2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA fuel

Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to show how the vehicle is running. It shows how fast the vehicle is going,
about how much fuel has been used and many other things needed to drive safely and economically.
United States Uplevel shown, Base and Canada similar
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
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/retailer.
If the check engine light 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’s 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:Modications 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. Modications 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.
SeeAccessories and Modifications on page 5-3.
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This light comes on during a malfunction in one of
two ways:
Light Flashing:A misre condition has been detected.
A misre increases vehicle emissions and could damage
the emission control system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to the vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light is still ashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer/retailer for service as soon
as possible.Light On Steady:An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
An emission system malfunction might be corrected by
doing the following:
Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. SeeFilling
the Tank on page 5-10. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
If the vehicle has been driven through a deep puddle
of water, the vehicle’s electrical system might be wet.
The condition is usually corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the
light off.
Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel.
Poor fuel quality causes the engine not to run
as efficiently as designed and can cause: stalling
after start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed
into gear, misring, hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration. These conditions
might go away once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage indicates about
how much fuel is left in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with the fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the fuel tank’s capacity
to ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when while turning a corner
or speeding up.
The gage does not go back to empty when the
ignition is turned off. United StatesCanada
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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. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-24for more information.
If your vehicle has these features, the DIC also displays
the compass direction and the outside air temperature
when viewing the trip and fuel information. The compass
direction appears on the top right corner of the DIC
display. The outside air temperature automatically
appears in the bottom right corner of the DIC display.
If there is a problem with the system that controls the
temperature display, the numbers will be replaced with
dashes. If this occurs, have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer.
The DIC also allows some features to be customized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-57for
more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the DIC buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the right of the instrument panel cluster.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are
the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization,
and set/reset buttons.
The button functions are
detailed in the following
pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometers, fuel range, average economy,
instantaneous economy, Active Fuel Management™
indicator on vehicles with this feature, and average
speed.
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T(Vehicle Information):Press this button to display
the oil life, units, tire pressure readings, compass zone
and compass calibration on vehicles with this feature, and
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter programming.
U(Customization):Press this button to customize
the feature settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-57for more information.
V(Set/Reset):Press this button to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3
(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to scroll through the
following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until ODOMETER displays.
This display shows the distance the vehicle has been
driven in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km).
Trip A and Trip B
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP A or TRIP B
displays. This display shows the current distance
traveled in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km) since the
last reset for each trip odometer. Both trip odometers
can be used at the same time.
Each trip odometer can be reset to zero separately
by pressing the set/reset button while the desired trip
odometer is displayed.
The trip odometer has a feature called the retro-active
reset. This can be used to set the trip odometer to the
number of miles (kilometers) driven since the ignition
was last turned on. This can be used if the trip odometer
is not reset at the beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature, press and hold
the set/reset button for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of miles (mi) or
kilometers (km) driven since the ignition was last turned
on and the vehicle was moving. Once the vehicle begins
moving, the trip odometer will accumulate mileage.
For example, if the vehicle was driven 5 miles (8 km)
before it is started again, and then the retro-active reset
feature is activated, the display will show 5 miles (8 km).
As the vehicle begins moving, the display will then
increase to 5.1 miles (8.2 km), 5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
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If the retro-active reset feature is activated after the
vehicle is started, but before it begins moving, the display
will show the number of miles (mi) or kilometers (km) that
were driven during the last ignition cycle.
Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL RANGE displays.
This display shows the approximate number of remaining
miles (mi) or kilometers (km) the vehicle can be driven
without refueling.
The fuel range estimate is based on an average of the
vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. This estimate
will change if driving conditions change. For example, if
driving in traffic and making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the vehicle is driven on a
freeway, the number may change even though the same
amount of fuel is in the fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different fuel economies.
Generally, freeway driving produces better fuel economy
than city driving.
If your vehicle is low on fuel, the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message displays. See “FUEL LEVEL LOW” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49for more
information.
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 and Active Fuel
Management™ Indicator
Press the trip/fuel button until INST ECONOMY displays.
If your vehicle has the Active Fuel Management™
feature, INST ECONOMY 8CYL MODE will display
on vehicles with a V8 engine. 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.
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If your vehicle has the Active Fuel Management™
feature, an Active Fuel Management™ indicator
will display on the right side of the DIC, while
INST ECONOMY displays on the left side. Active
Fuel Management™ allows the engine to operate
on either all or half of its cylinders, depending on
your driving demands.
For vehicles with a V8 engine, when Active Fuel
Management™ is active, 4CYL MODE will display.
When Active Fuel Management™ is inactive,
8CYL MODE will display.
SeeActive Fuel Management™ (5.3L V8 Engine) on
page 2-23for more information.
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 “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49. You should
change the oil as soon as possible. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-17. In addition to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
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