CHEVROLET IMPALA 2012 9.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Storage 4-1
Storage
Storage Compartments
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Sunglasses Storage . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . 4-2
Additional Storage Features
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Storage
Compartments
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever to
open it.
Cupholders
Cupholders may be built into the
front center console, front portion of
the front center seat, and rear
armrest of the vehicle.
Sunglasses Storage
A storage compartment for
sunglasses may be located above
the rearview mirror. Push on the
cover to open the compartment.
Armrest Storage
For vehicles with a rear seat
armrest, pull the tab on the armrest
forward to access it.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
4-2 Storage
Rear Storage
For vehicles with a split folding rear
seat, there are two storage areas
underneath. Pull the tab(s) located
by the passenger side safety belt
buckle and the driver side rear seat
to access the storage areas. See
Rear Seats (Split Folding) on
page 3‑8for more information.
Center Console Storage
For vehicles with a front center
console storage area, open it by
pulling up on the latch located in the
front of the console cover. There
may be a removable tray inside.
Additional Storage
Features
Convenience Net
For vehicles with a convenience net,
it is located in the rear. Use it to
store small loads as far forward as
possible. The net should not be
used to store heavy loads.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-13
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-22
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-31
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-32
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-32
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-33
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-34
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-35
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-36
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-37

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-37
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . 5-43
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The tilt wheel lever is located on the
left side of the steering column. To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Hold the wheel and pull the lever
toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-3
Steering Wheel Controls
Vehicles with audio steering wheel
controls could differ depending on
the vehicle's options. Some audio
controls can be adjusted at the
steering wheel.
w(Next):Press to go to the next
radio station stored as a favorite,
or the next track if a CD is playing.
c/x(Previous/End): Press to
go to the previous radio station
stored as a favorite, go to the next
track if a CD is playing, reject an
incoming call, or end a current call.
b/g(Mute/Push to Talk): Press
to silence the vehicle speakers only.
Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with OnStar
®or
Bluetooth®systems, press and holdb/gfor longer than two seconds to
interact with those systems. See
OnStar Overview on page 14‑1 and
Bluetooth on page 7‑20 for more
information. SRCE (Source):
Press to choose
between the radio (AM, FM, XM),
CD, and auxiliary input jack.
+
e−e(Volume): Press to
increase or to decrease the radio
volume.
¨(Seek): Press to go to the next
radio station while in AM, FM,
or XM. Press
¨to go to the next
track or chapter while sourced to
the CD.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols
on the steering wheel pad to sound
the horn.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Windshield Wiper/Washer
Turn the band with the wiper symbol
to control the windshield wipers.
8(Mist):Single wipe, turn to8,
then release. Several wipes, hold
the band on
8longer.
9(Off): Turns the windshield
wipers off.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
6(Low Speed): Slow
wipes.
?(High Speed): Fast wipes.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See Wiper
Blade Replacement on page 10‑24.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down.
Windshield Washer
Push the paddleLat the top of the
lever to spray washer fluid on the
windshield. The wipers run for
several sweeps and then either stop
or return to the preset speed. The
ignition key must be in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN for this to
work. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑18.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
When the vehicle is low on washer
fluid, the WASHER FLUID LOW
ADD FLUID displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) for
60 seconds. When the ignition is
turned off, this message displays
again for three seconds to remind
you that the fluid level is low.
Until the fluid reservoir is refilled,
every time the vehicle is started, the
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID
message displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) for
60 seconds. See Washer Fluid
Messages on page 5‑37.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Compass
This vehicle may have a compass in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
Compass Zone
Your dealer will set the correct zone
for your location.
Under certain circumstances, such
as during a long distance
cross-country trip or moving to a
new state or province, it will be
necessary to compensate for
compass variance by resetting the
zone through the DIC if the zone is
not set correctly.
Compass variance is the difference
between the earth's magnetic north
and true geographic north. If the
compass is not set to the zone
where you live, the compass may
give false readings. The compass
must be set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is traveling.To adjust for compass variance, use
the following procedure:
Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure
1. Do not set the compass zone
when the vehicle is moving. Only
set it when the vehicle is in
P (Park).
