2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA light

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle has a
computer which monitors
operation of the fuel,
ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
make sure that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The check engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This can prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, the emission controls
might not work as well, your vehicle’s fuel economy
might not be as good, and the engine might not
run as smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs
that might not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and could damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
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If the Light is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-10.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet.
The condition is usually corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the
light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-6. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as efficiently as
designed. You might notice this as stalling after
start-up, stalling when you put the vehicle into gear,
misring, hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling
on acceleration — these conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up. This will be detected by
the system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light
turn off, your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle.
Your dealer/retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
might begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced the battery or if the battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This can take several days of routine driving.
If you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
dealer/retailer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.
This light will come on
briey when you start your
engine. If it does not,
have your vehicle serviced.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
is not owing through your engine properly. You could
be low on oil and you might have some other system
problem.
Security Light
For information regarding
this light and the vehicle’s
security system, see
Content Theft-Deterrent
on page 2-18.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light will
come on when the
fog lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps are turned off.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-16for more information.
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Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is turned off.
SeeCruise Control on page 3-10for more information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on when
the high-beam headlamps
are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8
for more information.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have remaining.
Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but it actually took a little more
or less than half the tank’s capacity to ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.
United StatesCanada
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Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually calibrated. Only calibrate
the compass in a magnetically clean and safe location,
such as an open parking lot, where driving the vehicle
in circles is not a danger. It is suggested to calibrate
away from tall buildings, utility wires, manhole covers,
or other industrial structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the DIC display,
the compass should be calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a heading, for example,
N for North, or the heading does not change after
making turns, there may be a strong magnetic eld
interfering with the compass. Such interference may be
caused by a magnetic CB or cell phone antenna
mount, a magnetic emergency light, magnetic note pad
holder, or any other magnetic item. Turn off the
vehicle, move the magnetic item, then turn on the
vehicle and calibrate the compass.To calibrate the compass, use the following procedure:Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass, make sure the
compass zone is set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is located. See “Compass
Variance (Zone) Procedure” earlier in this section.
Do not operate any switches such as window,
sunroof, climate controls, seats, etc. during
the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO CALIBRATE COMPASS displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start the compass
calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in tight circles at
less than 5 mph (8 km/h) to complete the calibration.
The DIC will display CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the calibration is complete.
The DIC display will then return to PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS.
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DIC Warnings and Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC to notify the driver
that the status of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the driver to correct the
condition. Multiple messages may appear one after
another. Some messages may not require immediate
action, but you can press the set/reset button to
acknowledge that you received the message and clear it
from the DIC display. Pressing any of the DIC buttons
also acknowledges and clears any messages. Some
messages cannot be cleared from the DIC display
because they are more urgent. These messages require
action before they can be cleared. You should take
any messages that appear on the display seriously and
remember that clearing the messages will only make
the messages disappear, not correct the problem.
The following are the possible messages that can be
displayed and some information about them.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the automatic headlamps
are turned off. SeeExterior Lamps on page 3-14for
more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL ON
This message displays when the automatic headlamps
are turned on. SeeExterior Lamps on page 3-14for
more information.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects that
the battery voltage is dropping beyond a reasonable
level. The battery saver system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may be able to notice.
At the point that the features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the vehicle is trying to
save the charge in the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow the battery
to recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when service is required for the
vehicle. See your dealer/retailer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-17andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
Acknowledging the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will not reset the OIL LIFE REMAINING.
That must be done at the OIL LIFE screen under the
vehicle information menu. See “Oil Life” underDIC
Operation and Displays on page 3-44andEngine Oil
Life System on page 5-20.
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CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This message displays when the pressure in one or
more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked.
This message also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT
FRONT, LEFT REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which
tire needs to be checked. You can receive more than
one tire pressure message at a time. To read the other
messages that may have been sent at the same
time, press the set/reset button. If a tire pressure
message appears on the DIC, stop as soon as you can.
Have the tire pressures checked and set to those
shown on the Tire Loading Information label. SeeTires
on page 5-54,Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-21,
andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-61. The DIC also
shows the tire pressure values. SeeDIC Operation
and Displays on page 3-44. If the tire pressure is low,
the low tire pressure warning light comes on. See
Tire Pressure Light on page 3-38.
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays when the driver door is not
closed properly. Make sure that the door is closed
completely.
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air Conditioning) OFF
This message displays when the engine coolant
becomes hotter than the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot engine, the air
conditioning compressor is automatically turned off.
When the coolant temperature returns to normal, the A/C
operation automatically resumes. You can continue to
drive your vehicle. If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your dealer/retailer as soon
as possible to avoid compressor damage.
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle while the engine
is overheating, severe engine damage may occur.
If an overheat warning appears on the instrument
panel cluster and/or DIC, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. Do not increase the engine speed above
normal idling speed. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-29for more information.
This message displays when the engine coolant
temperature is too hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
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