers
to make and receive calls using voice commands at
the touch of a button. Hands-Free Calling is fully
integrated into the vehicle, and may be used with
Pre-Paid Packages or linked to a cell phone through
OnStar
®Shared Minutes Plan. To nd out more, refer to
the OnStar®Owner’s Guide in the vehicle’s glove
box, visit www.onstar.com or www.onstar.ca, or speak
with an OnStar
®advisor by pressing the OnStar®button
or calling 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
OnStar®Virtual Advisor
Your vehicle may have Virtual Advisor. It is a feature of
OnStar®Hands-Free Calling that uses your minutes
to access weather, local traffic reports, and stock quotes.
By pressing the phone button and giving a few simple
voice commands, you can browse through the
various topics. Customize your information prole at
www.myonstar.com. See the OnStar
®Owner’s Guide for
more information.
OnStar®Steering Wheel Controls
Your vehicle may be
equipped with a Talk/Mute
button that can be used
to interact with OnStar
®.
SeeAudio Steering Wheel
Controls on page 3-83
for more information.
When calling into voice-mail systems, or to dial directory
numbers, press this button once, wait for the response,
say the number(s) to be dialed, wait for the number(s)
to be repeated and then say “dial”. See the OnStar
®
User’s Guide for more information.
2-37

Sunglasses Storage Compartment
Your vehicle may have a sunglass storage compartment
located above the rearview mirror. To open, push on
cover.
Do not operate the vehicle with the sunglasses storage
compartment cover open, it could obstruct your view.
Center Console Storage Area
Your vehicle may have a front center console storage
area. To open the front center console storage area,
pull up on the latch located in the front of the console lid.
Inside is a removable tray and an accessory power
outlet.
Rear Storage Area
If your vehicle has the split folding rear seat, there will
be two storage areas underneath. To access these
storage areas, pull the tab(s) located by the seatbelt
buckle on the passenger side and the center of the rear
seat on the driver side. SeeSplit Folding Rear Seat
on page 1-9for more information.
Rear Seat Armrest
Your vehicle may have a rear seat armrest. To access,
pull the tab on the armrest forward.
Convenience Net
The vehicle may have a convenience net located on the
back wall of the trunk.
The net is not for larger, heavier loads. Store those in
the trunk as far forward as possible.
Unhook the net so that it will lie at when not in use.
2-43

Delayed Headlamps
The delayed headlamps feature provides a period of
exterior lighting as you leave the area around your
vehicle. The feature is activated when the headlamps
are on due to the automatic headlamps control
feature described previously in this section, and when
the ignition is turned off. Your headlamps will then
remain on until the exterior lamps control is moved to
the parking lamps position or until the pre-selected
delayed headlamp lighting period has ended.
If you turn off the ignition with the headlamps switch in
the parking lamps or headlamps position, the delayed
headlamps cycle will not occur.
To disable the delayed headlamps feature or change
the time of delay, seeDIC Vehicle Customization
on page 3-52.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)/
Automatic Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system’s automatic headlamp control will
make the low-beam headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is in RUN.
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO.
The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, only the low-beam headlamps,
at a reduced level of brightness, will be on. The
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker, and other lamps will
not be on. The instrument panel and cluster will also
not be lit.
When it is dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will turn off and the headlamps and parking
lamps will turn on. The other lamps that come on
with the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the DRL will come on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-14