steering CHEVROLET IMPALA 2011 9.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
6-4 Lighting
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)/Automatic
Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is in the ON/RUN
position.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The engine is running.When the DRL are on, the regular
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker,
and other lamps are not on. The
instrument panel and cluster are
also not on.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings.
The other lamps that come on with
the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps go off and the
DRL come on.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Do not cover the light sensor on top
of the instrument panel because it
works with the DRL.
Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning flashers let
you warn others that you have a
problem.
The hazard warning flasher button
is located on top of the steering
column.
|:
Press to make the front and
rear turn signal lamps flash on and
off. Press the button again to turn
the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the turn signals will
not work.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times.
The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
might be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑34.
Turn Signal On Chime
If either one of the turn signals are
left on and the vehicle has been
driven more than 1.2 km (0.75 mile),
a chime will sound.
Fog Lamps
#
(Fog Lamps): For vehicles with
fog lamps, the button is located on
the exterior lamps control. The
exterior lamps control is located on
the instrument panel to the left of
the steering column.
The ignition must be in the
ON/RUN position for the fog lamps
to come on.
Press
#to turn the fog lamps on or
off. A light will come on in the
instrument panel cluster.
When the headlamps are changed
to high beam, the fog lamps also
go off.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
6-6 Lighting
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
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 finished.
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 Lamps
The center mounted dome lamp
overhead comes on when a door is
opened. This lamp can also be
turned on by turning the instrument
panel brightness control clockwise.
Reading Lamps
The vehicle has reading lamps that
also act as the dome lamp. Press
the button near each lamp to turn
them on and off.
Map Lamps
The vehicle has map lamps on the
rearview mirror. Press the button
near each lamp on the mirror to turn
the map lamps on and off.
Lighting Features
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 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.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-7
.To scan preset stations in the
selected band, press and hold
©SEEK for four seconds until a
double beep sounds. The radio
goes to a stored preset, plays
for a few seconds, then goes
to the next stored preset. Press
©SEEK again to stop scanning
preset stations.
¨SEEK: Press to seek or scan
stations with a strong signal in the
selected band.
.To seek stations, press and
release
¨SEEK to go to the
next station and stay there.
.To scan stations, press and hold¨SEEK for a few seconds until
the radio beeps once. The radio
goes to a station, plays for a
few seconds, then goes to the
next station. Press
¨SEEK
again to stop scanning.
.To scan preset stations in the
selected band, press and
hold
¨SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next stored
preset. Press
¨SEEK again to
stop scanning preset stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked, See Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button store
radio stations as favorites, up to
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the 6 softkeys below
the radio station frequency tabs and
by using the FAV button. Press the
FAV button to go through up to
6 pages of favorites, each having
6 favorite stations available per
page. Each page of favorites can
contain any combination of AM, FM,
or XM, if equipped, stations. Radios that do not have a
FAV button store radio stations
as presets, up to 18 stations
(6 FM1, 6 FM2, and 6 AM), can be
programmed on the 6 numbered
pushbuttons.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Preset, Radio with CD (Base)
Radios that have numbered
pushbuttons store radio stations
as presets.
Up to 18 stations (6 FM1, 6 FM2,
and 6 AM), can be programmed on
the six numbered buttons.
To store preset stations:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press and hold one of the
6 numbered pushbuttons for
3 seconds until a beep sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to store additional radio stations.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
7-10 Infotainment System
Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located belowthe XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category you want to add or
remove.
4. Press the softkey located under the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked. See Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the
6 softkeys below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the
FAV button. Press the FAV button to
go through up to 6 pages of
favorites, each having 6 favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations.
Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the
6 softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To setup the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the
original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin the
process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
7-20 Infotainment System
Phone
Bluetooth
Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls.
The system can be used while the
key is in the ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY position. The range of
the Bluetooth system can be up to
9.1 m (30 ft). Not all phones support
all functions, and not all phones are
guaranteed to work with the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information on compatible phones.
Voice Recognition
The Bluetooth system uses voice
recognition to interpret voice
commands to dial phone numbers
and name tags.
For additional information, say
“Help”while you are in a voice
recognition menu. Noise:
Keep interior noise levels to
a minimum. The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise.
When to Speak: A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 for more information.
bg(Push To Talk): Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c x(Phone On Hook): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth cell phone must be
paired to the Bluetooth system and
then connected to the vehicle before
it can be used. See your cell phone
manufacturer's user guide for
Bluetooth functions before pairing
the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone
is not connected, calls will be made
using OnStar Hands‐Free Calling,
if available. Refer to the OnStar
Owner's Guide for more information.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-25
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-36
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-36
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-37
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-3
Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can
make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been
drinking—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑29.
Adding non‐dealer accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑19.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three‐fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and
eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three‐fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between
the vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive in
spurts
—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system is not functioning, the
vehicle can be steered but it will
take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane,
or a car suddenly pulls out from
nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. These problems can
be avoided by braking—if you can
stop in time. But sometimes you
cannot stop in time because there is
no room. That is the time for
evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply
the brakes —but, unless the vehicle
has antilock brakes, not enough to
lock the wheels. See Braking on
page 9‑3. It is better to remove as
much speed as possible from a

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so thatthe vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. Turn the steering wheel
8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches), about
one-eighth turn, until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems
—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.