2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA fuel pump

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge indicates about how much
fuel is left in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
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 gauge:
.At the gas station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge 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
fill the tank.
.The gauge moves a little when
while turning a corner or
speeding up.
.The gauge does not go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
English
Metric
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gauge pointer moves toward the
“H” (United States) or torward the
shaded thermostat (Canada), it
means that the engine coolant has
overheated. If the vehicle has been
operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop
the vehicle, and turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑19 for more information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-35
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an
important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
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).
SeeFuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑37. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑35.
Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, an audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-36 Driving and Operating
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet
ASTM specification D 4814 in the
United States or CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or
3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines
contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeFuel Additives
on page 9‑36 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑17. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States or
Canada, the proper fuel might be
hard to find. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused by
use of improper fuel would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency regulations. To help keep
fuel injectors and intake valves
clean, or if the vehicle experiences
problems due to dirty injectors or
valves, look for gasoline that is
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. Look for the TOP TIER
label on the fuel pump to ensure
gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-37
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change,
can help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed
for those fuels.Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are not
reformulated for low emissions can
contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission control
system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer for service.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).
For all other vehicles, use only the
unleaded gasoline described under
Recommended Fuel on page 9‑35.
We encourage the use of E85 in
vehicles that are designed to use it.
The ethanol in E85 is a “renewable”
fuel, meaning it is made from
renewable sources such as corn
and other crops.
Many service stations will not have
an 85% ethanol fuel (E85) pump
available. The U.S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels
website (www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/
infrastructure/locator.html) that can
help you find E85 fuel. Those
stations that do have E85 should
have a label indicating ethanol
content. Do not use the fuel if the
ethanol content is greater than 85%.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-38 Driving and Operating
At a minimum, E85 should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798. By
definition, this means that fuel
labeled E85 will have an ethanol
content between 70% and 85%.
Filling the fuel tank with fuel
mixtures that do not meet ASTM
specifications can affect driveability
and could cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to come on.
To ensure quick starts in the
wintertime, the E85 fuel must be
formulated properly for your climate
according to ASTM specification
D 5798. If you have trouble starting
on E85, it could be because the
E85 fuel is not properly formulated
for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding
gasoline to the fuel tank can
improve starting. For good starting
and heater efficiency below 0°C
(32°F), the fuel mix in the fuel tank
should contain no more than
70% ethanol. It is best not to
alternate repeatedly between
gasoline and E85. If you do
switch fuels, it is recommendedthat you add as much fuel as
possible
—do not add less than
11 L (three gallons) when refueling.
You should drive the vehicle
immediately after refueling for at
least 11 km (seven miles) to allow
the vehicle to adapt to the change in
ethanol concentration.
E85 has less energy per gallon than
gasoline, so you will need to refill
the fuel tank more often when using
E85 than when you are using
gasoline. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑38.
Notice: Some additives are not
compatible with E85 fuel and can
harm the vehicle's fuel system.
Do not add anything to E85.
Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones.
Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away from fuel.
Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended when refueling the
vehicle. This is against the law in
some places. Do not re-enter the
vehicle while pumping fuel. Keep
children away from the fuel pump;
never let children pump fuel.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
The tethered fuel cap is located
behind a hinged fuel door on the
driver side of the vehicle. If the
vehicle has E85 fuel capability, the
fuel cap will be yellow and state
that E85 or gasoline can be used.
SeeFuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑37.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise. While refueling, hang the tethered
fuel cap on the hook on the inside of
the fuel door.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait
for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not
top off or overfill the tank and wait a
few seconds after you have finished
pumping before removing the
nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
“Washing the Vehicle”
in
Exterior Care.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it
clockwise until it clicks. Make sure
the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would
allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑17.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
9-40 Driving and Operating
The TIGHTEN GAS CAP message
displays on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) if the fuel cap is not
properly installed. SeeFuel System
Messages on page 5‑32 for more
information.
{WARNING
If a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice: If a new fuel cap is
needed, be sure to get the right
type of cap from your dealer.
The wrong type fuel cap might
not fit properly, might cause the
malfunction indicator lamp to
light, and could damage the fuel
tank and emissions system.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑17.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you
and others:
.Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
.Do not fill a container while it
is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle's trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Bring the fill nozzle in contact
with the inside of the fill
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling is
complete.
.Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
.Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2011
10-36 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FOG LAMPS Fog Lamps
(If Equipped)
FUEL/PUMP Fuel Pump
HDLP MDL Headlamp
Module
HORN Horn
HTD MIR Heated Mirror
INJ 1 Injector 1
INJ 2 Injector 2
INT LIGHTS Interior Lamps
INT LTS/
PNL DIM Interior Lamps,
Instrument Panel
Dimmer
LT HI BEAM Driver Side
High‐Beam
Headlamp
LT LO BEAM Driver Side
Low‐Beam
Headlamp Fuses
Usage
LT PARK Driver Side
Parking Lamp
LT SPOT Left Spot
LT T/SIG Driver Side Turn
Signal Lamp
ONSTAR OnStar
®
PWR DROP/
CRANK Power Drop,
Crank
RADIO Audio System
RT HI BEAM Passenger Side
High‐Beam
Headlamp
RT LO BEAM Passenger Side
Low‐Beam
Headlamp
RT PARK Passenger Side
Parking Lamp
RT SPOT Right Spot
RT T/SIG Passenger Side
Turn Signal Lamp Fuses Usage
RVC SEN Regulated
Voltage Control
Sensor
STRG WHL Steering Wheel
STRTR Starter
TRANS Transmission
WPR Wiper
WSW Windshield Wiper
Relay Usage
A/C
CMPRSR Air Conditioning
Compressor
FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FAN 3 Cooling Fan 3
FUEL/PUMP Fuel Pump
PWR/TRN Powertrain
REAR
DEFOG Rear Defogger
STRTR Starter