Seats and Restraint
System............................... 1-1
Head Restraints
.............. 1-2
Front Seats
.................... 1-3
Rear Seats
.................... 1-9
Safety Belts
..................1-14
Child Restraints
.............1-27
Airbag System
..............1-46
Restraint System
Check
......................1-59
Features and Controls...... 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-8
Windows
......................2-14
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-16
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
.............2-20
Mirrors
.........................2-31
Object Detection
Systems
...................2-36
OnStar
®System
............2-43Universal Home Remote
System
.....................2-47
Storage Areas
...............2-52
Sunroof
........................2-56
Instrument Panel............... 3-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 3-4
Climate Controls
............3-19
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............3-30
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............3-44
Audio System(s)
............3-73
Driving Your Vehicle......... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
........... 4-1
Towing
........................4-21
Service and
Appearance Care............... 5-1
Service
.......................... 5-3
Fuel
.............................. 5-5
Checking Things Under
the Hood
.................... 5-9Headlamp Aiming
..........5-33
Bulb Replacement
.........5-33
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
.............5-35
Tires
...........................5-36
Appearance Care
..........5-78
Vehicle Identi cation
......5-85
Electrical System
...........5-85
Capacities and
Speci cations
............5-92
Maintenance Schedule...... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
..... 6-1
Customer Assistance
Information........................ 7-1
Customer Assistance and
Information
................. 7-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
.....................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
...............7-16
Index....................................i-1
2009 Chevrolet Traverse Owner ManualM
Power Lumbar
If the seats have power lumbar, the
controls used to operate this
feature are located on the outboard
side of the seats. See “Power
Lumbar” underPower Seats on
page 1-4for more information.
To increase or decrease lumbar
support, press and hold the front
or rear of the control (C).
Release the control when the
seatback reaches the desired level
of lumbar support.
The lumbar support may need to
be adjusted when changing
the seating position.
Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the controls are located on the center
console. To operate the heated seats
the engine must be running.
I(Heated Seatback):Press to
turn on the heated seatback.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback):
Press to turn on or off the heated
seat and seatback.
The light on the button will come
on to indicate that the feature is on.
Each time the button is pressed, the
temperature settings change from
high, to medium, to low, to off.
Indicator lights above the button
will show the level of heat
selected: three for high, two
for medium, and one for low.
The passenger seat may take longer
to heat up.
If the vehicle has remote vehicle
start and is started using the remote
keyless entry transmitter, the front
heated seats will be turned on to the
high setting if it is cold outside.See “Remote Vehicle Start” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-4.
When the ignition is turned on, the
heated seat feature will turn off.
To turn the heated seat feature back
on, press the desired button.Heated and Cooled Seats
If the front seats have the heated
and cooled seat feature, the buttons
used to control this feature are
located on the front doors near
the door handle.
H(Cooled Seat):To cool the
entire seat, press the button with
the cooled seat symbol.
This symbol will appear on the
climate control display to indicate
that the feature is on. Press the
button to cycle through the
temperature settings of high,
medium, and low and to turn the
cooled seat off. Indicator bars next
to the symbol designate the level of
cooling selected: three for high, two
for medium, and one for low.
Seats and Restraint System 1-5
z(Heated Seat and Seatback):To
heat the entire seat, press the
button with the heated seat and
seatback symbol.
This symbol will appear on the
climate control display to indicate
that the feature is on. Press the
button to cycle through the
temperature settings of high,
medium, and low and to turn the
heated seat off. Indicator bars next to
the symbol designate the level of
heat selected: three for high, two for
medium, and one for low.
The heated and cooled seats will
be canceled after the ignition is
turned off. To use the heated and
cooled seat feature after the vehicle
is started, you will need to press the
appropriate seat button again.Memory Seat and Mirrors
On vehicles with the memory
package, the controls for this feature
are located on the driver door
panel. The controls are used to
program and recall memory settings
for the driver seat and outside
mirrors.
To save positions in memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat, including
the seatback recliner and both
outside mirrors to a comfortable
position.
SeeOutside Power Mirrors on
page 2-32for more information.Not all mirrors will have the
ability to save and recall
the mirror positions.
2. Press and hold button 1 until
two beeps let you know that
the position has been stored.
A second seating and mirror position
can be programmed by repeating
the above steps and pressing
button 2.
To recall the memory positions, the
vehicle must be in P (Park). Press
and release either button 1 or
button 2 corresponding to the
desired driving position. The seat
and outside mirrors will move to the
position previously stored. You will
hear a single beep.
Using the RKE transmitter to
enter the vehicle, with the remote
recall memory feature on, causes
automatic seat and mirror
adjustment. There is no adjustment
when the position has not been
changed by another seating
position or the easy exit feature.
1-6 Seats and Restraint System
Remote Vehicle Start
This vehicle may have a remote
starting feature that starts the engine
from outside of the vehicle.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system defaults to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures.
If the vehicle does not have an
automatic climate control system,
the system turns on at the
setting the vehicle was set to when
the vehicle was last turned off.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system and heated
seats, the heated seats turn on
during colder outside temperatures
and shut off when the key is
turned to ON/RUN. SeeHeated
Seats on page 1-5orHeated and
Cooled Seats on page 1-5for
more information.The rear window defogger and
heated mirrors, if the vehicle has
them, turn on during colder outside
temperatures and turn off when
the key is turned to ON/RUN.
Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements on
remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle could run out of fuel.
If the vehicle has the remote start
feature, the RKE transmitter
functions have an increased range
of operation. However, the range
may be less while the vehicle
is running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of
the transmitter, seeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2-3
for additional information.
/(Remote Start):This button is
located on the RKE transmitter if the
vehicle has remote start.
To start the vehicle:
1. Aim the transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q, then
immediately press and hold
/until the parking lamps ash.
If the vehicle’s lights can not
be seen, press and hold
/for at
least four seconds. The
vehicle’s doors lock. When the
vehicle starts, the parking
lamps turn on and remain on
while the vehicle is running.
Pressing
/again, after the
vehicle has started, shuts the
vehicle off.
2-6 Features and Controls
Liftgate
{CAUTION
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
Close all of the windows.
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-30.
If the vehicle has a power liftgate,
seePower Liftgate on page 2-11.
To unlock the liftgate, use the power
door lock switch or press the door
unlock button on the RKE transmitter
twice. SeeRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on
page 2-4.To open the liftgate, press the
touchpad on the underside of the
liftgate handle. The vehicle must be
in P (Park) to open the liftgate.
To close the liftgate, use the pull cup
or strap.
The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.
If the battery is properly connected
and has adequate voltage, and
the liftgate still will not function,
the vehicle should be taken
to a dealers/retailer for service.
2-10 Features and Controls
Power Liftgate
Power Liftgate Operation
{CAUTION
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
Close all of the windows.
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-30.
The vehicle may have a power
liftgate. The vehicle must be
in P (Park) to use this feature.
The taillamps will ash and a chime
will sound when the power liftgate
is used.
{CAUTION
You or others could be injured if
caught in the path of the power
liftgate. Make sure there is no one
in the way of the liftgate as it is
opening and closing.
Notice:If you open the liftgate
without checking for overhead
obstructions such as a garage
door, you could damage the
liftgate or the liftgate glass.
Always check to make sure the
area above and behind the liftgate
is clear before opening it.
The power liftgate can be power
opened and closed in the
following ways:
Press and hold the power liftgate
button on the RKE transmitter
until the liftgate starts moving.
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-4
for more information.
Features and Controls 2-11
Electronic Range
Select (ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose the
top-gear limit of the transmission
and the vehicle’s speed while
driving down hill or towing a trailer.
The vehicle has an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. When
using the ERS Mode a number will
display next to the L, indicating
the current gear that has been
selected.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press the plus/minus button
located on the shift lever, to
increase or decrease the gear
range available.
When you shift from D (Drive) to
L (Low), the transmission will shift to
a pre-determined lower gear range.
The highest gear available for
this pre-determined range is
displayed next to the L in the DIC.SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-44andDIC Operation
and Displays (With DIC Buttons) on
page 3-45orDIC Operation and
Displays (Without DIC Buttons) on
page 3-51for more information.
The number displayed in the
DIC is the highest gear that the
transmission will be allowed
to operate in. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the L,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears
are automatically shifted by
the vehicle. The transmission will
not shift into 5 (Fifth) until the
+ (Plus) button is used or you shift
back into D (Drive).
While in L (Low), the transmission
will prevent shifting to a lower
gear range if the engine speed is
too high. You have a brief period of
time to slow the vehicle. If vehicle
speed is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. You mustfurther slow the vehicle, then press
the−(Minus) button to the
desired lower gear range.
Automatic Engine Grade braking is
not available when the ERS is active.
It is available in D (Drive) for both
normal and Tow/Haul mode. While
using the ERS, cruise control and the
tow/haul mode can be used. See
Tow/Haul Mode on page 2-26for
more information.
Tow/Haul Mode
_
(Tow/Haul):The vehicle may
have a Tow/Haul mode.
The button is located on the
instrument panel under the climate
controls.
Push the button to activate the
system. Push it again to deactivate
the system. You can use this
feature to assist when towing or
hauling a heavy load.
2-26 Features and Controls
Using the Outside Mirror with
the Blind Spot Mirror
1. Set the main mirror so that the
side of your vehicle can just be
seen and your blind spot
mirror has an unobstructed view.
2. When checking for traffic or
before changing a lane, look at
the main driver/passenger side
mirror to observe traffic in the
adjacent lane, behind your
vehicle. Check the blind spot
mirror for a vehicle in the blind
zone. Then, glance over your
shoulder to double check
before moving slowly into the
adjacent lane.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the outside mirrors have a
park tilt feature. This feature tilts the
outside mirrors to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This allows the driver to
view the curb for parallel parking.The passenger and/or driver mirror
returns to its original position
when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned
off or to OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be turned on or off
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 3-65andMemory Seat
and Mirrors on page 1-6for
more information.
Outside Convex Mirror
{CAUTION
A convex mirror can make things
(like other vehicles) look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror’s surface
is curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Outside Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
<(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 3-22for more
information.
Features and Controls 2-35