2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA warning

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
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 10‑27.
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 10‑22.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
your 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 5‑36.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
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(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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 9‑47. 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.
Notice: Holding a cigarette lighter
in while it is heating does not let
the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be
blown. Do not hold a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating.
To use the lighter, just push it in all
the way and let go. When it is ready,
it will pop back out by itself.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Ashtrays
The vehicle may have an ashtray.
The ashtray may be located in the
console, if the vehicle has one;
otherwise, it may be located in the
center armrest of the front seat.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in both kilometers
per hour (km/h) and miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven in either
miles (used in the United States) or
in kilometers (used in Canada).
This vehicle has a tamper-resistant
odometer. If the odometer displays
ERROR, it probably has been
tampered with and the numbers
might not be accurate.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
If that is not possible, then it will be
set at zero and a label must be put
on the driver door to show the old
mileage reading of the vehicle when
the new odometer was installed.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Notice:If the engine is operated
with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area, the vehicle could
be damaged, and the damages
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in
the shaded warning area.
Fuel Gauge
English
Metric

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light
The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for possible
malfunctions. If the light stays on
it indicates there is an electrical
problem. The system check
includes the airbag sensor, the
pretensioners, the airbag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more
information on the airbag system,
seeAirbag System on page 3‑26.
The airbag readiness light flashes
for a few seconds when the engine
is started. If the light does not come
on then, have it fixed immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
If there is a problem with the airbag
system, an airbag Driver Information
Center (DIC) message can also
come on. See Airbag System
Messages on page 5‑33 for more
information.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has the passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑34 for
important safety information. The
instrument panel has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds as a system check. If you are using
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle from a distance, you may
not see the system check. Then,
after several more seconds, the
status indicator will light either
ON or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑15 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments may have programs to
inspect the on-vehicle emission
control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system
test equipment is connected to
the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed. The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
.The critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. This can happen if the
battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has
run down. The diagnostic system
evaluates critical emission
control systems during normal
driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection, your dealer can
prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need
to be working
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
EnglishMetric
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn if there is
a problem.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has
a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal can go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑74.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
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 ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑19.
See Brake System Messages on
page 5‑29 for all brake related
DIC messages.