manual transmission CHEVROLET IMPALA 2011 9.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Impala Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-36
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-42
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-29
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-47
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.
With Remote Start Shown, Without
Remote Start Similar
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, press to
start the engine from outside the vehicle using the RKE transmitter.
See
Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for additional information.
Q(Lock):Press to lock all the
doors. If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
parking lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred. If enabled
through the DIC, the horn chirps
when
Qis pressed again
within five seconds. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑36 for
additional information.
Pressing
Qmay arm the
content theft‐deterrent system.
See Anti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock
the driver door. If
Kis pressed
again within five seconds, all
remaining doors unlock. The interior
lamps come on and stay on for
20 seconds or until the ignition is
turned on. If enabled through the
DIC, the parking lamps flash twice to indicate unlocking has occurred.
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑36.
Pressing
Kon the RKE transmitter
disarms the content theft‐deterrent
system. See Anti-Theft Alarm
System on page 2‑12.
V(Remote Trunk Release):
Press and hold for about
one second to open the trunk. The
transmission must be in P (Park).
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times. Press and hold
Lfor
more than two seconds to activate
the panic alarm. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
repeatedly for 30 seconds. The
alarm turns off when the ignition is
turned to ON/RUN or
Lis pressed
again. The ignition must be in
LOCK/OFF for the panic alarm
to work.

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 (17,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the
engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can also appear.
SeeBattery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑29 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there is
an electrical problem. Have it
checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, after a while, the emission
controls might not work as well,
the vehicle fuel economy might
not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This
could lead to costly repairs that
might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-24 Instruments and Controls
High-Beam on Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑3 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp lights come on when
the fog lamps are in use. The lights go out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See
Fog
Lamps on page 6‑5 for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑32 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
All messages will appear in the
DIC display located below the
speedometer in the instrument
panel cluster. The DIC buttons are
located on the instrument panel, to
the right of the instrument panel
cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. The bottom line
of the DIC shows the shift lever
position indicator. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑25 for
more information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-35
Several conditions may cause this
message to appear. SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑47 for more information.
If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the TPMS
is re-learning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
See Tire Inspection on page 10‑51,
Tire Rotation on page 10‑51, Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑46, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑44 for more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires is low. This message
also displays LEFT FRT (left front),
RIGHT FRT (right front), LEFT RR
(left rear), or RIGHT RR (right rear)
to indicate the location of the low
tire. The low tire pressure warning
light will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑22. You
can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To
read the other messages that may
have been sent at the same time,
press the set/reset button. If a tire
pressure message appears on the
DIC, stop as soon as you can.
Have the tire pressures checked
and set to those shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
See Tires on page 10‑38, Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12, and
Tire Pressure on page 10‑44. The DIC also shows the tire
pressure values. See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24.
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer for service.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
transmission fluid in your vehicle is
too hot. Stop the vehicle and allow it
to idle until it cools down. If the
warning message continues to
display, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.

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 (8,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
Repeat this until help arrives
but only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold.
Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If the vehicle has a traction
system, it can often help to free
a stuck vehicle. Refer to the
vehicle's traction system in theIndex. If stuck too severely for the
traction system to free the vehicle,
turn the traction system off and use
the rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as
shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑58.
Rocking the Vehicle to
Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction or
stability system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while
shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑74.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-16 Driving and Operating
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any
one constant speed, fast or
slow, for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
.Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See Trailer Towing
on page 9‑44 for the trailer
towing capabilities of your
vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions. To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN and the brake
pedal must be applied.
Notice:
Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF): When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑18
This position locks the ignition.
It also locks the transmission. This
is the only position in which the
ignition key can be inserted or
removed.