2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS PASSANGER service

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Express Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-35
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-58 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-15 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-19
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem, and
EXPRESS are trademarks
and/or service marks of General
Motors LLC, its subsidiaries,
affiliates, or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name
“General
Motors of Canada Limited” for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual.
If the vehicle has the Duramax
®
Diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement for additional and
specific information on this engine.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20875606 A First Printing©2011 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Dangerindicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning orCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in
injury or death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage.
This would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it
is a safety symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do not do this,” or
“Do not let this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see the owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-17
Storing a Favorite Station
Depending on which radio the
vehicle has, radio stations are
stored as either favorites or presets.
For vehicles with a FAV button, a
maximum of 36 stations can be
stored as favorites using the six
softkeys located below the radio
station frequency tabs and by using
the radio FAV button. Press FAV to
go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM and FM stations.
If the radio does not have a
FAV button, up to 18 stations
(six FM1, six FM2, and six AM),
can be programmed on the
six numbered buttons.
For more information on storing a
favorite station, seeOperation on
page 7‑3.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
Radio with CD (MP3):
1. Press
Hand the HR, MIN, MM,
DD, and YYYY (hour, minute,
month, day, and year) display.
2. Press the softkey located below any one of the tabs that you
want to change.
3. Increase or decrease the time or date, depending on the radio, by
pressing the
©SEEK or¨SEEK
buttons,
sREV or\FWD
buttons, or by turning
f
clockwise or counterclockwise.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for your specific audio
system, see Clock on page 5‑8.
Satellite Radio
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM satellite radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
A fee is required to receive the
XM service.
For more information, refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)
See Satellite Radio on page 7‑10.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
1-22 In Brief
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.:1-800-243-8872
TTY Users (U.S.): 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
Mexico: 01-800-466-0800
As the owner of a new Chevrolet,
you are automatically enrolled in
the Roadside Assistance program.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑8 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10 for
more information.
Roadside Assistance and OnStar
(U.S. and Canada)
If you have an active OnStar
subscription, press the
Qbutton
and the current GPS location will be
sent to an OnStar advisor who will
assess your problem, contact
Roadside Assistance, and relay
your exact location to get the
help you need. Online Owner Center
(U.S. and Canada)
The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.
Sign up today at:
www.chevyownercenter.com
(U.S.) or
www.gm.ca (Canada).
OnStar®
If equipped, this vehicle has a
comprehensive, in-vehicle system
that can connect to a live Advisor
for Emergency, Security, Navigation,
Connection, and Diagnostic
Services. See OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1 for more information.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑22 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
If equipped, the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter functions
work up to 60 m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
RKE Transmitter with Remote
Start Shown
Q(Lock):Press once to lock all
doors. If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
parking lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred.
The horn may chirp when
Qis
pressed again within five seconds.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑42 for additional information.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the
driver door. If
Kis pressed again
within five seconds, all remaining
doors unlock.
The interior lamps come on and
stay on for 20 seconds or until the
ignition is turned on. If enabled
through the DIC, the parking lamps
flash twice to indicate unlocking
has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑42 for
additional information.
j(Cargo Door): Press to unlock
only the cargo doors.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not
make it impossible to steal.
Immobilizer
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑22 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
This vehicle is equipped with the
PASS-Key®III+ (Personalized
Automotive Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key III+ is a passive
theft deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition. You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system.
The security light will come on if
there is a problem with arming or
disarming the theft-deterrent
system.
When the PASS-Key III+ system
senses that someone is using the
wrong key, it shuts down the
vehicle's starter and fuel systems.
The starter will not work and fuel will
stop being delivered to the engine.
Anyone using a trial-and-error
method to start the vehicle will be
discouraged because of the high
number of electrical key codes.
If the engine does not start and the
security message comes on, the
key may have a damaged
transponder. Turn the ignition off
and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and
the key appears to be undamaged,
try another ignition key. At this time,
you may also want to check the
instrument panel PASS KEY fuse.
If the engine still does not start with
the other key, the vehicle needs
service. If the vehicle does start, the
first key may be faulty. See your
dealer or a locksmith who can
service the PASS-Key III+ to have a
new key made. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 10‑41.
It is possible for the PASS-Key III+
decoder to learn the transponder
value of a new or replacement key.
Up to 10 keys may be programmed
for the vehicle. This procedure is for
learning additional keys only. If all
the currently programmed keys are
lost or do not operate, you must see
your dealer or a locksmith who can
service PASS-Key III+ to have keys
made and programmed to the
system.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
See your dealer or a locksmith who
can service PASS-Key III+ to get a
new key blank that is cut exactly as
the ignition key that operates the
system.
To program the new key:
1. Verify the new key has
1
stamped on it.
2. Insert the original, already programmed key into the ignition
lock cylinder and start the
engine. If the engine will not
start, see your dealer for service.
3. After the engine has started, turn the key to LOCK/OFF and
remove the key. 4. Insert the key to be programmed
and turn it to ON/RUN within
10 seconds of removing the
previous key.
The security message will turn
off once the key has been
programmed. It may not be
apparent that the security
message went on due to how
quickly the key is programmed.
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 if additional keys are to be
programmed. If you lose or damage a
PASS-Key III+ key, see your dealer
or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key III+ to have a new
key made.
Do not leave the key or device
that disarms or deactivates the
theft-deterrent system in
the vehicle.