2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

Instrument Panel Brightness
D(Instrument Panel Brightness):The knob with
this symbol on it is located next to the exterior lamps
control to the left of the steering wheel. Push the knob
in all the way until it extends out and then turn the
knob clockwise or counterclockwise to brighten or
dim the lights. Push the knob back in when nished.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the courtesy lamps
automatically come on. They make it easy for you
to enter and leave your vehicle. You can also manually
turn these lamps on by fully turning the instrument panel
brightness control clockwise.
The reading lamps, located on the rearview mirror,
can be turned on or off independent of the automatic
courtesy lamps, when the doors are closed.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp comes on when a door is opened.
This lamp can also be turned on by turning the
instrument panel brightness control clockwise.
Entry Lighting
For vehicles with courtesy lamps, they come on and
stay on for a set time whenever the unlock symbol
is pressed on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter, if the vehicle has one.
If a door is opened, the lamps stay on while it is open
and then turn off automatically about 20 seconds after
the door is closed. If the unlock symbol is pressed and
no door is opened, the lamps turn off after about
20 seconds.
Entry lighting includes a feature called theater dimming.
With theater dimming, the lamps do not turn off at
the end of the delay time. Instead, they slowly dim and
then go out. The delay time is canceled if the ignition
key is turned to ON/RUN or the power door lock switch
is pressed. The lamps will dim right away.
When the ignition is on, illuminated entry is inactive,
which means the courtesy lamps will not come on unless
a door is opened.
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Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting illuminates the interior for a
period of time after all the doors have been closed.
The ignition must be off for delayed entry lighting
to work. Immediately after all the doors have been
closed, the delayed entry lighting feature continues to
work until one of the following occurs:
The ignition is in ON/RUN.
The doors are locked.
An illumination period of about 25 seconds has
elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period is canceled and the interior
lamps remain on.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior for a period of time
after the key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed exit lighting to work.
When the key is removed, interior illumination activates
and remains on until one of the following occurs:
The ignition is in ON/RUN.
The power door locks are activated.
An illumination period of 20 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened,
the timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on because a door is open.
Parade Dimming
Parade mode automatically prohibits the dimming of
the instrument panel displays during the daylight while
the headlamps are on so that the displays are still
able to be seen.
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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
The 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 bring the charge back up.
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 are on, such as: 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,
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY. 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 3-49.
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Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature helps prevent the battery from
being drained, if the interior courtesy lamps,
reading/map lamps, visor vanity lamps or trunk
lamp are accidentally left on. If any of these lamps
are left on, they automatically turn off after 10 minutes,
if the ignition is off. The lamps will not come back on
again until one of the following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is turned off, then on
again.
The headlamps will time-out after 10 minutes, if they are
manually turned on with the ignition on or off.
Accessory Power Outlet(s)
The vehicle has three 12-volt outlets which can be
used to plug in electrical equipment, such as a cellular
telephone.
On vehicles with a center console, one outlet is located
inside the center oor console and two outlets are located
at the front of the console bin under the instrument panel.
Lift the cover to access the outlet. Close the cover when
not using the outlet.
On vehicles without a center console, two are located
under the climate controls and another outlet for the rear
seat passengers is at the rear of the center front seat.
Remove the cover to access the outlets. When not using
the outlet, make sure the cover is closed.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment plugged in
for an extended period of time while the vehicle is
off will drain the battery. Power is always supplied
to the outlets. Always unplug electrical equipment
when not in use and do not plug in equipment
that exceeds the maximum 20 ampere rating.
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Certain accessory plugs may not be compatible to
the accessory power outlet and could result in blown
vehicle and adapter fuses. If you experience a problem,
see your dealer/retailer for additional information on
the power accessory plugs.
Notice:Adding any electrical equipment to the
vehicle can damage it or keep other components
from working as they should. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not use
equipment exceeding maximum amperage rating
of 20 amperes. Check with your dealer/retailer before
adding electrical equipment.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow
the proper installation instructions included with the
equipment. Check with your dealer/retailer before adding
electrical equipment, and never use anything that
exceeds the maximum amperage rating of 20 amps.
Notice:Improper use of the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the warranty. Do not hang
any type of accessory or accessory bracket from the
plug because the power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only.Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
The vehicle may have an ashtray and a cigarette lighter.
