
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
7-2 Infotainment System
For more information, seeDefensive
Driving on page 9‑2.
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP)
on page 9‑18for more
information.
Navigation/Radio System
For vehicles with a navigation radio
system, see the separate Navigation
System manual.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle's
radio by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The radio does not operate if it is
stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.
Operation
Radio with CD, Radio with CD/USB similar

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
7-4 Infotainment System
prevents the rear seat occupant
from operating the Rear Seat Audio
(RSA) system or remote control.
A lock symbol displays next to the
clock display while the parental
control feature is being used.
The feature remains on until
Ois
pressed and held for more than
two seconds, or the driver turns the
ignition off and exits the vehicle.
4(Information): Press to switch
the display between the radio
station frequency and the time.
When the ignition is in the OFF
position, press
4to display the time.
For vehicles with XM, MP3, WMA or
RDS features, press
4to display
additional text information related to
the current FM-RDS or XM station;
or CD, MP3 or WMA song.
If information is available during
XM, CD, MP3 or WMA playback, the
song title information displays on
the top line of the display and artist
information displays on the bottom
line. When information is not
available, “NO INFO” is displayed. Auto Text (Satellite Radio Service,
CD, MP3, and WMA features):
If
additional information is available
for the current song being played,
Auto Text will automatically page/
scroll the information every
five seconds above the FAV presets
on the radio display.
To activate Auto Text:
1. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey under AUTO TXT tab on the radio display.
3. Press the softkey under the ON tab on the radio display.
If4is pressed and the song title or
artist information is longer than
what can be displayed, the extra
information will page every
five seconds when Auto Text is
activated.
Speed Compensated Volume
(SCV): The Speed Compensated
Volume (SCV) feature automatically
adjusts the radio volume to
compensate for road and wind noise as the vehicle speeds up or slows
down, so that the volume level is
consistent.
To activate SCV:
1. Set the radio volume.
2. Press the MENU button to
display the radio setup menu.
3. Press the softkey under the AUTO VOLUM (automatic
volume) tab on the radio display.
4. Press the softkey under the Speed Compensated Volume
setting (OFF, Low, Med, or High)
to select the level of radio
volume compensation.
Press the softkey located
below the BACK tab on the
MENU SETUP display or
let the display time out after
approximately 10 seconds.
Each higher setting allows
for more radio volume
compensation at faster
vehicle speeds.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
7-14 Infotainment System
CD Messages
CHECK DISC:Radios with a
Single CD player display CHECK
DISC and/or ejects the CD if an
error occurs.
Optical Error: The disc was
inserted upside down.
Disk Read Error: A disc was
inserted with an invalid or unknown
format.
Player Error: There are disc LOAD
or disc EJECT problems.
.It is very hot. When the
temperature returns to normal,
the CD should play.
.The road is very rough. When
the road becomes smoother, the
CD should play.
.The CD is dirty, scratched, wet,
or upside down.
.The air is very humid. If so, wait
about an hour and try again.
.There could have been a
problem while burning the CD.
.The label could be caught in the
CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly for
any other reason, try a known
good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if
an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer. If the radio
displays an error message, write it
down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.
CD/DVD Player
Playing a CD (In Either the
DVD or CD Slot)
Insert a CD partway into the slot,
label side up. The player pulls it in
and the CD should begin playing
(loading a disc into the system,
depending on media type and
format ranges from 5 to 20 seconds
for a CD, and up to 30 seconds for a
DVD to begin playing). If the ignition or radio is turned off,
while a CD is in the player, it stays
in the player. When the ignition or
radio is turned on, the CD starts
playing where it stopped, if it was
the last selected audio source. The
CD is controlled by the buttons on
the radio faceplate or by the RSA
unit. See
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
System
on page 7‑44for more
information. The DVD/CD decks,
(upper slot is the DVD deck and the
lower slot is the CD deck) of the
radio are compatible with most
audio CDs, CD-R, CD-RW,
and MP3/WMAs.
When a CD is inserted, the text
label DVD or CD symbol displays on
the left side of the radio display. As
each new track starts to play, the
track number displays.
ZCD (Eject): Press and release
to eject the disc that is currently
playing. The disc ejects from the
bottom slot. A beep sounds and
Ejecting Disc displays. Once the
disc is ejected, Remove Disc
displays. The disc can be removed.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
7-42 Infotainment System
Battery Replacement
To change the remote control
batteries:
1. Slide the rear cover back, on theremote control.
2. Replace the two batteries in the compartment. Make sure that
they are installed correctly, using
the diagram on the inside of the
battery compartment.
3. Replace the battery cover.
If the remote control is to be stored
for a long period of time, remove the
batteries and keep them in a cool,
dry place.Tips and Troubleshooting Chart
Problem Recommended Action
There is no power. The ignition might not be turned to
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY.
The picture does not fill the screen.
There are black borders on the top
and bottom or on both sides, or the
picture looks stretched out. Check the display mode settings
in the setup menu by pressing
the display menu button on the
remote control.
In auxiliary mode, the picture moves
or scrolls. Check the auxiliary input
connections at both devices.
The remote control does not work. Check to make sure there is no obstruction between the remote
control and the transmitter window.
Check the batteries to make sure
they are not dead or installed
incorrectly.
After stopping the player, and
pushing Play, sometimes the
DVD starts where it left off and
sometimes at the beginning. If the stop button was pressed
one time, the DVD player resumes
playing where the DVD was
stopped. If the stop button was
pressed two times, the DVD player
begins to play from the beginning of
the DVD.

Black plate (51,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-51
Three‐Way Calling
Three‐way calling must be
supported on the cell phone and
enabled by the wireless service
carrier.
1. While on a call, press
bg.
2. Say “Three‐way call.”
3. Use the dial or call command to dial the number of the third party
to be called.
4. Once the call is connected, press
bgto link all callers
together.
Ending a Call
Pressc xto end a call.
Muting a Call
During a call, all sounds from inside
the vehicle can be muted so that the
person on the other end of the call
cannot hear them.
.To mute a call, pressbg, and
then say “Mute call.”
.To cancel mute, pressbg, and
then say “Un‐mute call.”
Transferring a Call
Audio can be transferred between
the Bluetooth system and the cell
phone.
The cell phone must be paired
and connected with the Bluetooth
system before a call can be
transferred. The connection process
can take up to two minutes after the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN. Transferring Audio from the
Bluetooth System to a Cell Phone
During a call with the audio in the
vehicle:
1. Press
b
g.
2. Say “Transfer Call.”
Transferring Audio to the
Bluetooth System from a
Cell Phone
During a call with the audio on the
cell phone, press
b g. The audio
transfers to the vehicle. If the audio
does not transfer to the vehicle, use
the audio transfer feature on the cell
phone. See your cell phone
manufacturer's user guide for more
information.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-24
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-34
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-41
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-42
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in
your own lane.
.Top of hills: Be
alert —something could
be in your lane (stalled car,
accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-16 Driving and Operating
Starting and
Operating
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:
.If you have all-wheel drive,
keep your speed at 88 km/h
(55 mph) or less for the first
805 km (500 miles).
.Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or
slow, for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) 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. See Driving
Characteristics and Towing
Tips
on page 9‑46for the
trailer towing capabilities of
your vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
In order to shift out of P (Park), the
ignition must be in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the brake
pedal must be applied.