2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS PASSANGER steering wheel

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
{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.
.Be alert on top of hills,
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.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑33 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on a
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped,
on slippery surfaces.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction or
stability system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while
shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑90.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it was
designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-19
To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.
When the Low Fuel warning
lamp is on and the FUEL LEVEL
LOW message is displayed in
the Driver Information Center
(DIC), the Computer‐Controlled
Cranking System is disabled to
prevent possible vehicle
component damage. When this
happens, hold the ignition switch
in the START position to
continue engine cranking.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down. 2. If the engine does not start after
5‐10 seconds, especially in very
cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in START
for up to 15 seconds. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor
to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Notice: The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Fast Idle System
If the vehicle has this feature it is
available only with cruise control.
The manual fast idle switch is
operated using the cruise control
buttons located on the left hand side
of the steering wheel.
This system can be used to
increase engine idle speed
whenever the following conditions
are met:
.The park brake is set.
.The brake pedal is not pressed.
.The vehicle must not be moving
and the accelerator must not be
pressed.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control the
vehicle's transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or
towing a trailer by letting you select
a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever toM (Manual Mode).
2. Press the +/− buttons, located
on the steering column shift
lever, to select the desired range
of gears for current driving
conditions. When M (Manual Mode) is selected
a number displays in the DIC next to
the M indicating the current gear.
This number is the highest gear that
can be used. However, the vehicle
can automatically shift to lower
gears as it adjusts to driving
conditions. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. When 5 (Fifth) is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until
the +/−
button located on the
steering column lever is used to
change to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑32.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used. Notice:
Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.Low Traction Mode
Low Traction Mode can assist in
vehicle acceleration when road
conditions are slippery. While the
vehicle is at a stop, select the
second gear range using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels after it detects
wheel slip, preventing the tires
from spinning.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
Tow/Haul Mode
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission have a Tow/Haul
Mode. The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts
the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing
increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling
when towing or hauling heavy loads.Turn the Tow/Haul Mode on and off
by pressing the button, located to
the right of the steering wheel on
the instrument panel. When Tow/
Haul is on, a light on the instrument
panel cluster will come on.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5‑25 for more information.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑55 for
more information.
Grade Braking (Six Speed
Automatic Transmission)
The Grade Braking shift modes can
be activated by pressing the Tow/
Haul button on the instrument panel.
While in Range Selection Mode,
Grade Braking is deactivated
allowing the driver to select a
desired range of gears. Grade Braking is only active while
the Tow/Haul Mode is selected and
you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See
“Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode on
page 9‑31 for more information on
the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining
desired vehicle speeds when driving
on downhill grades by automatically
shifting to lower gears when the
driver desires to slow the vehicle by
applying the brake. This reduces
wear on the braking system and
increases control of the vehicle.
Also see Trailer Towing on
page 9‑50 for more information.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-34 Driving and Operating
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal, then push
down the parking brake pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the handle, located just above the
parking brake pedal, with the
parking brake symbol, to release the
parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking
brake is released, the brake system
warning light will go off.
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑46.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-38 Driving and Operating
I(On/Off):Press to turn the
system on or off. The indicator light
is on when cruise control is on and
turns off when cruise control is off.
+RES (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET− (Set/Coast): Press to set the
speed and activate cruise control or
press and hold to decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory. Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster comes on
after the cruise control has been set
to the desired speed.
1. Press the
Ibutton.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press the SET− button located
on the steering wheel and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory. Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more,
press the +RES button on the
steering wheel. The vehicle returns
to the previous set speed and
stays there.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,.Press and hold the +RES button
on the steering wheel until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small amounts, press the +RES
button. Each time this is done,
the vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-39
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the SET–button
on the steering wheel until the
desired lower speed is reached,
then release it.
.To slow down in small amounts,
press the SET– button on the
steering wheel briefly. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previous set cruise speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends on the vehicle
speed, the load, and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep hills, pressing
the accelerator pedal may be
necessary to maintain vehicle
speed.
While going downhill:
.Vehicles with a four speed
automatic transmission may
need to have the brakes applied
or the transmission shifted to a
lower gear to keep the
speed down.
.Vehicles with a six speed
automatic transmission have a
Cruise Grade Braking feature
that may automatically shift to a
lower gear to keep the speed
down. It may be necessary to
apply the brake or manually shift
the transmission to a lower gear.
The vehicle may shift to a higher
gear when grade braking
assistance is no longer required.
Cruise Grade Braking is not
available while in Range
Selection Mode.
This feature is active when
the exhaust brake is enabled
(if equipped). See "Range
Selection Mode" under
Manual
Mode on page 9‑31.
When the brakes are manually
applied the cruise control is
disengaged.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise
control:.To disengage cruise control,
step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press the[on the steering
wheel.
.To turn off the cruise control,
press
Ion the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if
Iis
pressed or if the vehicle is
turned off.