Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Seats and Restraints 71
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is in the passenger
side instrument panel.
The driver knee airbag is below the
steering column. The front outboard
passenger knee airbag is below the
glove box.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and front
outboard passenger are in the side
of the seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard passenger, and
second row outboard passengers
are in the ceiling above the side
windows.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Seats and Restraints 73
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity.
Knee airbags are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal impacts. Knee airbags
are not designed to inflate during
vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts,
or in many side impacts.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the locationof the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover or in a
severe frontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the
vehicle is struck, if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? 071.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
78 Seats and Restraints
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. Use the
following steps to allow the system
to detect that person and enable the
front outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as
blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat
massagers. Also remove
laptops, or other electronic
devices.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this
position for two to
three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag off indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use. A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 079
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates.
A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
. The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger
frontal airbag and passenger
knee airbag when liquid is
soaked into the seat. If this
happens, the off indicator will be
lit, and the airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel will also
be lit.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Seats and Restraints 79
.Liquid pooled on the seat that
has not soaked in may make it
more likely that the passenger
sensing system will turn on the
passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag while a
child restraint or child occupant
is on the seat. If the passenger
frontal airbag and passenger
knee airbag are turned on, the
on indicator will be lit.
If the front passenger seat gets wet,
dry the seat immediately. If the
airbag readiness light is lit, do not
install a child restraint or allow
anyone to occupy the seat. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0118 for
important safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information 0350.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, any of the airbag
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Storage 99
Storage
Storage Compartments
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 99
Instrument Panel Storage . . . . . . 99
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Center Console Storage . . . . . . 100
Umbrella Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Additional Storage Features
Cargo ManagementSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Storage
Compartments
{Warning
Do not store heavy or sharp
objects in storage compartments.
In a crash, these objects may
cause the cover to open and
could result in injury.
Instrument Panel Storage
If equipped with storage behind the
fuse box, push on the cover and
release to open.
If equipped with storage behind the
radio, press
Pand hold to open.
There is a USB port inside. See
USB Port 0164.
Press
Pand hold again to close.
Caution
To avoid damage, do not
manually force the display
to move.
Keep the storage area closed when
not in use.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Instruments and Controls 121
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady :A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. A loose or missing fuel cap may
cause the light to come on. See
Filling the Tank 0239. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See Fuel
0 237.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0246. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine
is running. .
The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
with the engine not running for
Key Access or in Service Only
Mode for Keyless Access.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
148 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 148
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 150
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Battery Load Management . . . 153
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 154 Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal lever.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O(Off) : Turns off the exterior
lamps. The knob returns to the
AUTO position after it is released.
Turn to
Oagain to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps and
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9086448) -
2016 - CRC - 5/20/15
Lighting 149
AUTO (Automatic) :Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.
;(Parking Lamps) : Turns on the
parking lamps including all lamps,
except the headlamps.
2(Headlamps) : Turns on the
headlamps together with the parking
lamps and instrument panel lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer) : Push the turn signal
lever away from you and release, to
turn the high beams on. To return to
low beams, push the lever again or
pull it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever toward you, and
release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system turns on the
low-beam headlamps at a reduced
brightness. For vehicles with High
Intensity Discharge (HID)
headlamps, there is a dedicated DRL. The DRL will come on when
all of the following conditions
are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
. The vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor the
ignition is off.
This vehicle may have a DRL
disabling function. When the DRL
are on and a turn signal is activated,
the DRL on that side will be off until
the turn signal goes off.