2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE maintenance

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

Q:Because I have a disability, I
have to get my vehicle
modied. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are
in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in
this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 7-1.
In addition, your dealer/retailer
and the service manual have
information about the location of
the airbag sensors, sensing
and diagnostic module and airbag
wiring.
Restraint System
Check
Checking the Restraint
Systems
Safety Belts
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are all working
properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your
dealer/retailer to have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not
protect you in a crash. They can
rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new
one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. SeeSafety Belt
Reminders on page 3-32for more
information.Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeCare of Safety Belts on
page 5-80.
Airbags
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the
airbag readiness light is working.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-33for more information.
Notice:If an airbag covering
is damaged, opened, or broken,
the airbag may not work properly.
Do not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any opened
or broken airbag covers, have
the airbag covering and/or airbag
module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-51. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Seats and Restraint System 1-59

If the check engine light comes on
and stays on, while the engine
is running, this indicates that there
is an OBD II problem and service
is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this
light on, after a while, the
emission controls might not
work as well, the vehicle’s fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Notice:Modications made to
the engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those
of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect the
vehicle’s emission controls and
can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems
could lead to costly repairs not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
This could also result in a failure
to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misre condition
has been detected. A misre
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to ash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least
10 seconds, and restart the engine.
If the light is still ashing, follow the
previous steps and see your dealer/
retailer for service as soon as
possible.
3-40 Instrument Panel

Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments have or might begin
programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on the vehicle.
Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things to know to
help the vehicle pass an inspection:
The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the check engine
light is on with the engine
running, or if the key is in
ON/RUN and the light is not on.
The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the OBD II (on-board
diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. The vehicle would
be considered not ready forinspection. This can happen
if the battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system
is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer/
retailer can prepare the vehicle
for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches re.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.Notice:Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage
the engine. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this
manual for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briey as the engine is started. If it
does not come on have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer/retailer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not owing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem.
3-42 Instrument Panel

Vehicle Information Menu
Items
T(Vehicle Information):Press
this button to scroll through the
following menu items:
OIL LIFE
Press the vehicle information button
until OIL LIFE REMAINING displays.
This display shows an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. If you
see 99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on
the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to change
the oil on a schedule consistent with
your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
underDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-56. You should change
the oil as soon as you can.
SeeEngine Oil on page 5-11.In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual.
SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-3for more information.
Remember, you must reset the
OIL LIFE display yourself after each
oil change. It will not reset itself.
Also, be careful not to reset the
OIL LIFE display accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
seeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-13.
PARK ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system,
press the vehicle information button
until PARK ASSIST displays.
This display allows the system
to be turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button toselect between ON or OFF. If you
choose ON, the system will be turned
on. If you choose OFF, the system
will be turned off. The URPA system
automatically turns back on after
each vehicle start. When the URPA
system is turned off and the vehicle
is shifted out of P (Park), the DIC
will display the PARK ASSIST OFF
message as a reminder that the
system has been turned off.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-56andUltrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA) on page 2-36
for more information.
UNITS
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between English
or Metric units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the
set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units. All of
the vehicle information will then be
displayed in the unit of measurement
selected.
3-46 Instrument Panel

To use the retro-active reset feature,
press and hold the trip odometer
reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display
the number of miles (mi) or
kilometers (km) driven since the
ignition was last turned on and
the vehicle was moving. Once the
vehicle begins moving, the trip
odometer will accumulate mileage.
For example, if the vehicle was
driven 5 miles (8 km) before it
is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is activated,
the display will show 5 miles (8 km).
As the vehicle begins moving, the
display will then increase to 5.1 miles
(8.2 km), 5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
If the retro-active reset feature
is activated after the vehicle is
started, but before it begins moving,
the display will show the number of
miles (mi) or kilometers (km) that
were driven during the last ignition
cycle.OIL LIFE
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on
the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to change
the oil on a schedule consistent with
your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
underDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-56. You should change
the oil as soon as you can.
SeeEngine Oil on page 5-11.In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual.
SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-3for more information.
Remember, you must reset the
OIL LIFE display yourself after each
oil change. It will not reset itself.
Also, be careful not to reset the
OIL LIFE display accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
seeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-13.
3-52 Instrument Panel

BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system detects that the battery
voltage is dropping below expected
levels. The battery saver system
starts reducing certain features of
the vehicle that you may be able to
notice. At the point that the features
are disabled, this message is
displayed. It means that the vehicle
is trying to save the charge in the
battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories
to allow the battery to recharge.
The normal battery voltage
range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. SeeEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-13for
information on how to reset the
message. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-11andScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-3for
more information.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the pressure
in one or more of the vehicle’s tires
needs to be checked. This message
also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT
FRONT, LEFT REAR, or RIGHT
REAR to indicate which tire needs to
be checked. You can receive more
than one tire pressure message at
a time. To read the other messagesthat may have been sent at the same
time, press the set/reset button or
the trip odometer reset stem. If a tire
pressure message appears on the
DIC, stop as soon as you can. Have
the tire pressures checked and set
to those shown on the Tire Loading
Information label. SeeTires on
page 5-36,Loading the Vehicle
on page 4-16, andInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-42. The DIC
also shows the tire pressure values.
See “DIC Operation and Displays
(With DIC Buttons)” earlier in this
section. If the tire pressure is low,
the low tire pressure warning light
comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light
on page 3-39.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays whenever
the cruise control is set. SeeCruise
Control on page 3-9for more
information.
Instrument Panel 3-57

Keep vehicle tires properly
inated.
Combine several trips into a
single trip.
Replace the vehicle’s tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire’s sidewall
near the size.
Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The rst
step in driving defensively is to wear
your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts:
They Are for Everyone on page 1-14.
{CAUTION
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
4-2 Driving Your Vehicle