2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA heating

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
9-46 Driving and Operating
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3for more information.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, belts,
cooling system and brake system.
It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
on page 10‑16.
Changing a Tire When Trailer
Towing
If the vehicle gets a flat tire while
towing a trailer, be sure to secure
the trailer and disconnect it from the
vehicle before changing the tire.
Trailer Towing
{WARNING
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well —or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
also be damaged; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle.
Notice: Pulling a trailer
improperly can damage the
vehicle and result in costly
repairs not covered by the vehicle
warranty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in this
section and see your dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
The vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment. To identify the
trailering capacity of the vehicle,
read the information in “Weight of
the Trailer” that appears later in this

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-11
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-16
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-17
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-22
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-23
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . 10-28
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-29
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-36
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-13
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.Notice:
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner. Any repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant mixture. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 11‑11
and Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑16.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Depending on
the engine, use a 50/50 mixture
of deionized water or clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of deionized
water or clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant. If using this
mixture, nothing else needs to be
added.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
10-16 Vehicle Care
Engine Overheating
There is a coolant temperature
gauge and a engine coolant
temperature warning light on the
instrument panel cluster that
indicate an overheated engine
condition. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑12
and Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light on page 5‑21 for
more information.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 13‑6.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fans
should be running. If not, do not
continue to run the engine and have
the vehicle serviced. Notice:
Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10‑17 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem might not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
.Tows a trailer. If the overheat warning displays with
no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest
temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows as
necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in N (Neutral) while stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off the
road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone or an
engine coolant temperature warning
light no longer displays, the vehicle
can be driven. Continue to drive the
vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes.
Keep a safe vehicle distance from
the vehicle in front. If the warning
does not come back on, continue to
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-35
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. SeeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑11.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-41
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 in) of tread remains. See
When It Is Time for New Tires
on page 10‑48.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards)
:
A tire information system
that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction,
temperature, and treadwear.
Ratings are determined by
tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures.
The ratings are molded into the
sidewall of the tire. See Uniform
Tire Quality Grading on
page 10‑51.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
:The
number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 68 kg (150 lbs) plus the rated
cargo load. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑11.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard
:A label
permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the vehicle
capacity weight and the original
equipment tire size and
recommended inflation pressure.
See “Tire and Loading
Information Label” underVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑11.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of
air pressure to operate
effectively. Notice:
Neither tire
underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-24
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-19
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25 Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-29
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-28
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-23
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51, 3-53
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 9-32
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13 Engine (cont.)
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-30
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-25
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-15
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
F
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . .10-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7