2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

Collision Parts
Genuine GM Collision parts are new parts made
with the same materials and construction methods
as the parts with which your vehicle was originally built.
Genuine GM Collision parts are your best choice to
ensure that your vehicle’s designed appearance,
durability, and safety are preserved. The use of
Genuine GM parts can help maintain your GM
New Vehicle Warranty.
Recycled original equipment parts may also be used for
repair. These parts are typically removed from vehicles
that were total losses in prior crashes. In most cases,
the parts being recycled are from undamaged sections
of the vehicle. A recycled original equipment GM
part, may be an acceptable choice to maintain your
vehicle’s originally designed appearance and safety
performance, however, the history of these parts is
not known. Such parts are not covered by your GM
New Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any related failures
are not covered by that warranty.Aftermarket collision parts are also available. These are
made by companies other than GM and may not have
been tested for your vehicle. As a result, these parts may
t poorly, exhibit premature durability/corrosion problems,
and may not perform properly in subsequent collisions.
Aftermarket parts are not covered by your GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any vehicle failure related
to such parts are not covered by that warranty.
Repair Facility
We recommend that you choose a collision repair
facility that meets your needs before you ever need
collision repairs. Your dealer/retailer may have a
collision repair center with GM-trained technicians and
state of the art equipment, or be able to recommend
a collision repair center that has GM-trained technicians
and comparable equipment.
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Insuring Your Vehicle
Protect your investment in your GM vehicle with
comprehensive and collision insurance coverage.
There are signicant differences in the quality of
coverage afforded by various insurance policy terms.
Many insurance policies provide reduced protection to
your GM vehicle by limiting compensation for damage
repairs by using aftermarket collision parts. Some
insurance companies will not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance, we recommend that
you assure your vehicle will be repaired with GM original
equipment collision parts. If such insurance coverage
is not available from your current insurance carrier,
consider switching to another insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing company may
require you to have insurance that assures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
parts or Genuine Manufacturer replacement parts.
Read your lease carefully, as you may be charged
at the end of your lease for poor quality repairs.
If a Crash Occurs
Here is what to do if you are involved in a crash.
Check to make sure that you are all right. If you
are uninjured, make sure that no one else in
your vehicle, or the other vehicle, is injured.
If there has been an injury, call emergency services
for help. Do not leave the scene of a crash until all
matters have been taken care of. Move your vehicle
only if its position puts you in danger or you are
instructed to move it by a police officer.
Give only the necessary and requested information
to police and other parties involved in the crash.
Do not discuss your personal condition, mental frame
of mind, or anything unrelated to the crash. This will
help guard against post-crash legal action.
If you need roadside assistance, call GM Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on
page 7-8for more information.
If your vehicle cannot be driven, know where the
towing service will be taking it. Get a card from the
tow truck operator or write down the driver’s name,
the service’s name, and the phone number.
Remove any valuables from your vehicle before it is
towed away. Make sure this includes your insurance
information and registration if you keep these items
in your vehicle.
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Gather the important information you will need from
the other driver. Things like name, address, phone
number, driver’s license number, vehicle license
plate, vehicle make, model and model year, Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN), insurance company
and policy number, and a general description of
the damage to the other vehicle.
If possible, call your insurance company from the
scene of the crash. They will walk you through the
information they will need. If they ask for a police
report, phone or go to the police department
headquarters the next day and you can get a copy
of the report for a nominal fee. In some states/
provinces with “no fault” insurance laws, a report
may not be necessary. This is especially true if there
are no injuries and both vehicles are driveable.
Choose a reputable collision repair facility for your
vehicle. Whether you select a dealer/retailer or a
private collision repair facility to x the damage,
make sure you are comfortable with them.
Remember, you will have to feel comfortable
with their work for a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read it carefully
and make sure you understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you have a question,
ask for an explanation. Reputable shops welcome
this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage Repair
Process
In the event that your vehicle requires damage repairs,
GM recommends that you take an active role in its repair.
If you have a pre-determined repair facility of choice, take
your vehicle there, or have it towed there. Specify to the
facility that any required replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new Genuine GM parts
or recycled original GM parts. Remember, recycled parts
will not be covered by your GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you must
live with the repair. Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may initially value the repair
using aftermarket parts. Discuss this with your repair
professional, and insist on Genuine GM parts. Remember
if your vehicle is leased you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts, even if your
insurance coverage does not pay the full cost.
If another party’s insurance company is paying for
the repairs, you are not obligated to accept a repair
valuation based on that insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have no contractual limits with
that company. In such cases, you can have control of
the repair and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits.
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Reporting Safety Defects
Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it nds that a safety defect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems between
you, your dealer/retailer, or General Motors.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to safercar.gov;
or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington D.C., 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from safercar.gov.
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government
If you live in Canada, and you believe that your
vehicle has a safety defect, notify Transport Canada
immediately, in addition to notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at 1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9
Reporting Safety Defects to
General Motors
In addition to notifying NHTSA (or Transport Canada) in
a situation like this, please notify General Motors.
Call 1-800-222-1020, or write:
Chevrolet Motor Division
Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33170
Detroit, MI 48232-5170
In Canada, call 1-800-263-3777 (English) or
1-800-263-7854 (French), or write:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
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Service Publications Ordering
Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair
information on engines, transmission, axle suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional technical service
information needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks. Each bulletin
contains instructions to assist in the diagnosis
and service of your vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written specically for owners
and intended to provide basic operational information
about the vehicle. The owner manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio, Owner Manual, and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $35.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Without Portfolio: Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $25.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Current and Past Model Order Forms
Technical Service Bulletins and Manuals are available
for current and past model GM vehicles. To request
an order form, specify year and model name of
the vehicle.
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-551-4123
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit Helm, Inc.
on the World Wide Web at: helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without notice and without
incurring obligation. Allow ample time for delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers: All listed prices are
quoted in U.S. funds. Canadian residents are to make
checks payable in U.S. funds.
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Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example, your
vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and control
engine and transmission performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and deploy airbags
in a crash and, if so equipped, to provide antilock braking
to help the driver control the vehicle. These modules
may store data to help your dealer/retailer technician
service your vehicle. Some modules may also store data
about how you operate the vehicle, such as rate of fuel
consumption or average speed. These modules may also
retain the owner’s personal preferences, such as radio
pre-sets, seat positions, and temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data Recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist
in understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
How various systems in your vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was pressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was traveling
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:EDR data is recorded by your vehicle
only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions
and no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash
location) is recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.
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To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment
is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR
is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer,
other parties, such as law enforcement, that have
the special equipment, can read the information if
they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access this data or share it with others
except: with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if
the vehicle is leased, with the consent of the lessee;
in response to an official request of police or similar
government office; as part of GM’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or, as required by law.
Data that GM collects or receives may also be used for
GM research needs or may be made available to others
for research purposes, where a need is shown and the
data is not tied to a specic vehicle or vehicle owner.
OnStar®
If your vehicle has OnStar and you subscribe to the
OnStar services, please refer to the OnStar Terms
and Conditions for information on data collection and
use. See alsoOnStar
®System on page 2-33in
this manual for more information.
Navigation System
If your vehicle has a navigation system, use of the
system may result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip
information. Refer to the navigation system operating
manual for information on stored data and for deletion
instructions.
Radio Frequency
Identication (RFID)
RFID technology is used in some vehicles for functions
such as tire pressure monitoring and ignition system
security, as well as in connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door locking/unlocking and
starting, and in-vehicle transmitters for garage door
openers. RFID technology in GM vehicles does not
use or record personal information or link with any
other GM system containing personal information.
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✍NOTES
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