2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA instrument cluster

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-15
C (ON/RUN):This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. This position
can also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
D (START): This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning chime will sound and the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will
display DRIVER DOOR OPEN when the driver door is opened, the
ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF, and the key is in the
ignition. See
Door Ajar Messages
on page 5‑26 for more information.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition to START.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key. The idle speed will slow
down as the engine warms. Do
not race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for
a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To
prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
9-20 Driving and Operating
WARNING (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or aftermarket
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or
if it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed
area such as a garage or a
building that has no fresh air
ventilation.
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park on page 9‑17
and Engine Exhaust on page 9‑19.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑36.
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.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-23
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.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. See
Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑18.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-25
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 9‑36.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.
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. See
Cruise Control on
page 9‑28.
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 9‑20.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-27
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 5‑30.
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 roadconditions, you should always leave
the system on. But, you can turn
ESC off if you ever need to.
If the vehicle is in cruise control
when the system begins to assist
the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle, the ESC/TCS
light will flash and the cruise control
will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use
cruise again, you may re-engage
the cruise control. See
Cruise
Control on page 9‑28.
The ESC OFF button is located on
the instrument panel.
The traction control system can be
turned off or back on by pressing
the ESC OFF button. To disable
both traction control and ESC, press
and hold the button briefly.
When the ESC system is turned off,
the TRACTION CONTROL OFF
message will appear, the
STABILITRAK OFF message will
appear, and the ESC OFF light will
be on solid to warn the driver that
both traction control and ESC are
disabled.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow,
and you want to “rock”your vehicle
to attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9‑8.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-29
T(On/Off):Press to turn cruise
control on and off. The indicator is lit
when cruise control is on.
+RES (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET–: Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or make the
vehicle decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster comes on
after the cruise control has been set
to the desired speed. See
Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9. If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
1. Press the
Tbutton to turn the
cruise system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release the SET– button located on the steering
wheel.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Resuming a Set Speed
If cruise control is set at a desired
speed and then the brakes are
applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is 40 km/h
(25 mph) or greater, press the +RES
button on the steering wheel. The
vehicle returns to the previously
selected speed and stays there. Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Press and hold the +RES button
on the steering wheel until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, press the
+RES button. Each time this is
done, the vehicle goes about
1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Press and hold the SET– button
on the steering wheel until the
lower speed desired is reached,
then release it.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-37
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the
vehicle itself. Get acquainted with
the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires and mirrors. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure
and the lamps and any trailer
brakes still work.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of the
stability control system might be
heard. The system is reacting to the
vehicle movement caused by thetrailer, which mainly occurs during
cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations
that require heavy braking and
sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. Because the
rig is longer, it is necessary to go
farther beyond the passed vehicle
before returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move your hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:
Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal so the
trailer will not strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Use the turn signal well in
advance and avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument cluster flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/27/12
9-38 Driving and Operating
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument cluster flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
boils at a lower temperature than at
normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating.To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating on page 10‑14.Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing
uphill. 2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.Start the engine.
.Shift into a gear.
.Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.