2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE overheating

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Here are some situations that may
occur with the fuel gauge. None of
these indicate a problem with the
fuel gauge.
.At the gas station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge might have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge does not go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
EnglishMetric
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the gauge
pointer moves into the red area, it
means that the engine coolant has
overheated. If the vehicle has been
operated under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating
on
page 10‑18for more information.
Voltmeter Gauge
When the engine is not running, but
the ignition is on, this gauge
displays the battery voltage in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, this
gauge shows the condition of the
charging system. The vehicle's
charging system regulates voltage
based on the state of charge of the
battery. The voltmeter may fluctuate.
This is normal. Readings between
the low and high warning zones
indicate the normal operating range.
Readings in the low warning zone
can occur when a large number of
electrical accessories are operating
in the vehicle and the engine is left
idling for an extended period.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-21
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally the indicator light goes off.
If it stays on, or comes on while
driving, there could be a problem
with the StabiliTrak system and the
vehicle might need service. When
this warning light is on, the system
is off and will not limit wheel spin.
This light flashes when the
StabiliTrak system is active.
See StabiliTrak
®Systemon
page 9‑30for more information.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on briefly
when the engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on
while driving, the vehicle may have
a problem with the cooling system.
Stop the vehicle and turn off the
engine to avoid damage to the
engine. A warning chime sounds
when this light is on.
See Engine Overheating
on
page 10‑18for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire Pressure
Monitor System, this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
It provides information about tire
pressures and the Tire Pressure
Monitor System.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. See Tire
Messages
on page 5‑38for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label. See
Tire Pressure
on page 10‑44for
more information.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
ENGINE OVERHEATED
IDLE ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not increase the engine speed
above normal idling speed. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑18for more information.
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge
on
page 5‑13.
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
on page 10‑20for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE
Notice: If you drive your vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not increase the engine speed
above normal idling speed. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑18for more information.
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System
on page 10‑11for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil
on
page 10‑8and Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 11‑2for
more information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-35
OIL PRESSURE LOW
STOP ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the
instrument panel cluster and/or
DIC, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. Do not drive the vehicle
until the cause of the low oil
pressure is corrected. See Engine
Oil
on page 10‑8for more
information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑18for further information.
This message also displays when
the vehicle's engine power is
reduced. Reduced engine power
can affect the vehicle's ability to
accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no reduction in
performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven
at a reduced speed while this
message is on, but acceleration and
speed may be reduced. Anytime
this message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible. See Fuel
Gauge
on page 5‑12and Fuelon
page 9‑40for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the
vehicle's fuel cap is not tightened
properly. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
on page 5‑16. Reinstall the
fuel cap fully. See Filling the Tank
on page 9‑44. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel cap
has been left off or improperly
installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap allows fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-39
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure
Light
on page 5‑21. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation
on page 10‑47for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS.
See your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is re-learning the tire
positions on your vehicle. The tire
positions must be re-learned after
rotating the tires or after replacing a tire or sensor. See
Tire Rotation
on
page 10‑50, Tire Pressure Monitor
Systemon page 10‑45, and Tire
Pressureon page 10‑44for more
information.
Transmission Messages
ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF
If your vehicle has the All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) system, this message
displays when there is a compact
spare tire on the vehicle, when the
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
warning light comes on, or when the
rear differential fluid is overheating.
This message turns off when the
differential fluid cools.
The AWD system is disabled until
the compact spare tire is replaced
by a full-size tire. If the warning
message is still on after putting on
the full-size tire, you need to reset
the warning message. To reset the warning message, turn the ignition
off and then back on again after
30 seconds. If the message stays
on, see your dealer right away. See
All-Wheel Drive
on page 9‑27for
more information.
SERVICE ALL WHEEL DRIVE
If your vehicle has the All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) system, this message
displays if there is a problem with
this system. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle after 30 seconds and check
for the message on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed or
appears again when you begin
driving, the AWD system needs
service. See your dealer.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer for service.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
5-40 Instruments and Controls
TRANSMISSION HOT
IDLE ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead
to costly repairs that would not
be covered by the warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission fluid
or while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool.
This message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold
enough to create icy road
conditions. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO
XXX MPH (KM/H)
This message displays when
your vehicle speed is limited to
128 km/h (80 mph) because the
vehicle detects a problem in the
speed variable assist steering
system. Have your vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW
ADD FLUID
This message displays when the
windshield washer fluid is low. Fill
the windshield washer fluid reservoir
as soon as possible. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for the location of the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Also, see Washer Fluid
on
page 10‑22for more information.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-50 Driving and Operating
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear before starting down a
long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well. See“Automatic
Engine Grade Braking” within
Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑27.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
will boil at a lower temperature than
at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle may show
signs similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating on page 10‑18.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce the vehicle speed to
around 88 km/h (55 mph) to reduce
the possibility of the engine and the
transmission overheating.

Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2011
9-52 Driving and Operating
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 10‑18.
Trailer Towing
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the
vehicle's tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information. Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment.
The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Use the following chart to determine
how much the vehicle can weigh,
based upon the vehicle model
and options.