Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation in the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
A. Fan Control
B. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
C. Defrost
D. Recirculation
E. REAR (Rear Climate Control)
F. Air Delivery Mode Control
G. Driver Side Temperature ControlH. Display
I. Power (On/Off)
J. Rear Window Defogger
K. Air Conditioning
L. PASS (Passenger)
M. Passenger Side Temperature
Control Display Function
Each time the temperature, mode,
or fan control buttons are pressed,
the climate control display shows
that function along with the inside
temperature setting. The outside
temperature is displayed on the
instrument panel cluster.
O(On/Off):
Press to turn the
climate control system on or off.
While the system is off, outside air
still enters through the floor outlets,
but the air delivery mode can be
adjusted.
The climate control system will also
turn on if either the fan control,
defrost, AUTO, or air conditioning
buttons are pressed.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):The system
automatically controls the inside
temperature, the air delivery, and
the fan speed.
To use automatic mode:
1. Press the AUTO button.
When AUTO is selected, the
current temperature(s) selected
and AUTO is shown on the
display. The current air delivery
mode and fan speed also
appear for approximately
five seconds.
When AUTO is selected, the air
conditioning and air inlet are
automatically controlled. The air
conditioning runs when the
outside temperature is over
4°C (40°F). The system is
automatically set to outside
air, unless it is hot outside and
then the air inlet changes to
recirculation mode to help quickly cool the vehicle. The
recirculation indicator light will
come on.
2. Set the temperature for the driver and passenger.
To find a comfortable setting,
start with a 22°C (73°F)
temperature setting and allow
about 20 minutes for the system
to regulate. Use the driver side
or passenger side temperature
buttons to adjust the
temperature setting as
necessary. The system will
remain at the selected setting.
Choosing the warmest or coolest
temperatures does not cause the
vehicle to heat or cool more
quickly.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold
weather, the system delays
turning on the fan until warm
air is available. Press the fan
control to override this delay and
select the fan speed. Temperature Control
The driver and passenger side
temperature buttons are used to
adjust the temperature of the air
coming through the system. The
temperature can be adjusted even
if the system is turned off since
outside air still enters the vehicle,
unless the recirculation mode is
selected. See
“Recirculation” later in
this section.
Driver Side Temperature
Control: Press the + or −buttons
to increase or decrease the driver
side temperature. The driver side
temperature display will show the
temperature setting.
Passenger Side Temperature
Control: Press the + or −buttons
to increase or decrease the
passenger side temperature. The
passenger side display will show the
temperature setting.
PASS (Passenger): Press to set
the passenger temperature to match
the driver temperature setting.
The PASS indicator will turn off.
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
8-6 Climate Controls
When the passenger temperature
setting is different than the driver
setting, the PASS indicator
comes on.
Manual Operation
The air delivery mode or fan speed
can be manually adjusted.
D/C(Fan Control):Press to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
Pressing
DorCwhile in automatic
control places the fan speed under
manual control.
The air delivery mode remains in
automatic control. The fan setting
still displays, but the word AUTO
no longer displays, and the AUTO
button indicator light turns off.
H/G(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press to change the
direction of the airflow in the vehicle.
Repeatedly press
HorGuntil the
desired mode appears on the
display. Pressing a mode button
while the system is off changes the
air delivery mode without turning the system on. Press a mode button
while in automatic control to place
the system into manual control.
The air delivery mode setting still
displays, but the word AUTO no
longer displays, and the AUTO
button indicator light turns off.
H(Vent):
Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
towards the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system
uses outside air.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents. When this mode is selected, the
system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning compressor
unless the outside temperature is
less than 4°C (40°F). Do not drive
the vehicle until all the windows are
clear.
0(Defrost):
Press to turn the
defrost on or off. This mode quickly
clears the windshield of fog or frost.
Air is directed to the windshield,
side window, and floor vents. In this
mode, outside air is pulled inside
the vehicle. The air conditioning
system runs automatically in this
setting, unless the outside
temperature is less than 4°C (40°F).
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
While in defrost mode, if the PASS
button is pressed, the PASS button
indicator flashes three times to
show that the passenger climate
control system cannot be activated.
If the passenger temperature
buttons are adjusted while in defrost
mode, the driver temperature
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-7
indicator will change. The
passenger temperature will not be
displayed.
When returning to bi-level, vent,
or floor mode, the previous
temperature settings displays in
place of any change made while in
defrost mode.
Air Conditioning
#(Air Conditioning):Press to
turn the air conditioning (A/C) on
and off. An indicator light comes on
when A/C is on.
The A/C does not work when the
outside temperature is below 4°C
(40°F). If
#is pressed the indicator
flashes three times and turns off to
show that the A/C mode is not
available. If the A/C is on and the
outside temperature drops below a
temperature which is too cool for air
conditioning to be effective, the A/C
indicator turns off to show that the
A/C mode has been canceled. On hot days, open the windows
briefly to let hot inside air escape.
