Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
244 Driving and Operating
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, seeEngine Overheating
0 264.
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 regular
brakes 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.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0325.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, 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.
Trailer Towing (Bi-Fuel)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Trailer Towing (All except
Bi-Fuel)
Before pulling a trailer, three
important considerations have to do
with weight:
. Weight of the trailer.
. Weight of the trailer tongue.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
248 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 249
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 249
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 257
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 259
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 264
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Battery - North America . . . . . . 268
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 269
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 270
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 275
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Electrical System Overload . . . 276
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 285
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Vehicle Care 261
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Outof View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{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.
Caution
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. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
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 0264.
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
(Continued)
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
262 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Help keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0334.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the mark
pointed to, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Be sure the cooling system is cool
before this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank, add coolant as follows:
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Vehicle Care 263
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge TankCaution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
If no problem is found, check to see
if coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank. If coolant is visible but
the coolant level is not at the
indicated level mark, add a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the cap when the cooling system,
including the surge tank pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and surge tank pressure
cap to cool.
Caution
In cold weather, water can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core, and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant and
the proper coolant mixture.
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
1. Remove the coolant surge tankpressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
264 Vehicle Care
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper DEX-COOL coolant
mixture to the indicated
level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fans.
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
DEX-COOL coolant mixture to the coolant surge tank until the
level reaches the indicated
level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
Check the level in the coolant surge
tank when the cooling system has
cooled down. If the coolant is not at
the proper level, repeat Steps 1–
3 and reinstall the pressure cap.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down
again, see your dealer.
Engine Overheating
There is a coolant temperature
gauge on the instrument cluster that
indicates an overheated engine
condition. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0117.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0 345.
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.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See
Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode 0265
for information on driving to a
safe place in an emergency.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode 0265 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Vehicle Care 265
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. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the coolant temperature gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone, 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 and
have the cooling system checked
for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see
Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode
0 265.
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode
allows the vehicle to be driven to a
safe place in an emergency
situation. If an overheated engine
condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates
firing groups of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this
mode, there is significant loss in
power and engine performance.
The engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates if an overheat
condition exists. Driving extended
distances and/or towing a trailer in
the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
368 Index
DrivingAssistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 230
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 26
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 195
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 197
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Track Events and Competitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 122
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Electrical System (cont'd)
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 252
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Cooling System Messages . . . 132
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 210
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 353
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 148
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 149
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 150
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 258
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230