Press
Tuntil PRESSVTO
CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
displays.
2. Find the vehicle's current location and variance zone
number on the map. Zones 1 through 15 are
available.
3. Press
Vto scroll through and
select the appropriate
variance zone.
4. Press
3until the vehicle
heading, for example, N for
North, is displayed in the DIC.
5. If calibration is necessary, calibrate the compass. See
“Compass Calibration
Procedure” following.
Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually
calibrated. Only calibrate the
compass in a magnetically clean
and safe location, such as an open
parking lot, where driving the
vehicle in circles is not a danger.
It is suggested to calibrate away
from tall buildings, utility wires,
manhole covers, or other industrial
structures, if possible.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
5-6 Instruments and Controls
If CAL should ever appear in the
DIC display, the compass should be
calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a
heading, for example, N for North,
or the heading does not change
after making turns, there may be a
strong magnetic field interfering with
the compass. Such interference
may be caused by a magnetic CB or
cell phone antenna mount, a
magnetic emergency light, magnetic
note pad holder, or any other
magnetic item. Turn off the vehicle,
move the magnetic item, then turn
on the vehicle and calibrate the
compass.
To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section. Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, seats, etc.
during the calibration procedure.
2. Press
Tuntil PRESSVTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays.
3. Press
Vto start the compass
calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in
tight circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the
calibration. The DIC will display
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the
calibration is complete. The DIC
display will then return to
PRESS
VTO CALIBRATE
COMPASS.
Clock
Without Date Display
AM/FM Base Radio with a Single
CD Player
This radio has a
Hbutton for setting
the time.
To set the time:
1. Press the
Hbutton until the hour
begins flashing on the display.
Press
Ha second time and the
minutes begin flashing on the
display.
2. To increase or decrease the time, do one of the following
while the hours or minutes are
flashing:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press¨SEEK or©SEEK.
.Press\FWD orsREV.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
3. Press theHbutton again until
the clock display stops flashing
to set the currently displayed
time, or wait five seconds until
the flashing stops and the
current time displayed is
automatically set.
To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour, press the
Hbutton until 12H or 24H is
displayed. Once 12H or 24H is
displayed, turn the
fknob to the
desired option to select the setting.
Press the
Hbutton again to apply
the setting, or let the screen
time out.
With Date Display
Single CD (MP3) Player
This radio has a
Hbutton for setting
the time. To set the time and date:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton and the HR,
MIN, MM, DD, and YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year)
display.
3. Press the pushbutton located under any one of the tabs to be
changed.
4. To increase the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the pushbutton below
the selected tab.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
.Press¨SEEK.
.Press\FWD. 5. To decrease the time or date, do
one of the following:
.Turn thefknob
counter‐clockwise.
.Press©SEEK.
.PresssREV.
The date does not automatically
display. To see the date press the
Hbutton while the radio is on. The
date with display times out after a
few seconds and goes back to the
normal radio and time display.
To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to
change the date default setting from
month/day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press the
Hbutton and then the
pushbutton located under the
forward arrow tab. The time 12H
and 24H, and the date MM/DD/
YYYY (month, day, and year)
and DD/MM/YYYY (day, month,
and year) displays.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
5-8 Instruments and Controls
2. Press the pushbutton locatedunder the desired option.
3. Press the
Hor MENU button
again to apply the selected
default, or let the screen
time out.
Power Outlets
The vehicle has three 12‐volt outlets
which can be used to plug in
electrical equipment, such as a cell
phone or MP3 player.
On vehicles with a center console,
one outlet is located inside the
center floor console and two outlets
are located at the front of the
console bin under the instrument
panel.
On vehicles without a center
console, two are located under the
climate controls and another outlet
for the rear seat passengers is at
the rear of the center front seat. Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating. Certain accessory plugs may not be
compatible with the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment. See
Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑49.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
The vehicle may have a cigarette
lighter. The cigarette lighter may be
located in the console, if the vehicle
has one; otherwise, it may be
located in the center armrest of the
front seat.