This helps reduce the time it takes
for the interior of the vehicle to
cool down.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air, so
water might drip under the vehicle
while idling or after turning off the
engine. This is normal.
@(Recirculation):
Press to turn
the recirculation mode on or off. An
indicator light comes on when
recirculation is on. When the engine
is turned off, the recirculation mode
automatically turns off and must be
re‐selected when the engine is
turned on again.
This mode recirculates and helps
to quickly cool the air inside the
vehicle. It can be used to prevent
outside air and odors from entering
the vehicle. The recirculation mode cannot be
used with floor, defog, or defrosting
modes. If recirculation is selected in
these modes, the indicator flashes
three times and turns off. The air
conditioning compressor also comes
on when this mode is activated.
While in recirculation mode the
windows can fog when the weather
is cold and damp. To clear the fog,
select either the defog or defrost
mode and increase the fan speed.
REAR:
Press to turn the rear
heating and air conditioning on or
off. See Rear Climate Control
System (Rear Climate Control Only)
on page 8‑9 orRear Climate Control
System (Rear Climate with Rear
Seat Audio) on page 8‑10.
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
8-8 Climate Controls
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog from the
rear window.
1(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. The rear window
defogger stays on for about
10 minutes, before turning off. The
defogger also turns off when the
engine is turned off. Do not drive the
vehicle until all the windows are
clear.
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, fog or frost is
cleared from the surface of the
mirror when the rear window defog
button is pressed.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
Sensors
The solar sensor, located in the
defrost grille in the middle of the
instrument panel, monitors the solar
heat. Do not cover the solar sensor
or the system will not work properly.
The interior temperature sensor
located on the instrument panel to
the right of the steering column,
measures the temperature of the air
inside the vehicle.
There is also an exterior
temperature sensor located behind
the front grille. This sensor reads
the outside air temperature and
helps maintain the temperature
inside the vehicle. Any cover on the
front of the vehicle could cause a
false reading in the displayed
temperature.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-11
Mimic Mode:This mode matches
the rear climate control to the front
climate control settings. It comes on
when REAR is pressed.
Independent Mode: This mode
directs rear seating airflow
according to the settings of the rear
controls. It comes on when any rear
control is adjusted.
DandC(Fan Control): Press the
fan up or down buttons to increase
or decrease the fan speed.
Temperature Control: Press +
or −to increase or decrease the
air temperature. The temperature
settings will display in
0‐12 increments, going from the
coolest (0) to the warmest (12)
setting.
N(Air Delivery Mode Control):
Press to manually change the
direction of the airflow. Repeatedly
press the button until the desired
mode appears on the display.
H(Vent): Air is directed through
the overhead outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is directed
through the rear floor outlets, as
well as the overhead outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed through
the floor outlets. The rear system
floor outlets are located under the
third row seats.
Air Vents
Use the slider switch in the center of
the outlet, to change the direction of
the airflow. Use the thumbwheel
near the outlet to control the amount
of airflow or to shut off the airflow.
Keep all outlets open whenever
possible for best system
performance.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from the air inlets at
the base of the windshield that
can block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steadypressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑27.{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
is the position in which you can
operate the electrical accessories or
items plugged into the accessory
power outlets. This position unlocks the ignition and steering wheel. Use
this position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.R(ON/RUN):
This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position. If you leave the key in the
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
position with the engine off, the
battery could be drained. You may
not be able to start the vehicle if the
battery is allowed to drain for an
extended period of time.
/(START): This is the position
that starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The
ignition switch will return to ON/RUN
for driving.
Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
9-24 Driving and Operating
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 56 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 56 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
Notice: If the vehicle seems to
accelerate slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle
that way, you could damage the
transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. You can
drive in L (Low) when you are
driving less than 56 km/h (35 mph)
and D (Drive) for higher speeds
until then.
If the vehicle is stopped on a hill,
with your foot off the brake pedal,
the vehicle may roll. This is normal
and is due to the torque converter
designed to improve fuel economy and performance. Use the brake to
hold the vehicle on a hill. Do not use
the accelerator pedal.
L (Low):
This position gives you
access to gear ranges. This
provides more engine braking but
lower fuel economy than D (Drive).
You can use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud.
Manual Mode
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose the
top-gear limit of the transmission
and the vehicle's speed while
driving downhill or towing a trailer.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. When
using the ERS mode a number will
display next to the L, indicating the
current gear that has been selected. To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press the plus/minus button
located on the shift lever, to
increase or decrease the gear
range available.
When you shift from D (Drive) to
L (Low), the transmission will shift to
a pre-determined lower gear range.
The highest gear available for this
pre-determined range is displayed
next to the L in the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑24 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Without
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑29 for more
information. The number displayed
in the DIC is the highest gear that
the transmission will be allowed to
operate in. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the L,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle.