2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE instrument panel

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 Identication
......5-85
Electrical System
...........5-85
Capacities and
Specications
............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

Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
or the safety belts!
1-16 Seats and Restraint System

Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
A roof-rail airbag for the driver,
passenger seated directly
behind the driver, and the third
row outboard passenger position.
A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger, passenger
seated directly behind the right
front passenger, and the third row
outboard passenger position.All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached
label near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for
the driver and on the instrument
panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inating bag, all airbags must
inate very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{CAUTION
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-49.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
1-46 Seats and Restraint System

{CAUTION
Airbags inate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it
inates can be seriously injured or
killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
Children who are up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer protection for adults
and older children, but not for
young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can
provide. Always secure children
properly in your vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children on
page 1-27orInfants and Young
Children on page 1-29.There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-33for
more information.
Seats and Restraint System 1-47

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.The right front passenger frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger side.
The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
Driver Side shown, Passenger
Side similar
1-48 Seats and Restraint System

What Makes an Airbag
Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls
the airbag causing the bag to break
out of the cover and deploy. The
inator, the airbag, and related
hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules
in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel.
In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts.
Frontal airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
rst, second, and third rows. The
rollover capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk offull or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily because
the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-49for
more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, seeWhat Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-51.
Seats and Restraint System 1-51

Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be
visible on the instrument panel when
the vehicle is started.The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, are visible
during the system check. If you are
using remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle from a distance,
you may not see the system
check. When the system check is
complete, either the word ON
or OFF, or the symbol for on or off,
will be visible. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 3-33.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag,
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and the roof-rail airbags are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the right front passenger seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the
right front passenger frontal airbag
should be enabled (may inate)
or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are
large enough, using safety belts. United States
Canada
Seats and Restraint System 1-53

If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult-size is sitting in
the right front passenger seat, but
the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens,
use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the right front passenger
frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.3. Place the seatback in the fully
upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the
on indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seatmassagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specic
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-58for more information
about modications that can affect
how the system operates.
A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger airbag
when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the airbag
readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
1-56 Seats and Restraint System