Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-17
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle may have a traction
control system which limits wheel
spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.For vehicles with traction control,
press and release the ESC OFF
button on the instrument panel
to turn off traction control. The
appropriate DIC message
displays. SeeRide Control
System Messages on page 5‑33.
.Press and release the ESC OFF
button again to turn on traction
control.
For more information, see Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑30.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control
system assists with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions. The system turns
on automatically every time the
vehicle is started.
.To turn off both traction control
and ESC, press and hold the
ESC OFF button on the
instrument panel until
g
illuminates and the appropriate
DIC messages display. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑33.
.Press and release the ESC OFF
button again to turn on both
systems.
For more information, see Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) on
page 9‑32.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑11. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
1-18 In Brief
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑43.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change. Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING
on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the DIC for more than
five seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.
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).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑39. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑37.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
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. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. 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, butnot 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 Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑24 for all brake related
DIC messages.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off. Press and release the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) OFF button
to turn off the Traction Control
System (TCS), and a message
displays in the DIC. See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑33 for more information.
Press and briefly hold the ESC OFF
button to turn off the ESC system;
the ESC OFF light comes on and a
message displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑33 for more information.
If the TCS/ESC system is off, the
system does not assist in controlling
the vehicle. Turn on the TCS/ESC
system and the indicator light
turns off.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑30, and Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) on
page 9‑32 for more information.
Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status of
the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the
driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear one
after another. Some messages may
not require immediate action, but
you can press the set/reset button
to acknowledge that you received
the message and clear it from the
DIC display. Pressing any of the
DIC buttons also acknowledges and
clears any messages. Some
messages cannot be cleared from
the DIC display because they are
more urgent. These messages
require action before they can be
cleared. You should take any
messages that appear on the
display seriously and remember that
clearing the messages will only
make the messages disappear, not
correct the problem. The following
are the possible messages that can
be displayed and some information
about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system detects that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable level. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
the features are disabled, this
message is displayed. It means that
the vehicle is trying to save the
charge in the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the generator and
battery charging systems. Driving
with this problem could drain the
battery. Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. Have the electrical system
checked by your dealer immediately.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays when
service is required on the brake
system. Have the brake system
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible. The brake system warning
light also appears on the instrument
panel cluster when this message
appears on the DIC. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on
page 5‑19.
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-15
If the ignition or radio is turned off
when a CD is in the player, the CD
stays in the player. If the ignition or
radio is turned on when a CD is in
the player, the CD starts to play
where it stopped, if it was the last
selected audio source.
Buttons and Knobs
The buttons and knobs on the radio
control the following features.
f(Tune):Turn to select tracks on
the CD.
©SEEK: Press to go to the start of
the current track, if more than
10 seconds have played. Press and
hold or press multiple times to
continue moving backward through
the tracks on the CD.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
track. Press and hold or press
multiple times to continue moving
forward through the tracks on
the CD.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly within a
track. Sound is heard at a reduced
volume and the elapsed time of the
track displays. Release to resume
playing the track.
\FWD (Fast Forward): Press
and hold to advance playback
quickly within a track. Sound is
heard at a reduced volume and the
elapsed time of the track displays.
Release to resume playing the
track.
4(Information): Press to display
available additional information
about the current track.
BAND: Press to listen to the radio
while a CD is playing. The CD
remains inside the CD player.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to
play a CD while listening to the
radio or a portable audio device.
Press this button again and the
system automatically searches for
an auxiliary input device, such as a
portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, No
Aux Input Device Found may
display.
Softkeys
The six softkeys below the radio
display are used to control functions
that display as tabs.
The softkeys below the radio display
control the following features.
RDM (Random):
Tracks can be
listened to in random, rather than
sequential order.
To use random:
1. Press the softkey below the RDM tab until Random Current
Disc displays.
2. Press the softkey again to turn off random play.
Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2012
10-46 Vehicle Care
TPMS Sensor Matching
Process
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. The identification
code needs to be matched to a new
tire/wheel position after rotating the
vehicle’s tires or replacing one or
more of the TPMS sensors. Also,
the TPMS sensor matching process
should be performed after replacing
a spare tire with a road tire
containing the TPMS sensor. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off at the next
ignition cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tire/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear.
See your dealer for service or to
purchase a relearn tool.
There are two minutes to match the
first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all four
tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer, the matching process stops
and must be restarted.The TPMS sensor matching
process is:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
3. Press the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter's Qand "
buttons at the same time for
approximately five seconds. The
horn sounds twice to signal the
receiver is in relearn mode and
the TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
message displays on the DIC
screen.
4. Start with the driver side front tire.
5. Place the relearn tool against the tire sidewall, near the valve
stem. Then press the button to
activate the TPMS sensor.
A horn chirp confirms that the
sensor identification code has
been matched to this tire and
wheel position. 6. Proceed to the passenger side
front tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
7. Proceed to the passenger side rear tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
8. Proceed to the driver side rear tire, and repeat the procedure in
Step 5. The horn sounds two
times to indicate the sensor
identification code has been
matched to the driver side rear
tire, and the TPMS sensor
matching process is no longer
active. The TIRE LEARNING
ACTIVE message on the DIC
display screen goes off.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
10. Set all four tires to the recommended air pressure
level as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.