
Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
3-66 Seats and Restraints
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front
Passenger Seat)
The vehicle has airbags. A rear seat
is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint
on
page 3‑54.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑39and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑15for more information,
including important safety
information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag
is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑39for additional
information.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System)
on page 3‑56for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured using a safety belt and it
uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
on page 3‑56for
top tether anchor locations.

Black plate (67,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-67
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as itwill go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag,
the off indicator on the
passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay
lit when the vehicle is started.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑15. 2. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.

Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
3-68 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint,
it may be helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked repeat
Steps 5 and 6.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement. If the airbags are off, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been
installed and the on indicator is lit,
see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint” underPassenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑39for
more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-14 Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-15
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-22
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (With DIC Buttons) . . . 5-24
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Without DIC
Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-32
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-32
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-35
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-35
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-36
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-37
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-38
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-39
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . 5-40
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-40

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Readings in the low warning zone
may occur when a large number of
electrical accessories are operating
in the vehicle and the engine is left
idling for an extended period.
If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, a SERVICE
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
message will appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) and/or the
charging system light comes on.
SeeBattery Voltage and Charging
Messages
on page 5‑32for more
information.
However, readings in either warning
zone may indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system.
Have the vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt
Reminder Light
The driver safety belt reminder light
on the instrument panel cluster.
When the engine is started this light
and the chime come on and stay on
for several seconds to remind the
driver to fasten the safety belt.
The light also begins to flash.
This cycle repeats if the driver
remains unbuckled and the vehicle
is moving.
If the driver safety belt is already
buckled, neither the light nor chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the engine is started this light
and the chime come on and stay on
for several seconds to remind the
passenger to fasten their safety belt.
The light also begins to flash.
This only occurs if the passenger
airbag is enabled. See Passenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑39for
more information.
This cycle repeats if the passenger
remains unbuckled and the vehicle
is moving.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem with the
airbag system. The system check
includes the airbag sensor, the
pretensioners, the airbag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more
information on the airbag system,
seeAirbag System on page 3‑31.
The airbag readiness light comes on
and stay on for several seconds
when the vehicle is started.
Then the light turns off.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System
on page 3‑39for
important safety information. The
instrument panel has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. If you are using
remote start to start the vehicle from
a distance, if equipped, you may not
see the system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-2 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
your safety belt, see Safety Belts
on
page 3‑16.
{WARNING
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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
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.
Police records show that almost
40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem is
for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so thatthe vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. Turn the steering wheel
8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches), about
one-eighth turn, until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems
—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.