Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
11-4 Service and Maintenance
Tire Rotation and Required
Services Every 12 000 km/
7,500 mi
Rotate the tires, if recommended for
the vehicle, and perform the
following services. SeeTire
Rotation on page 10‑62.
.Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed,
change engine oil and filter, and
reset oil life system. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7 andEngine Oil
Life System on page 10‑10.
.Check engine coolant level. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑18.
.Check windshield washer fluid
level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑25.
.Visually inspect windshield wiper
blades for wear, cracking,
or contamination. See Exterior
Care on page 10‑93. Replace
worn or damaged wiper blades.
See Wiper Blade Replacement
on page 10‑34.
.Check tire inflation pressures.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑56.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑62.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect engine air cleaner filter.
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑16.
.Inspect brake system.
.Visually inspect steering,
suspension, and chassis
components for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of
wear. See Exterior Care on
page 10‑93.
.Check restraint system
components. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑16.
.Visually inspect fuel system for
damage or leaks.
.Visually inspect exhaust system
and nearby heat shields for
loose or damaged parts.
.Lubricate body components.
See Exterior Care on
page 10‑93.
.Check starter switch. See Starter
Switch Check on page 10‑33.
.Check automatic transmission
shift lock control function. See
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check on
page 10‑33.
.Check ignition transmission lock.
See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑33.
.Check parking brake and
automatic transmission park
mechanism. See Park Brake and
P (Park) Mechanism Check on
page 10‑34.
.Check accelerator pedal for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.Visually inspect gas strut for
signs of wear, cracks, or other
damage. Check the hold open
ability of the strut. See your
dealer if service is required.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
11-12 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
This maintenance section applies to vehicles with a gasoline engine. If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see the
maintenance schedule section in the Duramax Diesel Supplement.
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specfication, or equivalent, of
the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is
recommended. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑18.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Parking Brake Cable Guides Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®‐VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-13
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Chassis Lubrication Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Front Wheel Bearings Wheel bearing lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category GC or
GC-LB (GM Part No. 1051344, in Canada 993037).
Front and Rear Axle SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Axle Lubricant (GM Part No. 89021677, in
Canada 89021678).
Transfer Case DEXRON
®‐VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
One-Piece Propshaft Slip Yoke Spline, Two-Piece Propshaft
Slip-in-Tube Spline Spline Lubricant, Special Lubricant (GM Part No. 12345879, in
Canada 10953511).
Hood Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. 3634770, in Canada 10953518) or
Dielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part No. 12345579, in Canada 992887).
Weatherstrip Squeaks Synthetic Grease with Teflon, Superlube (GM Part No. 12371287, in
Canada 10953437).
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Additional Information,
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-16
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Airbag Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Light On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-20
Airbags On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-20
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-29, 9-33
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-40
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8, 13-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25, 9-28
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11, 10-13
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Floor Console Fuse Block . . 10-46
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-36
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Engine (cont'd)
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Enhanced Technology Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Fan Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3 Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-5
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-99
Fluid AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . 10-11, 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-41
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-41
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
i-10 INDEX
Service (cont'd)Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-18
Scheduling Appointments . . . 13-13
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Side Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Storage Areas
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Swing-out Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Switches Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31T
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-12Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-59
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-58
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-11
Tires (cont'd)Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-83
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-70
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Towing
Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-46
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-90
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90 Traction
Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Trailer Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25, 9-28
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . 10-11, 10-13
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
U
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Vehicle Identification
Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16