2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE Owners Manual

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-29
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then
push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 5‑19. Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the park brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will be on and
a chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tipson
page 9‑46.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle.
The stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-30 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you first start the vehicle and
begin to drive away, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 32 km/h (20 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately 3.2 km (2 miles) of
driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or
activate, one of the following
messages will be displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC):
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,SERVICE STABILITRAK, the
StabiliTrak light will come on and
stay and four chimes are heard.
If these conditions are observed,
turn the vehicle off, wait
15 seconds, and then turn it back
on again to reset the system. If any
of these messages still appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC),
the vehicle should be taken in for
service. For more information on the
DIC messages, see
Driver
Information Center (DIC) (With DIC
Buttons)
on page 5‑24or Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Without
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑29.
The StabiliTrak light will flash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working; this is normal.
The traction control button is located
on the instrument panel.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the traction
control button.
Traction control can be turned on by
pressing and releasing the traction
control button and the appropriate
TRACTION CONTROL ON
message will be displayed, if not
automatically shut off for any other
reason.
When the traction control system is
turned off, the appropriate
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
message will be displayed on the
DIC. The vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to
use the engine speed management

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-31
system. See“Traction Control
Operation” following for more
information.
When the traction control system
has been turned off, system noises
may be heard and felt as a result of
the brake-traction control working.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to “rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle is Stuck
on page 9‑11.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of
the StabiliTrak system. Traction
control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine
speed management) and by
applying the brakes as necessary. The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will flash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction while driving. If traction
control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of
traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly.
Notice:
If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt
upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See
Cruise
Control on page 9‑32.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer for service.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more can
be maintained without keeping your
foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, the
cruise control is disengaged.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
The cruise control buttons are
located on left side of the steering
wheel.
T(On/Off):Press to turn cruise
control on and off. The indicator
comes on when cruise control is on.
+ RES (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET– :Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or to make
the vehicle decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster comes on
after the cruise control has been set
to the desired speed.
1. Press the
Ibutton to turn the
cruise control system on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Press and release the SET– button located on the
steering wheel.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-33
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is
40 km/h (25 mph) or greater, press
the +RES button on the steering
wheel. The vehicle returns to
the previously set speed and stays
there.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the +RES button
on the steering wheel until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, press the
+RES button briefly. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the SET–
button
on the steering wheel until the
lower speed desired is reached,
then release it.
.To slow down in small amounts,
press the SET– button briefly.
Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase vehicle speed. When you
take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previously set cruise speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work
on hills depends upon the vehicle
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to keep the
vehicle speed down. When the
brakes are applied the cruise control
is disengaged.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise
control:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press the[button.
.To turn off the cruise control,
press
Ton the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory by pressing
the
Tbutton or if the ignition is
turned off.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-34 Driving and Operating
Object Detection
Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
For vehicles with the Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system,
it operates at speeds less than
8 km/h (5 mph), and assists the
driver with parking and avoiding
objects while in R (Reverse). The
sensors on the rear bumper are
used to detect the distance to an
object up to 2.5 m (8 ft) behind the
vehicle, and at least 25.4 cm (10 in)
off the ground.
{WARNING
The Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system does not
replace driver vision.
It cannot detect:
.Objects that are below the
bumper, underneath the
vehicle, or too close or far
from the vehicle
.Children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.
If you do not use proper care
before and while backing, vehicle
damage, injury, or death could
occur. Even with URPA, always
check behind the vehicle before
backing up. While backing, be
sure to look for objects and check
the vehicle's mirrors.
How the System Works
URPA comes on automatically
when the shift lever is moved into
R (Reverse). A single tone sounds
to indicate the system is working.
URPA operates only at speeds less
than 5 mph (8 km/h).
An obstacle is indicated by audible
beeps. The interval between the
beeps becomes shorter as the
vehicle gets closer to the obstacle.
When the distance is less than
30 cm (12 in) the beeps are
continuous.
To be detected, objects must be at
least 25.4 cm (10 in) off the ground
and below liftgate level. Objects
must also be within 2.5 m (8 ft) from
the rear bumper. This distance may
be less during warmer or humid
weather.
The system can be disabled through
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See “Park Assist” underVehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑41for more information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-35
When the System Does Not
Seem to Work Properly
If the URPA system does not
activate due to a temporary
condition, the message PARK
ASSIST OFF or PARK ASST
BLOCKED SEE OWNERS
MANUAL will be displayed on
the DIC.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST:If this
message occurs, take the vehicle to
your dealer to repair the system.
PARK ASSIST OFF: This message
occurs if the driver disables the
system. PARK ASST BLOCKED SEE
OWNERS MANUAL:
This
message can occur under the
following conditions:
.The ultrasonic sensors are not
clean. Keep the vehicle's rear
bumper free of mud, dirt, snow,
ice and slush. For cleaning
instructions, see Exterior Care
on page 10‑89.
.The park assist sensors are
covered by frost or ice. Frost or
ice can form around and behind
the sensors and may not always
be seen; this can occur after
washing the vehicle in cold
weather. The message may not
clear until the frost or ice has
melted.
.A trailer was attached to the
vehicle, or a bicycle or an object
was hanging out of the liftgate
during the last drive cycle. Once
the attached object is removed,
URPA will return to normal
operation.
.A tow bar is attached to the
vehicle.
.The vehicle's bumper is
damaged. Take the vehicle to
your dealer to repair the system.
.Other conditions may affect
system performance, such as
vibrations from a jackhammer or
the compression of air brakes on
a very large truck.
If the system is still disabled, after
driving forward at least 25 km/h
(15 mph), take the vehicle to
your dealer.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-36 Driving and Operating
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
The vehicle may have a Rear Vision
Camera system. Read this entire
section before using it.
{WARNING
The Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
system does not replace driver
vision. RVC does not:
.Detect objects that are
outside the camera's field of
view, below the bumper,
or underneath the vehicle.
.Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not back the vehicle by only
looking at the RVC screen, or use
the screen during longer, higher
speed backing maneuvers or
where there could be cross-traffic.
Your judged distances using the
screen will differ from actual
distances.
If you do not use proper care
before backing up, you could hit a
vehicle, child, pedestrian,
bicyclist, or pet, resulting in
vehicle damage, injury, or death.
Even though the vehicle has the
RVC system, always check
carefully before backing up by
checking behind and around
the vehicle.
Vehicles Without Navigation
System
The rear vision camera system is
designed to help the driver when
backing up by displaying a view of
the area behind the vehicle. When
the key is in the ON/RUN position
and the driver shifts the vehicle into
R (Reverse), the video image
automatically appears on the inside
rear view mirror. Once the driver
shifts out of R (Reverse), the video
image automatically disappears
from the inside rear view mirror.