2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE brake

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

Adding Washer Fluid
When the windshield washer uid
reservoir is low, a WASHER FLUID
LOW ADD FLUID message will be
displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-56for more
information.
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer uid
until the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for reservoir location.Notice:When using concentrated
washer uid, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions
for adding water.
Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer uid.
Water can cause the solution to
freeze and damage your washer
uid tank and other parts of the
washer system. Also, water
does not clean as well as
washer uid.
Fill the washer uid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for uid
expansion if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in your windshield
washer. It can damage the
vehicle’s windshield washer
system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is lled with DOT 3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for the location of the
reservoir.
Service and Appearance Care 5-25

There are only two reasons why the
brake uid level in the reservoir
might go down:
The brake uid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the uid level goes
back up.
A uid leak in the brake hydraulic
system can also cause a low uid
level. Have the brake hydraulic
system xed, since a leak means
that sooner or later the brakes will
not work well.
Do not top off the brake uid. Adding
uid does not correct a leak. If uid
is added when the linings are worn,
there will be too much uid when new
brake linings are installed. Add or
remove brake uid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{CAUTION
If too much brake uid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn, if
the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake uid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.
When the brake uid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-36.What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake uid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-12.
Always clean the brake uid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it. This
helps keep dirt from entering
the reservoir.
{CAUTION
With the wrong kind of uid in the
brake hydraulic system, the
brakes might not work well. This
could cause a crash. Always use
the proper brake uid.
5-26 Service and Appearance Care

Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly
damage brake hydraulic system
parts. For example, just a few
drops of mineral-based oil,
such as engine oil, in the brake
hydraulic system can damage
brake hydraulic system parts so
badly that they will have to be
replaced. Do not let someone
put in the wrong kind of uid.
If brake uid is spilled on the
vehicle’s painted surfaces, the
paint nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake uid
on the vehicle. If you do, wash it
off immediately. SeeWashing
Your Vehicle on page 5-81.
Brake Wear
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are
needed. The sound can come
and go or be heard all the time the
vehicle is moving, except when
applying the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
an accident. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could
result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque
specications inCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-92.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer if the brake
pedal does not return to normal
height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be required.
Service and Appearance Care 5-27

Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced — for example,
when the brake linings wear down
and new ones are installed — be
sure to get new approved
replacement parts. If this is not
done, the brakes might not work
properly. For example, if someone
puts in brake linings that are
wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes
can change — for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Battery
This vehicle has a maintenance free
battery. When it is time for a new
battery, see your dealer/retailer for
one that has the replacement
number shown on the original
battery’s label.
For battery replacement, see your
dealer/retailer or the service manual.
To purchase a service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering
Information on page 7-15.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals,
and related accessories contain
lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and
reproductive harm. Wash hands
after handling.
Vehicle Storage
{CAUTION
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. SeeJump Starting
on page 5-29for tips on working
around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: If the vehicle is
driven infrequently, remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery. This helps keep the battery
from running down.
Extended Storage: For extended
storage of the vehicle, remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger. This helps maintain the
charge of the battery over an
extended period of time.
5-28 Service and Appearance Care

Jump Starting
If the vehicle’s battery has run
down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables
to start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{CAUTION
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
They contain acid that can
burn you.
They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you.Notice:Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not work,
and it could damage the vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It
must have a 12-volt battery with
a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s
system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both
vehicles can be damaged. Only
use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump
start your vehicle.2. Get the vehicles close enough so
the jumper cables can reach, but
be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are, it
could cause a ground connection
you do not want. You would not
be able to start your vehicle, and
the bad grounding could damage
the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake rmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake.
If one of the vehicles is a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case is not in Neutral.
Service and Appearance Care 5-29

Tire Size
The following illustration shows
an example of a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the rst character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire’s sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A letter
code is used to indicate the type
of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply
construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter B means
belted-bias ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the tire.
The load index represents the
load carry capacity a tire is
certied to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certied to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Denitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air
inside the tire pressing outward
on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in
pounds per square inch (psi)
or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight
:This means
the combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are,
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire’s height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between the
plies and the tread. Cords may
be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Service and Appearance Care 5-39