The ashtray and cigarette lighter may be located in the
console, if the vehicle has one, otherwise, they may be
located in the center armrest of the front seat.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other ammable items
are put in the ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite them and possibly
damage the vehicle. Never put ammable items
in the ashtray.
Notice:Holding a cigarette lighter in while it is
heating does not let the lighter back away from
the heating element when it is hot. Damage from
overheating can occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown. Do not hold
a cigarette lighter in while it is heating.
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it is ready, it will pop back out by itself.
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Climate Controls
Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, defrost, defog and ventilation
can be controlled with this system. For vehicles
with heated seats, seeHeated Seats on page 1-6.
A. Fan Control
B. Outside Air
C. Recirculation
D. Air Delivery Mode
ControlE. Air Conditioning
F. Heated Seats
G. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Controls
H. Rear Window
DefoggerTemperature Control:Turn the thumbwheels up or
down to increase or decrease the temperature on
the driver’s side or the passenger side of the vehicle.
9(Fan Control):Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the fan speed. Positioning the
knob between two modes, can select a combination of
those modes.
If the airow seems low when the fan is at the highest
setting, the passenger compartment air lter may need
to be replaced. There will be some airow noticeable
from the various outlets when driving, even with the fan
in the off position. For more information, seePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-23andScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4.
Air Delivery Mode Control:Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to change the direction of the airow
inside the vehicle.
To change the current mode, select one of the following:
H(Vent):Air is directed to the instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level):Air is divided between the instrument
panel outlets and the oor outlets.
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6(Floor):Air is directed to the oor outlets, with
some of the air directed to the windshield and side
window outlets. In this mode, the system automatically
selects outside air.
-(Defog):This mode clears the windshield of fog or
moisture. Air is directed equally to the windshield and the
oor outlets. When defog is selected, the system turns off
recirculation and runs the air conditioning compressor
unless the outside temperature is below 40°F (4°C).
0(Defrost):This mode clears the windshield of fog or
frost more quickly. Air is directed to the windshield with
some air to the side window vents and the oor vents.
When defrost is selected, the system automatically
forces outside air into the vehicle. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically in this setting, unless
the outside temperature is below 40°F (4°C).
#(Air Conditioning):Press to turn the air
conditioning system on or off. An indicator light
comes on to show that it is on. The air conditioning
can be selected in any mode as long as the fan is
on and the outside temperature is above freezing.
A ashing indicator light indicates that the air
conditioning compressor is currently not available.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air
escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for the vehicle to cool down. It also helps the
system to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days, do the following:
1. Select the
Hmode.
2. Press the
#button.
3. Select the coolest temperature for both zones.
4. Select the highest
9speed.
5. When the coolest temperature is selected in the
A/C mode, the system automatically goes into the
recirculation mode to improve cooling.
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Using these settings together for long periods of time
may cause the air inside the vehicle to become too dry.
To prevent this from happening, after the air inside
the vehicle has cooled, turn the recirculation mode off.
The air conditioning system removes moisture from
the air, so a small amount of water may drip under
the vehicle while idling or after turning off the engine.
This is normal.
:(Outside Air):Press to turn on outside air.
An indicator light comes on to show that it is on.
Outside air will circulate throughout the vehicle.
?(Recirculation):Press to turn on the recirculation
mode. An indicator light comes on to show that it is on.
This mode helps to quickly heat or cool the air inside the
vehicle once the temperature inside the vehicle is equal
to or better than the outside temperature. It can be used
to prevent outside air and odors from entering the vehicle.
The recirculation mode is not available in outside air,
oor, defog or defrost modes. If the button is selected
while in these modes, the indicator ashes three times.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
<(Rear Window Defogger):The rear window
defogger turns off automatically after it has been
activated for 10 minutes. It can be turned off manually,
by pressing the button again or by turning the ignition
to the LOCK/OFF position. The rear window defogger
can be turned on again for additional window clearing.
The length of defogger operation will increase if the
vehicle is being driven.
For vehicles with heated outside rearview mirrors, the
mirrors heat to help clear fog or frost from the surface
of the mirror when the rear window defog button is
pressed. SeeOutside Power Mirrors on page 2-32.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the windows are clear.
Notice:Do not use anything sharp on the inside
of the rear window. If you do, you could cut or
damage the warming grid, and the repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not attach
a temporary vehicle license, tape, a decal or anything
similar to the defogger grid.
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