engine oil CHEVROLET IMPALA 2011 9.G Owners Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
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 Gauge
+:Fuses
3: 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

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote KeylessEntry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-7
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 1-9
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-11
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-15
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-19
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-19
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAININGon the DIC.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the DIC for more than
five seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑37. For all other vehicles, use only the unleaded gasoline
described under
Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑35.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-243-8872
TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
As the owner of a new Chevrolet,
you are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program. This
program provides technically trained
advisors who are available 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year, to give
minor repair information or make
towing arrangements.
For more information see Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13‑7.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
2-6 Keys, Doors and Windows
If it is the first remote start since the
vehicle has been driven, repeat the
previous steps, while the engine is
still running, to extend the engine
running time by 10 minutes from the
time you repeat the steps for remote
starting. The remote start running
time can be extended one time and
only after the first remote start.
After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
The engine will shut off
automatically after 10 minutes,
unless a time extension has been
done or the vehicle's key is inserted
into the ignition switch and turned
to ON/RUN.
To manually shut off a remote start,
do any of the following.
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and release
the remote start button.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition switch out of
LOCK/OFF and then back
to LOCK/OFF.
After the engine has been started
two times, or one time with a time
extension, the vehicle's ignition
must be turned to ON/RUN using
the key before the remote start
procedure can be used again. See
Ignition Positions on page 9‑16 for
information regarding the ignition
positions on your vehicle.
The remote vehicle start feature will
not operate if any of the follow
occur:
.The vehicle's key is in the
ignition.
.The vehicle's hood is open.
.The hazard warning flashers
are on.
.The check engine light is on.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑17.
.The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
.The oil pressure is low.
.The content theft-deterrent alarm
has been activated.
.Two remote vehicle starts,
or one start with a time
extension, have already been
provided for that ignition cycle.
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked.
(Continued)

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-14
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-15
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Indicator Light . . . . . . . 5-21
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-23
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-31
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-31
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-32
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-32
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-33
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-34
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-35
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-36

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. SeeTire
Messages on page 5‑34 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label.
See Tire Pressure on page 10‑44
for more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑47 for
more information.Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.
Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see
Anti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG
ECONOMY displays. This display
shows the approximate average
miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km). This
number is calculated based on the
number of mpg (L/100 km) recorded
since the last time this menu item
was reset. To reset this display
to zero, press and hold the
set/reset button.
Instantaneous Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECONOMY displays. This display
shows the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in
miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.Average Speed
Press the trip/fuel button until
AVERAGE SPEED displays. This
display shows the average speed of
the vehicle in miles per hour (mph)
or kilometers per hour (km/h). This
average is calculated based on the
various vehicle speeds recorded
since the last reset of this value.
To reset the value, press and hold
the set/reset button. The display will
return to zero.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
T(Vehicle Information):
Press
this button to scroll through the
following menu items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information
button until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑31. You should change the
oil as soon as possible. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE yourself after each oil change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, seeEngine
Oil Life System on page 10‑10.
Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between
English or Metric units of
measurement. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button
to select between ENGLISH or
METRIC units.
Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either pounds per square
inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press
the vehicle information button until
the DIC displays FRONT TIRES
PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##. Press
the vehicle information button again
until the DIC displays REAR TIRES
PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##. If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add air to a specific tire will appear
in the display. See
Tire Pressure on
page 10‑44 andTire Messages on
page 5‑34 for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with your vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer for service.
Change Compass Zone
Your vehicle may have this feature.
To change the compass zone
through the DIC, see Compass on
page 5‑5.
Calibrate Compass
Your vehicle may have this feature.
The compass can be manually
calibrated. To calibrate the compass
through the DIC, see Compass on
page 5‑5.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.Vehicle Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status of
the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the
driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear one
after another. Some messages may
not require immediate action, but
you can press the set/reset button
to acknowledge that you received
the message and clear it from the
DIC display. Pressing any of the
DIC buttons also acknowledges and
clears any messages. Some
messages cannot be cleared from
the DIC display because they are
more urgent. These messages
require action before they can be
cleared. You should take any
messages that appear on the
display seriously and remember that
clearing the messages will only
make the messages disappear, not
correct the problem. The following
are the possible messages that can
be displayed and some information
about them.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer if you notice
a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when
service is required for the vehicle.
See your dealer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 10‑8 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information.
Acknowledging the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will
not reset the OIL LIFE REMAINING.
That must be done at the OIL LIFE
screen under the vehicle information
menu. See “Oil Life”underDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24 andEngine Oil Life
System on page 10‑10.
OIL PRESSURE LOW
STOP ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 for more information.
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine oil pressure is low.
The oil pressure light also appears
on the instrument panel cluster.
See Engine Oil Pressure Light on
page 5‑23.
Stop the vehicle immediately, as
engine damage can result from
driving a vehicle with low oil
pressure. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible
when this message is displayed.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-18 Driving and Operating
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
The radio will work when the key is
in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY.
Once the key is turned from ON/
RUN to LOCK/OFF the radio will
continue to work 10 minutes or until
the driver door is opened. The
power windows will continue to work
for up to 10 minutes or until any
door is opened.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition to START.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key. The idle speed will slow
down as the engine warms. Do
not race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts. The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for
a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To
prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.