2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS PASSANGER towing

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
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑8.
B. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.
C. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑5 (Out of View).
E. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑12.
F. Shift Lever. See Starting the
Engine on page 9‑18.
Manual Mode on page 9‑31
(If Equipped).
G. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
H. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
I. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1. J.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps on page 6‑6.
K. Cruise Control on page 9‑37
(If Equipped).
Fast Idle System (If Equipped).
See the Duramax diesel
supplement for more
information.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2 (If Equipped).
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑21.
N. Horn on page 5‑4.
O. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 (If Equipped).
P. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See “Tow/Haul Mode” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑55.
Q. Power Outlets on page 5‑10. R.
StabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑35 (If Equipped).
S. Passenger Airbag On‐Off Switch (If Equipped). See
Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑26.
T. Front Storage on page 4‑1
(If Equipped).
U. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑20
(If Equipped).
OnStar
®System Button
(If Equipped). See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.
V. Rear Heating System on
page 8‑5 (If Equipped).
W. USB Port (If Equipped). See Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑19.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
1-10 In Brief
Select each mirror by turning the
knob clockwise for the passenger
side mirror or counterclockwise for
the driver side mirror. Adjust the
mirror angle by moving the knob in
the desired direction.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
Vehicles with towing mirrors can be
adjusted manually for a clear view
of the objects behind you.Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return it to the original position.
Interior Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view behind the vehicle. Adjust the
mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind. Push the tab,
located at the base of the mirror,
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
See
Manual Rearview Mirror on
page 2‑15.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
For vehicles with a tilt steering
wheel, the lever is located on the
left side of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever to move the steering wheel up or down into a
comfortable position.
2. Release the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.
See Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-15
Transmission
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 downhill 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 to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus 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. 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. See Manual
Mode on page 9‑31.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Manual Mirrors
Adjust the mirrors by pressing the
mirror up and down and left and
right.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.
On the lower portion of each mirror
is an auxiliary convex mirror.
A convex mirror's surface is curved
so you can see more from the driver
seat. The auxiliary convex mirrors
can be adjusted manually by
pressing the mirror.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
Vehicles with towing mirrors can be
adjusted manually for a clear view
of the objects behind you.
On the lower portion of each mirror
there is an auxiliary convex mirror
that can be adjusted manually to
provide an extended field of view.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-35
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system.To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑18.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might add
to or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar garnish
trim, front sensors, rollover
sensor module, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the
airbag system.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might
be required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. 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
the light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and
may cause stalling after start-up, stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑40.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑34for
more information. The light stays on
if the parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after the
parking brake is fully released, it
means the vehicle has a brake
problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal might go closer to the
floor. It could take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑90.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this 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 ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑23.