2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA display

Reading Lamps
The vehicle has reading lamps that also act as the
dome lamp. Press the button to turn them on and off.
Mirror Reading Lamps
Your vehicle has reading lamps on the rearview mirror.
Push the button to turn the reading lamps on and off.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When
the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly
to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter
gage or a voltage display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there is a problem, an alert
will be displayed.The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power that
is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands of
some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC) message
might be displayed, such as Battery Saver Active or
Service Battery Charging System. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver reduce the
electrical loads as much as possible. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-52.
3-19

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven in either miles (used in the United States)
or in kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer.
If you see ERROR, you’ll know someone has
probably tampered with it and the numbers may not
be accurate.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then that will
be done. But if it can’t, then it will be set at zero and a
label must be put on the driver’s door to show the
old mileage reading when the new odometer was
installed.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in
revolutions per minute (rpm).
Notice:If you operate the engine with the
tachometer in the shaded warning area,
your vehicle could be damaged, and the
damages would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not operate the engine with the
tachometer in the shaded warning area.
3-29

Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
All messages will appear in the DIC display located
below the speedometer in the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC buttons are located on the instrument panel,
to the right of the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay, the DIC will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and vehicle system
information, and warning messages if a system problem
is detected. The bottom line of the DIC shows the shift
lever position indicator. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-26for more information.
If your vehicle has these features, the DIC also displays
the compass direction and the outside air temperature
when viewing the trip and fuel information. The compass
direction appears on the top right corner of the DIC
display. The outside air temperature automatically
appears in the bottom right corner of the DIC display.
If there is a problem with the system that controls
the temperature display, the numbers will be replaced
with dashes. If this occurs, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer/retailer.
The DIC also allows some features to be customized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-60for
more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the DIC buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the right of the instrument panel cluster.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the
trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization,
and set/reset buttons.
The button functions
are detailed in the
following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometers, fuel range, average economy,
instantaneous economy, Active Fuel Management™
indicator on vehicles with this feature, and average speed.
T(Vehicle Information):Press this button to display
the oil life, units, tire pressure readings, compass zone
and compass calibration on vehicles with this feature, and
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter programming.
3-44

U(Customization):Press this button to customize the
feature settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-60for more information.
V(Set/Reset):Press this button to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3
(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to scroll through
the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until ODOMETER displays.
This display shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km).
Trip A and Trip B
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP A or TRIP B
displays. This display shows the current distance
traveled in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km) since the
last reset for each trip odometer. Both trip odometers
can be used at the same time.
Each trip odometer can be reset to zero separately by
pressing the set/reset button while the desired trip
odometer is displayed.The trip odometer has a feature called the retro-active
reset. This can be used to set the trip odometer to
the number of miles (kilometers) driven since the ignition
was last turned on. This can be used if the trip
odometer is not reset at the beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature, press and hold the
set/reset button for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of miles (mi) or
kilometers (km) driven since the ignition was last turned
on and the vehicle was moving. Once the vehicle
begins moving, the trip odometer will accumulate
mileage. For example, if the vehicle was driven
5 miles (8 km) before it is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is activated, the display
will show 5 miles (8 km). As the vehicle begins moving,
the display will then increase to 5.1 miles (8.2 km),
5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
If the retro-active reset feature is activated after the
vehicle is started, but before it begins moving, the
display will show the number of miles (mi) or
kilometers (km) that were driven during the last
ignition cycle.
3-45

Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL RANGE displays.
This display shows the approximate number of
remaining miles (mi) or kilometers (km) the vehicle can
be driven without refueling.
The fuel range estimate is based on an average of the
vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.
This estimate will change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and making frequent
stops, this display may read one number, but if
the vehicle is driven on a freeway, the number may
change even though the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different driving conditions
produce different fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel economy than city driving.
If your vehicle is low on fuel, the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message displays. See “FUEL LEVEL LOW” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-52for more
information.
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG ECONOMY displays.
This display shows the approximate average miles
per gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km).This number is calculated based on the number of
mpg (L/100 km) recorded since the last time this menu
item was reset. To reset this display to zero, press
and hold the set/reset button.
Instantaneous Economy and Active Fuel
Management™ Indicator
Press the trip/fuel button until INST ECONOMY displays.
If your vehicle has the Active Fuel Management™
feature, INST ECONOMY 8CYL MODE will display
on vehicles with a V8 engine or INST ECONOMY
6CYL MODE will display on vehicles with a V6 engine.
This display shows the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change frequently as driving
conditions change. This display shows the instantaneous
fuel economy in miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km). Unlike average economy,
this screen cannot be reset.
If your vehicle has the Active Fuel Management™
feature, an Active Fuel Management™ indicator
will display on the right side of the DIC, while
INST ECONOMY displays on the left side. Active Fuel
Management™ allows the engine to operate on either
all or half of its cylinders, depending on your driving
demands.
3-46

