Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13688912) -
2020 - CRC - 6/5/19
198 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 199
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 200
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 206
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 208
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 212
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Battery - North America . . . . . . 216
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 217
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 218
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 218
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 219
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 220
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 224
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Electrical System Overload . . . 225
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 226
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 234
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Chevrolet Impala Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13688912) -
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Vehicle Care 199
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 258
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0216
and
Jump Starting - North America
0 259 and the back cover.
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200 Vehicle Care
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate
Material–special handling may
apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/
hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 062.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0 299.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 062.
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Vehicle Care 201
If equipped with remote vehicle
start, open the hood before
performing any service work to
prevent remote starting the vehicle
accidentally. SeeRemote Vehicle
Start 014.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0286.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
{Warning
Turn the vehicle off before
opening the hood. If the engine is
running with the hood open, you
or others could be injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can
get hot from running the engine.
To help avoid the risk of burning
unprotected skin, never touch
these components until they have
cooled, and always use a glove or
towel to avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood
before driving.
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release lever with the
i. It is on the lower left
side of the instrument panel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle and locate the secondary
release lever under the front
center of the hood. Push the
secondary hood release lever
to the right to release.
3. After you have partially lifted the hood, the gas strut system
will automatically lift the hood
and hold it in the fully open
position.
To close the hood: 1. Before closing the hood, be sure all filler caps are on
properly, and all tools are
removed.
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Vehicle Care 205
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
paper towel or cloth, then push it
back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and
check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick and
the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then recheck
the level. See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for an explanation of what kind of oil to
use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see
Capacities and
Specifications 0288.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating
range, the engine could be
damaged. You should drain out
the excess oil or limit driving of
the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 203 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap. Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0284.
Specification
Use full synthetic engine oils that
meet the dexos1 specification.
Engine oils that have been
approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked
with the dexos1 approved logo. See
www.gmdexos.com.
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Vehicle Care 207
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
1. Using the DIC controls on theright side of the steering wheel,
display REMAINING OIL LIFE
on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0110.
When remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message will appear on
the display.
2. Press
Von the DIC controls
and hold down for a few
seconds to clear the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message
and reset the oil life at 100%.
Be careful not to reset the oil
life display accidentally at any
time other than after the oil is
changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil
change.
The oil life system can also be reset
as follows: 1. Display REMAINING OIL LIFE on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0110.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off and the REMAINING
OIL LIFE message is displayed. If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, you should
have this done at your dealer
service department. Contact your
dealer for additional information or
the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see
Publication
Ordering Information 0299.
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210 Vehicle Care
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,
seeEngine Overheating 0212.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an 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. 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
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
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.
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212 Vehicle Care
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.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper 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
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark. 5. Replace the pressure cap
tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the
proper level when the system
cools down again, see your
dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
There is a coolant temperature
gauge on the instrument cluster that
indicates an overheated engine
condition. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0100. If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0
294.
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
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.