2010 CHEVROLET EXPRESS trailer

A.Outlet Adjustment on page 4-17.
B.Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 4-36.
C.Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 4-4.
D.Hazard Warning Flashers on page 4-3.
E.Instrument Panel Cluster on page 4-21.
F. Shift Lever. SeeStarting the Engine on page 3-23.
G.Climate Control System on page 4-15.
H.Audio System(s) on page 4-59.
I.Exterior Lamps on page 4-9.
J.Instrument Panel Brightness on page 4-11.
K.Cruise Control on page 4-6. Fast Idle System
(If Equipped). See Duramax Diesel Manual for more
information.L.Tilt Wheel on page 4-3.
M.Horn on page 4-3.
N.Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 4-77.
O. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing a Trailer on page 5-30.
P.Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 4-14.
Q.StabiliTrak
®System on page 5-5(If Equipped).
R.Airbag Off Switch on page 2-70.
S.Storage Areas on page 3-44.
T.Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4-25.
U.Rear Heating System on page 4-18(If Equipped).
1-3

Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one constant speed, fast or
slow, for the rst 500 miles (805 km). Do not
make full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time the new brake
linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. SeeTowing
a Trailer on page 5-30for the trailer towing
capabilities of the vehicle and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load can
be gradually increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has
four different positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition must be in ON/RUN
and the regular brake pedal applied.
A (LOCK/OFF):This position locks the ignition and
transmission. You will only be able to remove the key
when the ignition is turned to LOCK/OFF.
Notice:Using a tool to force the key to turn in the
ignition could cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in, and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by hand, see your
dealer/retailer.
3-22

Automatic Transmission Operation
(Six Speed Automatic Transmission)
Vehicles with a six speed automatic transmission
have a shift position indicator within the instrument panel
cluster.
There are several different positions for the shift lever.
See “Range Selection Mode” later in this section.
P (Park):This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily. When parked on a
hill, especially when the vehicle has a heavy load, you
might notice an increase in the effort to shift out of
P (Park). See Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
underShifting Into Park on page 3-37for more
information.
{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 3-37. If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 5-30.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice,
or sand without damaging the transmission, seeIf Your
Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 5-18.
3-27

N (Neutral):In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is
not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.D (Drive):This position is for normal driving. It provides
the best fuel economy. If you need more power for
passing, and you are:
•Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
•Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts down to the next
gear and has more power.
D (Drive) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load or driving on steep hills. You might want
to shift the transmission to a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions
could result in skidding. See Skidding underLoss of
Control on page 5-10.
3-28

The vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that adjusts
the transmission shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid upshifts and
downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is designed to
determine, before making an upshift, if the engine is
able to maintain vehicle speed by analyzing things such
as vehicle speed, throttle position, and vehicle load.
If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current
vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the transmission
does not upshift and instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive shift controls. Adaptive
shift controls continually compares key shift parameters
to pre-programmed ideal shifts stored in the
transmissions computer. The transmission constantly
makes adjustments to improve vehicle performance
according to how the vehicle is being used, such as with
a heavy load or when temperature changes. During this
adaptive shift control process, shifting might feel different
as the transmission determines the best settings.
The shift quality of a new vehicle may not be ideal
because the Adaptive Shift Control process may not
have determined the best settings for a particular shift or
condition. Shift quality will improve with continued
driving.When temperatures are very cold, the transmission’s
gear shifting could be delayed providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts could be more
noticeable with a cold transmission. This difference
in shifting is normal.
M (Manual Mode):This position lets drivers select
the range of gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this feature, see Range
Select Mode later in this section.
3 (Third):This position is also used for normal driving.
It reduces vehicle speed more than D (Drive) without
using the brakes. You might choose 3 (Third) instead of
D (Drive) when driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears
and when going down a steep hill. See Range Select
Mode later in this section.
2 (Second):This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than 3 (Third) without using the brakes. You
can use 2 (Second) on hills. It can help control vehicle
speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use the brakes off and on.
See Range Select Mode later in this section.
If you manually select 2 (Second) in an automatic
transmission, the transmission will start in second gear.
You can use this feature for reducing the speed of
the rear wheels when you are trying to start the vehicle
from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
3-29

1 (First):This position reduces vehicle speed without
using the brakes. You can use it for major/severe
downgrades where the vehicle would otherwise
accelerate due to steepness of grade. When you shift to
1 (First) it provides the lowest gear appropriate to
current road speed and continues to downshift as the
vehicle slows, eventually downshifting to 1 (First)
gear. The transmission can be held in 1 (First) gear
using Range Select Mode or the shift lever. See Range
Select Mode later in this section.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle warranty. If you
are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a
hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.Range Selection Mode
The vehicle may have a Range Selection Mode. The
Range Selection Mode helps control the vehicle’s
transmission and vehicle speed while driving down hill
or towing a trailer by letting you select a desired range of
gears.
3-30

Automatic Transmission Operation
(Four Speed Automatic
Transmission)
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
P (Park):This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move easily.
{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 3-37. If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 5-30.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in P (Park) before
starting the engine. The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You must first
press the brake pedal before you can shift from P (Park)
with the ignition in ON/RUN.
If you cannot shift out of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
P (Park) as you maintain brake application. Then move
the shift lever into another gear. SeeShifting Out of
Park on page 3-38.
3-32

R (Reverse):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging the transmission, see
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 5-18.
N (Neutral):In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the engine when the
vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also,
use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is
not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for normal driving. It
provides the best fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
•Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
•Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions
could result in skidding, see “Skidding” underLoss of
Control on page 5-10.
3 (Third):This position is also used for normal driving.
However it reduces vehicle speed more than D (Drive)
without using the brakes. You might choose 3 (Third)
instead of D (Drive) when driving on hilly, winding roads,
when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between
gears and when going down a steep hill.
You should use 3 (Third) (or a lower gear as needed)
when towing a trailer to minimize heat build-up and
extend the life of the transmission.
3-33