Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
190 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The passenger compartment air
filter reduces dust, pollen, and other
airborne irritants from outside air
that is pulled into the vehicle. The
filter will need to be replaced
periodically. SeeMaintenance
Schedule 0326.
Using the climate control system
without an air filter installed is not
recommended. Water or other
debris could enter the system and
result in leaks or noises. Always
install a new filter when removing
the old filter.
For more information on filter
replacement, see your dealer.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
192 Driving and Operating
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
198 Driving and Operating
Assistance Program0346. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0211.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0218.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
208 Driving and Operating
AUTO STOP. SeeTachometer
0 116. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal
pushed, the engine will restart.
Auto stop may be deactivated if:
. A minimum vehicle speed is not
reached.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range,
typically below -10 °C (14 °F) or
above 50 °C (122 °F).
. The shift lever is in any gear
other than D (Drive).
. The battery has been recently
disconnected.
. The battery charge is low.
. The interior comfort level has not
reached the required level for
the climate control system or
defog settings. Use the eco
(green indicator on) air
conditioning mode for better
efficiency. See Dual Automatic
Climate Control System 0185. .
The auto stop time is greater
than two minutes.
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater,
if equipped, can help in cold
weather conditions at or below −18 °
C (0 °F) for easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up. Plug in the coolant heater
at least four hours before starting
the vehicle. An internal thermostat
in the plug end of the cord will
prevent engine coolant heater
operation at temperatures above
−18 °C (0 °F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The electrical
cord is on the driver side of the
engine compartment, between
the fender and the engine
compartment fuse block. Check the heater cord for
damage. If it is damaged, do
not use it. See your dealer for
a replacement. Inspect the
cord for damage yearly
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{Warning
Improper use of the heater cord
or an extension cord can damage
the cord and may result in
overheating and fire.
. Plug the cord into a
three-prong electrical utility
receptacle that is protected
by a ground fault detection
function. An ungrounded
outlet could cause an
electric shock.
. Use a weatherproof,
heavy-duty, 15 amp-rated
extension cord if needed.
Failure to use the
recommended extension
cord in good operating
(Continued)
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
Driving and Operating 243
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer. Read
the entire section before towing a
trailer.
For towing a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle0314. For
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0314.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Driving with a Trailer
When towing a trailer:
.
Become familiar with the state
and local laws that apply to
trailer towing. .
Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi) to prevent
damage to the engine, axle,
or other parts.
. Then during the first 800 km
(500 mi) of trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
. Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads and/
or hilly conditions.
. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control when towing.
. The Forward Automatic Braking
System should be set to Off
when towing. See Forward
Automatic Braking (FAB) 023.
. Turn off Park Assist when
towing.
{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
When towing a trailer:
. Do not drive with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch,
or rear-most window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside
air. See “Climate Control
Systems” in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust 0211.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
Vehicle Care 301
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from thenorm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
Vehicle Care 319
a buildup of vehicle wash/wax
treatments may cause wiper
streaking.
Replace the wiper blades if they are
worn or damaged. Damage can be
caused by extreme dusty
conditions, sand, salt, heat, sun,
snow, and ice.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen
them or thaw them. Damaged wiper
blades should be replaced. See
Wiper Blade Replacement0271.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. If the wiper motor overheats,
the windshield wipers will stop until
the motor cools and the wiper
control is turned off. See Electrical
System Overload 0277.
Weatherstrips
Apply Dielectric silicone grease on
weatherstrips to make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or
squeak. Lubricate weatherstrips at
least once a year. Hot. dry climates
may require more frequent
application. Black marks from rubber material on painted surfaces
can be removed by rubbing with a
clean cloth. See
Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0335.
Tires
Use a stiff brush with tire cleaner to
clean the tires.
Caution
Using petroleum-based tire
dressing products on the vehicle
may damage the paint finish and/
or tires. When applying a tire
dressing, always wipe off any
overspray from all painted
surfaces on the vehicle.
Wheels and Trim —Aluminum
or Chrome
Use a soft, clean cloth with mild
soap and water to clean the wheels.
After rinsing thoroughly with clean
water, dry with a soft, clean towel.
A wax may then be applied.
Caution
Chrome wheels and other chrome
trim may be damaged if the
vehicle is not washed after driving
on roads that have been sprayed
with magnesium, calcium,
or sodium chloride. These
chlorides are used on roads for
conditions such as ice and dust.
Always wash the chrome with
soap and water after exposure.
Caution
To avoid surface damage, do not
use strong soaps, chemicals,
abrasive polishes, cleaners,
brushes, or cleaners that contain
acid on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels. Use only
approved cleaners. Also, never
drive a vehicle with aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels through an
automatic car wash that uses
silicone carbide tire cleaning
(Continued)
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9921197) -
2017 - crc - 3/30/16
368 Index
Card ReaderSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . 102
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 101
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 120
Check Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 271
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 83
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94, 96
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 182
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108, 109
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 349
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Control
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Temperature Gauge . . .117
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 221 Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Customer Information Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 351
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 349
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 355
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 354
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Diagnostics
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132