Chevrolet 2009 Impala Automobile User Manual


 
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. See DIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-49.
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