2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE check engine

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane rating of 87 or higher.
If the octane rating is less than 87,
you might notice an audible knocking
noise when you drive, commonly
referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If you are using gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication D 4814
in the United States or CAN/
CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-5for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards,
it is designed to operate on fuels
that meet California specications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control
system performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehiclemight fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-39. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now required
to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits
from forming, allowing the emission
control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not have
to add anything to the fuel. However,
some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required
to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and
intake valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline.
Service and Appearance Care 5-5

For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change,
can help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors.
Also, your dealer/retailer has
additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit-related
problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might
be available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.Notice:This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under
the vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission control
system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might turn
on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer/retailer for service.Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States or
Canada, the proper fuel might be
hard to nd. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused
by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask
an auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in
the country where you will be
driving.
5-6 Service and Appearance Care

Checking Things
Under the Hood
{CAUTION
An electric fan under the hood
can start up and injure you even
when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
{CAUTION
Things that burn can get on hot
engine parts and start a re.
These include liquids like fuel, oil,
coolant, brake uid, windshield
washer and other uids, and
plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to
drop or spill things that will burn
onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the hood release handle with
this symbol on it. It is located
under the instrument panel
on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
2. At the front of the vehicle, pull up
on the center of the hood, and
push the secondary hood release
to the right.3. After you have partially lifted the
hood, gas struts will automatically
take over to lift and hold the
hood in the fully open position.
Before closing the hood, be sure all
ller caps are on properly.
Pull the hood down to close. Lower
the hood until the lifting pressure
of the strut is reduced. Then allow
the hood to fall and latch into place
under its own weight. Check to make
sure the hood is closed. If the hood
does not fully latch, gently push the
hood down at the front and center of
the hood until it is completely
latched.
Service and Appearance Care 5-9

A. Radiator Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System on page 5-17.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Cap.
SeeCooling System on
page 5-17.
C. Remote Negative (−) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-29.
D.Underhood Fuse Block on
page 5-88.
E. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-29.
F.Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-24.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 5-11.H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 5-11.
I. Automatic Transmission
Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking
the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-16.
J. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir.
See “Brake Fluid” underBrakes
on page 5-25.
K.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 5-15.
L. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” underWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-24.Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel ll. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle
is a yellow loop. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the
oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If this is not
done, the oil dipstick might not
show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it
with a paper towel or cloth, then
push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
Service and Appearance Care 5-11

When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished,
it indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes on. Change
the oil as soon as possible within
the next 600 miles (1 000 km). It is
possible that, if driving under the best
conditions, the oil life system might
not indicate that an oil change is
necessary for over a year. However,
the engine oil and lter must be
changed at least once a year and at
this time the system must be reset.
Your dealer/retailer has trained
service people who will perform this
work using genuine parts and reset
the system. It is also important to
check the oil regularly and keep it at
the proper level.If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 3,000 miles (5 000 km)
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
The Engine Oil Life System
calculates when to change the
engine oil and lter based on vehicle
use. Whenever the oil is changed,
reset the system so it can calculate
when the next oil change is required.
If a situation occurs where the oil
is changed prior to a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message being
turned on, reset the system.If the vehicle does not have Driver
Information Center (DIC) buttons:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN, with
the engine off. The vehicle must
be in P (Park) to access this
display. Press the trip odometer
reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays.
2. Press and hold the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL
LIFE REMAINING shows 100%.
Three chimes sound and the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message goes off.
3. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes back on
when the vehicle is started, the
engine oil life system has not
reset. Repeat the procedure.
5-14 Service and Appearance Care

To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/lter:
1. Loosen the screws that hold the
cover on.
2. Disconnect the electrical
connector.
3. Lift off the cover.
4. Remove the engine air cleaner/
lter element and any loose
debris that may be found in the
air cleaner base.5. Inspect or replace the air lter
element.
6. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to
reinstall the cover and reconnect
the electrical connector.
{CAUTION
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off can cause you
or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it
helps to stop ames if the engine
backres. If it is not there and the
engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and
be careful working on the engine
with the air cleaner/lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter
is off, a backre can cause a
damaging engine re. And, dirt
can easily get into the engine,
which will damage it. Always have
the air cleaner/lter in place when
you are driving.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission uid level.
A transmission uid leak is the
only reason for uid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to the
dealer/retailer and have it repaired
as soon as possible.
Change the uid at the intervals
listed inAdditional Required Services
on page 6-6, and be sure to use
the transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-12.
Notice:Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission uid may
damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle’s warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission
uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-12.
5-16 Service and Appearance Care

The transmission uid will not
reach the end of the dipstick unless
the transmission is at operating
temperature. If you need to check the
transmission uid level, please take
the vehicle to your dealer/retailer.
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
A. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fans
{CAUTION
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.
{CAUTION
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 re, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
xed before you drive the vehicle.Notice:Using coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner, at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. 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 lled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. The coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for ve years
or 150,000 miles (240 000 km),
whichever occurs rst.
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 on
page 5-22.
Service and Appearance Care 5-17

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 recovery tank. If the
coolant inside the coolant recovery
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 FULL COLD mark, add
a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant recovery tank, but be sure
the cooling system is cool before this
is done. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-17for more information.The coolant recovery tank cap has
this symbol on it.
When the engine is cold, the coolant
level should be at or above the
FULL COLD line marked on the
recovery tank.
When the engine is hot, the level
could be higher than the FULL COLD
line. If the coolant is below the FULL
COLD line when the engine is hot,
there could be a leak in the cooling
system.
If the coolant is low, add the coolant
or take the vehicle to a dealer/retailer
for service.
How to Add Coolant to the
Recovery Tank
{CAUTION
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.
Notice:This vehicle has a
specic coolant ll procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.
If coolant is needed, add the proper
DEX-COOL
®coolant mixture at
the coolant recovery tank.
Service and Appearance Care 5-19