2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

To operate a manual reclining seatback:
1. Lift the recline lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then
release the lever to lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
To return the seatback to an upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback and the seatback will return to the upright
position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Power Reclining Seatback
The driver’s seat may have a power reclining seatback.
The control used to operate it is located on the
outboard side of the seat cushion rear of the horizontal
power seat control.
Press control rearward to recline the seatback.
Press control forward to raise the seatback. Passenger’s Seat with Manual Recline and Power
Seat Control shown
Driver’s Seat with Manual Lumbar, Power Seat
Control, and Power Recline shown
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{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a
crash, the belt could go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not
at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
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Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury
in a crash.Pull the head restraint up to
raise it. To lower the head
restraint, press the button,
located on the top of the
seatback, and push the
restraint down.
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Center Seat
Your vehicle may have a front center seat. There are
cupholders on the underside of the seat cushion.
To use them, ip the seat cushion forward. This seat
can also be used as a storage area by lowering
the seatback. SeeCenter Console Storage on
page 2-48. The seatback doubles as an armrest for
the driver or front passenger when the center seat is
unoccupied.
Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
Flip and Fold Feature
If your vehicle has this feature, you can ip the bottom
seat cushion(s) forward and fold the seatback(s)
down for an extended at cargo area.
To use this feature:
1. Flip the bottom seat cushion forward by pulling up
on the tab located in the center of the seat cushion
where the seatback meets the seat cushion.
There is a tab on both rear seats.
Make sure the front seats are not reclined. If they
are, the seat cushion will not ip forward completely.
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2. Lower the seatback(s)
by pulling forward on
the tab located on
the outboard side of the
seatback(s).
Make sure the front seats are not reclined. If they
are, the rear seatbacks will not fold down all the way.
To return the seats to the normal position:
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1. Raise the seatback up and make sure it latches.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
2. Ensure that the safety belts are properly stowed
over the seatback in all three positions.
3. Flip the bottom seat cushion back into place. Push
rmly on the seat cushion to make sure it is secure.
When the seat is not in use, the seatback should
be placed in upright, locked position, and the seat
cushion should be in the down position.
Under Seat Storage
Your vehicle has under seat storage.
To get to the storage area, lift up on the tab located in
the center of the bottom seat cushion where the
seat cushion meets the seatback. SeeRear Storage
Area on page 2-48for more information.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected
from it and be seriously injured or killed.
In the same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-30.
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In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
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