2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll. Do
not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑21.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑43.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
9-26 Driving and Operating
Automatic
Transmission
The automatic transmission has a
shift lever located on the console
between the seats, or on the
steering column. Gear positions are
indicated on the instrument cluster.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑21. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑43.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-27
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brake before shifting from
P (Park) when the ignition key is in
ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into another
gear. SeeShifting out of Park on
page 9‑22.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped. To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see
If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑10.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart the engine when
the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
being towed.
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):
This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 56 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 56 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
Notice: If the vehicle seems to
accelerate slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle
that way, you could damage the
transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. You can
drive in L (Low) when you are
driving less than 56 km/h (35 mph)
and D (Drive) for higher speeds
until then.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
9-28 Driving and Operating
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see "Skidding" under
Loss of Control on page 9‑5.
L (Low):This position gives you
access to gear ranges. This
provides more engine braking but
lower fuel economy than D (Drive).
You can use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud. See the
following text on Manual Mode.Manual Mode
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose the
top-gear limit of the transmission,
which can help control the vehicle's
speed while driving downhill or
towing a trailer. The vehicle has an
electronic shift position indicator
within the instrument cluster. When
using the ERS mode a number will
display next to the L, indicating the
current range that has been
selected. To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press the + (Plus) or
−(Minus)
button located on the left side of
the steering wheel, to increase
or decrease the gear range
available.
When you shift from D (Drive) to
L (Low), the transmission will shift to
a pre-determined lower gear range.
The highest gear available for this
pre-determined range is displayed
next to the L in the DIC. The
number displayed in the DIC is the
highest gear that the transmission
will be allowed to operate in. All
gears below that number are
available. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the L,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle.
The transmission will not shift into
5 (Fifth) until the + (Plus) button is
used or you shift back into D (Drive).
While in L (Low), the transmission
will prevent shifting to a lower gear
range if the engine speed is
too high.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-29
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑20. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
9-30 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
The parking brake is located to the
left of the brake pedal, near the
driver door.
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down, then push down
the parking brake pedal.
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down and push the
parking brake pedal. When you lift
your foot off the parking brake
pedal, the pedal will follow it to the
released position.A warning chime will sound and a
brake warning light located on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on, if the parking brake is set, the
ignition is on, and the vehicle speed
is greater than 8 km/h (5 mph).
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on any hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑43.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle may have a Traction
Control System (TCS) that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The
system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power and
may also upshift the transmission
and apply the front brakes to limit
wheel spin.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
This light will flash when the TCS is
limiting wheel spin.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically
disengage. Cruise control may be
reengaged when road conditions
allow. SeeCruise Control on
page 9‑34.
The TCS operates in all
transmission shift lever positions.
But the system can upshift the
transmission only as high as the
shift lever position chosen, so use
the lower gears only when
necessary. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑26.When the system is on, this warning
light comes on and stays on if there
is a problem.
A SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
message also appears on the DIC.
When this warning light is on, the
system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly. See
Ride Control System Messages on
page 5‑33 for more information.
To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, TCS
should always be left on. But the
system can be turned off if needed.
Turn the system off if the vehicle
gets stuck in sand, mud, or snow
and rocking the vehicle is required.
See If the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9‑10 for more information.To turn the system on or off, press
the ESC OFF button located on the
instrument panel.
When the system is turned off, the
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
message appears on the DIC. If the
traction control system is limiting
wheel spin when the button is
pressed to turn the system off, the
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
message will appear on the DIC and
the system will turn off right away.
Press the ESC OFF button again to
turn the system back on. The
TRACTION CONTROL ON
message will appear in the DIC.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3for more information.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
Your vehicle may have an Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system
which combines antilock brake,
traction, and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you first start your vehicle
and begin to drive away, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
You may hear or feel the system
working. This is normal and does
not mean there is a problem with
your vehicle. The system should
initialize before the vehicle reaches
32 km/h (20 mph).If the system fails to turn on or
activate due to a fault, the ESC/TCS
light will be on solid, and the
SERVICE STABILITRAK message
will be displayed. If the system fails
to turn on or activate due to it not
initializing, the DIC will display
STABILITRAK INITIALIZING.
For more information, see
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑33.
This light will flash on the instrument
panel cluster when the ESC system
is both on and activated. You may also feel or hear the
system working; this is normal.
When the light is on solid and the
SERVICE STABILITRAK message
is displayed, the system will not
assist the driver in maintaining
directional control of the vehicle.
Adjust your driving accordingly. See
Ride Control System Messages on
page 5‑33.
The Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system is
automatically enabled whenever
you start your vehicle. To assist the
driver with vehicle directional
control, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave
the system on. But, you can turn
ESC off if you ever need to.