For vehicles with a V8 engine, when Active Fuel
Management™ is active, 4CYL MODE will display.
When Active Fuel Management™ is inactive,
8CYL MODE will display.
For vehicles with a V6 engine, when Active Fuel
Management™ is active, 3CYL MODE will display.
When Active Fuel Management™ is inactive,
6CYL MODE will display.
SeeActive Fuel Management™ (3.9L V6 and
5.3L V8 Engines) on page 2-26for more information.
Average Speed
Press the trip/fuel button until AVERAGE SPEED
displays. This display shows the average speed of the
vehicle in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per
hour (km/h). This average is calculated based on the
various vehicle speeds recorded since the last reset of
this value. To reset the value, press and hold the
set/reset button. The display will return to zero.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu Items
T
(Vehicle Information):Press this button to scroll
through the following menu items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an estimate
of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message will appear on the display. See
“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” underDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-52. You should change the oil as
soon as possible. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-17.In
addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil
life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself after
each oil change. It will not reset itself. Also, be careful not
to reset the OIL LIFE accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change. To reset the engine
oil life system, seeEngine Oil Life System on page 5-20.
3-47

Units
Press the vehicle information button until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to select between
English or Metric units of measurement. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units.
Tire Pressure
The pressure for each tire can be viewed in the DIC.
The tire pressure will be shown in either pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press the
vehicle information button until the DIC displays
FRONT TIRES PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##. Press the
vehicle information button again until the DIC displays
REAR TIRES PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.
If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected by the
system while driving, a message advising you to
check the pressure in a specic tire will appear in the
display. SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-61and
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-52for more
information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes instead of a
value, there may be a problem with your vehicle. If this
consistently occurs, see your dealer/retailer for service.
Change Compass Zone
Your vehicle may have this feature. To change the
compass zone through the DIC, seeDIC Compass
on page 3-49.
Calibrate Compass
Your vehicle may have this feature. The compass can
be manually calibrated. To calibrate the compass
through the DIC, seeDIC Compass on page 3-49.
Relearn Remote Key
To access this display, the vehicle must be in PARK (P).
This display allows you to match the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter to your vehicle. To match
an RKE transmitter to your vehicle:
1. Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO RELEARN REMOTE KEY displays.
2. Press the set/reset button until REMOTE KEY
LEARNING ACTIVE is displayed.
3. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on
the rst transmitter at the same time for about
15 seconds.
A chime will sound indicating that the transmitter
is matched.
3-48

4. To match additional transmitters at this time,
repeat Step 3.
Each vehicle can have a maximum of eight
transmitters matched to it.
5. To exit the programming mode, you must cycle
the key to LOCK/OFF.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
DIC Compass
Your vehicle may have a compass in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
Compass Zone
The zone is set to zone eight upon leaving the factory.
Your dealer/retailer will set the correct zone for your
location.
Under certain circumstances, such as during a long
distance cross-country trip or moving to a new state or
province, it will be necessary to compensate for
compass variance by resetting the zone through the
DIC if the zone is not set correctly.Compass variance is the difference between the earth’s
magnetic north and true geographic north. If the
compass is not set to the zone where you live, the
compass may give false readings. The compass must
be set to the variance zone in which the vehicle is
traveling.
To adjust for compass variance, use the following
procedure:
Compass Variance (Zone) Procedure
1. Do not set the compass zone when the vehicle is
moving. Only set it when the vehicle is in PARK (P).
Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
displays.
3-49