2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA belt

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-2
Front Seats
............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-13
Child Restraints
.......................................1-34
Airbag System
.........................................1-57
Restraint System Check
............................1-73
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-9
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-33
Universal Home Remote System
................2-36
Storage Areas
.........................................2-43
Sunroof
..................................................2-44
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-24Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-42
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-63
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-26
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-53
Appearance Care
.....................................5-89
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-96
Electrical System
......................................5-96
Capacities and Specications
...................5-101
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-16
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-18
Index................................................................ 1
2009 Chevrolet Impala Owner ManualM

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv

Head Restraints...............................................1-2
Front Seats......................................................1-4
Manual Seats................................................1-4
Power Seats..................................................1-5
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-6
Heated Seats.................................................1-6
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-7
Center Seat.................................................1-10
Rear Seats.....................................................1-10
Split Folding Rear Seat.................................1-10
Safety Belts...................................................1-13
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-18
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-27
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-32
Lap Belt......................................................1-32
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-33
Child Restraints.............................................1-34
Older Children..............................................1-34
Infants and Young Children............................1-37
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-41
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-43Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH)..................................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-50
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position............................................1-53
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-54
Airbag System...............................................1-57
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-59
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-62
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-63
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-63
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?.....1-64
Passenger Sensing System
............................1-65
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-71
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-72
Restraint System Check..................................1-73
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-73
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-74
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-1

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is in
motion can be dangerous. Even when buckled up,
the safety belts cannot do their job when 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 the safety belt properly.Do not have a seatback reclined if the vehicle is moving.
1-9

To return the seats to the normal position:
{CAUTION:
If either 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 seatbacks to be sure they
are 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 an upright, locked position, and the seat
cushion should be in the down position.
Under Seat Storage
The vehicle also has an under seat storage area.
To access 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 2-43for more information.
1-12

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use
safety belts properly. It also describes some things not
to do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where a safety belt cannot
be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the
vehicle. You and your passenger(s) can 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.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-27
for additional information.
1-13

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 safety 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.
1-14

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I
am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
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.
1-17