
Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-55
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance.
This applies only to vehicles
sold in the United States. The
grades are molded on the
sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire QualityGrading (UTQG) system does
not apply to deep tread,
winter-type snow tires,
space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal
rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.

Black plate (59,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-59
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently brake to a
stop, well off the road, if possible.
{WARNING
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
under-inflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely under-inflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon
as possible.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See
Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑3.

Black plate (84,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
10-84 Vehicle Care
9. Connect the other end of thenegative (−) cable at least
18 inches (45 cm) away from
the dead battery, but not near
engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just
as good there, and the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
Your vehicle has a remote
negative (−) terminal for this
purpose. 10. Now start the vehicle with the
good battery and run the
engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice: If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or
other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (−)
Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal

Black plate (85,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-85
To disconnect the jumper cables
from both vehicles, do the following:
1. Disconnect the blacknegative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead
battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the
good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice: To avoid damage, the
disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the
ground. Care must be taken with
vehicles that have low ground
clearance and/or special
equipment.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Assistance Program
on page 13‑8.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motor home, see
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” in this
section.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle –such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as dinghy towing and
dolly towing. Dinghy towing is
towing the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground. Dolly towing
is towing the vehicle with two
wheels on the ground and two
wheels up on a device known
as a dolly.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-1
Service and
Maintenance
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . 11-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Maintenance Records
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 11-9
General Information
Notice: Maintenance intervals,
checks, inspections,
recommended fluids, and
lubricants are necessary to keep
this vehicle in good working
condition. Damage caused by
failure to follow scheduled
maintenance might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
As the vehicle owner, you are
responsible for the scheduled
maintenance in this section.
We recommend having your
dealer perform these services. Proper vehicle maintenance helps
to keep the vehicle in good working
condition, improves fuel economy,
and reduces vehicle emissions for
better air quality.
Because of all the different ways
people use vehicles, maintenance
needs vary. The vehicle might need
more frequent checks and services.
Please read the information under
Scheduled Maintenance. To keep
the vehicle in good condition, see
your dealer.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
11-2 Service and Maintenance
The maintenance schedule is for
vehicles that:
.Carry passengers and cargo
within recommended limits on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. SeeVehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑12.
.Are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving
limits.
.Use the recommended fuel.
SeeRecommended Fuelon
page 9‑41.
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous. Some jobs can
cause serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if you
have the required know-how and
the proper tools and equipment.
If in doubt, see your dealer to
have a qualified technician do
the work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4. At your dealer, you can be certain
that you will receive the highest
level of service available. Your
dealer has specially trained
service technicians, uses genuine
replacement parts, as well as,
up‐to‐date tools and equipment to
ensure fast and accurate
diagnostics.
The proper replacement parts,
fluids, and lubricants to use are
listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
on page 11‑6and
Maintenance Replacement Partson
page 11‑8. We recommend the use
of genuine parts from your dealer.
Rotation of New Tires
To maintain ride, handling, and
performance of the vehicle, it is
important that the first rotation
service for new tires be performed.
Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km/7,500 miles. See Tire
Rotation on page 10‑50.
Scheduled
Maintenance
When the Change Engine Oil
Soon Message Displays
Change engine oil and filter.
See Engine Oilon page 10‑8.
An Emission Control Service.
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, service is
required for the vehicle as soon as
possible, within the next 1 000 km/
600 miles. If driving under the best
conditions, the engine oil life system
might not indicate the need for
vehicle service for more than a year.
The engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and
the oil life system must be reset.
Your dealer has trained service
technicians who will perform this
work and reset the system. If the
engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 miles since
the last service.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-3
Reset the oil life system whenever
the oil is changed. SeeEngine Oil
Life System on page 10‑11.
Every Engine Oil Change
.Change engine oil and filter.
Reset oil life system. See
Engine Oil
on page 10‑8and
Engine Oil Life Systemon
page 10‑11. An Emission Control
Service.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑14.
.Engine cooling system
inspection. Visual inspection of
hoses, pipes, fittings, and
clamps and replacement,
if needed.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluidon
page 10‑22.
.Windshield wiper blade
inspection for wear, cracking,
or contamination and windshield
and wiper blade cleaning,
if contaminated. See Exterior
Care
on page 10‑89. Worn or damaged wiper blade
replacement. See
Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑28.
.Tire inflation pressures check.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑44.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑50.
.Rotate tires if necessary. See
Tire Rotation on page 10‑50.
.Fluids visual leak check
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). A leak in any
system must be repaired and
the fluid level checked.
.Engine air cleaner filter
inspection. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑12.
.Brake system inspection
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first).
.Steering and suspension
inspection. Visual inspection for
damaged, loose, or missing
parts or signs of wear.
.Body hinges and latches, key
lock cylinders, hood latch
assemblies, secondary latches,
pivots, spring anchor and
release pawl, hood and door
hinges, rear folding seats, and
liftgate hinges lubrication. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
on page 11‑6. More
frequent lubrication may be
required when the vehicle is
exposed to a corrosive
environment. Applying silicone
grease on weatherstrips with a
clean cloth makes them last
longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
.Restraint system component
check. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑30.
.Fuel system inspection for
damage or leaks.
.Exhaust system and nearby heat
shields inspection for loose or
damaged components.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
11-4 Service and Maintenance
Additional Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 Miles
.Rotate tires. Tires should be
rotated every 12 000 km/
7,500 miles. SeeTire Rotation
on page 10‑50.
At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑8.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑14.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluidon
page 10‑22.
Once a Month
.Tire inflation check. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑44.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑50.
.Sunroof track and seal
inspection, if equipped.
See Sunroof on page 2‑21. Once a Year
.See
Starter Switch Checkon
page 10‑26.
.See Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control Function
Check on page 10‑27.
.See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑27.
.See Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Checkon
page 10‑28.
.Accelerator pedal check for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.If the vehicle has a Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit, check the
sealant expiration date printed
on the instruction label of
the kit. See Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit on page 10‑61.
.Underbody flushing service. First Engine Oil Change After
Every 80 000 km/50,000 Miles
.Engine air cleaner filter
replacement. See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑12.
.Automatic transmission fluid
change (severe service) for
vehicles mainly driven in heavy
city traffic in hot weather, in hilly
or mountainous terrain, when
frequently towing a trailer,
or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service.
See Automatic Transmission
Fluid on page 10‑12.
.All‐wheel drive only: Transfer
case fluid change (severe
service) for vehicles mainly
driven when frequently towing a
trailer, or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service. During any
maintenance, if a power washer
is used to clean mud and dirt
from the underbody, care
should be taken to not directly
spray the transfer case
output seals.