Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
7-8 Infotainment System
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
The Radio may have a Radio Data
System (RDS). The RDS feature is
available for use only on FM
stations that broadcast RDS
information. This system relies upon
receiving specific information from
these stations and only works when
the information is available. While
the radio is tuned to an FM-RDS
station, the station name or call
letters display. In rare cases, a radio
station could broadcast incorrect
information that causes the radio
features to work improperly. If this
happens, contact the radio station.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, and XM.
The selection displays.
f(Tune): Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the station frequency.
©SEEK or¨SEEK:
Press
©SEEK to go to the
previous or
¨SEEK to go to the
next station and stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold
either button for two seconds until a
beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station. For
AM-FM Radio and Radio with CD,
the station frequency flashes while
the radio is in the scan mode. Press
either button again to stop scanning.
The radio seeks and scans stations
only with a strong signal that are in
the selected band. For AM-FM Radio and Radio with
CD, scan presets within the current
selected band by pressing and
holding either SEEK button for
four seconds until a double beep
sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds if a
strong signal is present, then goes
to the next stored preset. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode.Setting Preset 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 softkeys, by performing
the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1,
FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
7-10 Infotainment System
Satellite Radio
Finding a Category (CAT)
Station
CAT (Category):The CAT button is
used to find XM™ stations while the
radio is in the XM mode.
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the United States and
Canada only.
Finding a Station
BAND: Press to switch
between FM1, FM2, AM, and XM.
The selection displays.
f(Tune): Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the station frequency.
©SEEK or¨SEEK:
Press
©SEEK to go to the
previous or
¨SEEK to go to the
next station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold
either button for two seconds until a
beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station. For
AM-FM Radio and Radio with CD,
the station frequency flashes while
the radio is in the scan mode. Press
either button again to stop scanning.
The radio seeks and scans stations
only with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
For AM-FM Radio and Radio with
CD, scan presets within the current
selected band by pressing and
holding either SEEK button for
four seconds until a double beep
sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds if a
strong signal is present, then goes
to the next stored preset. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode.
Setting Preset 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 softkeys, by performing
the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1,
FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered softkeys for
three seconds until a beep
sounds. When that softkey is
pressed and released, the
station that was set, returns.
5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for each softkey.
Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-19
Auxiliary Devices
Using the Auxiliary Input Jack
Radios with an auxiliary input jack
located on the lower right side of the
faceplate can connect to an external
audio device such as an iPod
®,
MP3 player, or CD player, for use as
another source for audio listening.
This input jack is not an audio
output; do not plug headphones into
the front auxiliary input jack.
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3 for
more information on driver
distraction. To use a portable audio player,
connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable to
the radio's front auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, press
the radio CD/AUX button to begin
playing audio from the device over
the vehicle speakers.
For optimal sound quality, increase
the portable audio device's volume
to the loudest level.
It is always best to power the
portable audio device through its
own battery while playing.
O(Power/Volume):
Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the volume of the
portable player. Additional volume
adjustments might have to be made
from the portable device if the
volume is not loud or soft enough. BAND:
Press to listen to the radio
when a portable audio device is
playing. The portable audio device
continues playing.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to
play a CD when a portable audio
device is playing. Press again and
the system begins playing audio
from the connected portable audio
player. If a portable audio player is
not connected, “No Input Device
Found” displays.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Rear Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
Vehicles without Air Conditioning
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
9(Fan Control): Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
9(Off): Turns the system off.
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
8-2 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:Turn the
knob clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
Air Delivery Mode Control:
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to change the
current airflow mode.
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets, with some air directed
toward the windshield.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets with some air directed
to the windshield and side windows.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Outside
air is directed to the floor and
defroster outlets. Adjust the
temperature knob for warmer or
cooler air. The air conditioning
compressor might turn on in this
setting to dehumidify the air.
1(Defrost): This mode clears
the windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield, with some to the floor
outlets and front side windows.
The air conditioning compressor
might turn on in this setting to
dehumidify the air.
Do not drive the vehicle until all
the windows are clear.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-7
When the fan knob is in the AUX position, the rear climate control panel can
be used to adjust the climate settings in the rear seating area.
Rear Climate Control Panel
A. Fan Control
B. Air Delivery Mode Control
C. Temperature Control For vehicles with a rear climate
control panel, it is located overhead
behind the driver and front
passenger, centered in front of the
second row. To adjust the rear
climate control panel settings by a
rear seat passenger, the front
climate control panel fan knob must
be in the AUX position. The fan
speed, air delivery mode, and
temperature can then be adjusted.AUX (Auxiliary):
Turn the fan knob
on the front climate control panel to
AUX to let rear seat passengers use
the control panel in the rear seating
area. This disables the front control
panel. To return control to the front
panel, move the fan knob out
of AUX.
9: Turns the system off.
9(Fan Control): Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed in the
rear-seating area.
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
8-8 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:
Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase
or decrease the temperature
in the rear‐seating area.
The air-conditioning system on the
main climate control panel must be
turned on to direct cooled air to the
rear of the vehicle. If it is not on,
then the temperature in the rear of
the vehicle remains at cabin
temperature.Air Delivery Mode Control:
Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to change the direction of the airflow
in the rear seating area.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
H(Vent):
Air is directed to the
upper outlets, with some directed to
the floor outlets.
2(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
Be sure to keep the area under the
front seats clear of any objects so
that the air inside of the vehicle can
circulate effectively.
For information on how to use the
main climate control system, see
Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1. For information on
ventilation, see Air Vents on
page 8‑8.
Air Vents
Use the outlets located near the
center and on the sides of the
instrument panel to change the
direction of airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow or
leaves from the air inlets at the
base of the windshield that may
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors may adversely affect
the performance of the system.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
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 . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-10
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission(Six Speed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Automatic Transmission (Four Speed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58