
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
iv Introduction Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “ Do
Not, ” “ Do not do this, ” or “ Do not let
this happen. ”
Symbols The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator. M : This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
* : This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9 : Airbag Readiness Light
# : Air Conditioning
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
v +/-: Audio Steering Wheel
Controls
$ : Brake System Warning Light
" : Charging System I : Cruise Control
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
O : Exterior Lamps
# : Fog Lamps
. : Fuel Gauge
+ : Fuses
3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j : LATCH System Child
Restraints
* : Malfunction Indicator Lamp
: : Oil Pressure
} : Power
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Safety Belt Reminders
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor
d : Traction Control/StabiliTrak ®
M : Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Rear Window Wiper/
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11 Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-12
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator (United States) . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Service Vehicle Soon
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Electric Parking Brake
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
All-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . 5-18
Power Steering Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
StabiliTrak ®
Indicator Light . . . 5-19
Traction Control System
(TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-21
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21 Reduced Engine Power
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
Low Washer Fluid Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Gate Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-28
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-31
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-31
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-32
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
9-4 Driving and Operating .
Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{ WARNINGDrinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink. Control of a Vehicle Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include: .
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you. .
Avoid needless heavy braking. .
Keep pace with traffic. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering Hydraulic Power Steering Your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10 ‑ 19 .
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or
because of a system malfunction,
the vehicle can be steered but may
require increased effort. See your
dealer if there is a problem.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-11
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-18
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-19
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-23
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-24
Wiper Blade
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Bulb Replacement Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Turn Signal and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-29
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Electrical System Electrical System
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wheels and Tires Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-38
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
Vehicle Care 10-51. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10 ‑ 11 .
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir.
See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 19 .
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of
View). See Cooling System on
page 10 ‑ 13 .
4. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “ Checking Engine
Oil ” under Engine Oil on
page 10 ‑ 8 .
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under Engine
Oil on page 10 ‑ 8 .
6. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 20 . 7. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 10 ‑ 20 .
8. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
See Jump Starting on
page 10 ‑ 65 .
9. Battery on page 10 ‑ 23 .
10. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
and Pressure Cap. See
“ Checking Coolant ” under
Engine Coolant on page 10 ‑ 14 .
11. Remote Negative (-) Terminal.
See Jump Starting on
page 10 ‑ 65 .
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10 ‑ 30 .

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
Vehicle Care 10-71. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10 ‑ 11 .
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of
View). See “ When to Add Engine
Oil ” under Engine Oil on
page 10 ‑ 8 .
3. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
(Out of View). See Power
Steering Fluid on page 10 ‑ 19 .
4. Engine Cover. See Engine
Cover on page 10 ‑ 7 .
5. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “ Checking Engine
Oil ” under Engine Oil on
page 10 ‑ 8 .
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System on
page 10 ‑ 13 . 7. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 20 .
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 10 ‑ 20 .
9. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
See Jump Starting on
page 10 ‑ 65 .
10. Battery on page 10 ‑ 23 .
11. Engine Coolant Surge Tank.
See “ Checking Coolant ” under
Engine Coolant on page 10 ‑ 14 .
12. Remote Negative (-) Terminal.
See Jump Starting on
page 10 ‑ 65 .
13. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10 ‑ 30 .Engine Cover
Engine Cover (3.0L V6)
1. Oil Fill Cap
2. Engine Cover Bolt
3. Engine Cover
To remove:
1. Remove the oil fill cap (1).
2. Remove the engine cover
bolt (2).
3. Raise the engine cover (3) to
release it from the retainers.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
Vehicle Care 10-19.
Idles for long periods in traffic. .
Tows a trailer.
If there is an overheat warning with
no sign of steam, try this for a
minute or so:
1. If there is an a/c and it is on, turn
it off.
2. Turn on the heater to full hot at
the highest fan speed and open
the windows as necessary.
3. Try to minimize engine load. If in
a traffic jam, shift to N (Neutral);
otherwise, shift to the highest
gear possible while driving.
If the overheat warning is no longer
on, the vehicle can be driven. Just
to be safe, drive slowly for about
10 minutes. If the warning does not
come back on, drive normally.
If the warning continues and the
vehicle is not stopped, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away. If there is still no sign of steam, idle
the engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning continues,
turn off the engine and get everyone
out of the vehicle until it cools down.
The decision may be made to not lift
the hood but to get service help
right away.
Power Steering Fluid
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10 ‑ 4 for reservoir location.
When to Check Power Steering
Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly
check power steering fluid unless a
leak in the system is suspected or
an unusual noise is heard. A fluid loss in this system could indicate a
problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
How to Check Power Steering
Fluid To check the power steering fluid:
1. Turn the ignition off and let the
engine compartment cool down.
2. Remove the engine cover,
if required. See Engine Cover on
page 10 ‑ 7 .
3. Wipe the cap and the top of the
reservoir clean.
4. Unscrew the cap and wipe the
dipstick with a clean rag.
5. Replace the cap and completely
tighten it.
6. Remove the cap again and look
at the fluid level on the dipstick.
The fluid level should be within the
area indicated on the dipstick when
the engine is cold. If necessary, add
only enough fluid to bring the level
within the area indicated.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Captiva Sport Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/12/12
11-12 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 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 ‑ 8 .
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See Engine Coolant on page 10 ‑ 14 .
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 88863461, in
Canada 88863462).
Windshield Washer Automotive windshield washer fluid that meets regional freeze protection
requirements.
Hydraulic Power Steering System DEXRON ®
-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
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.
Automatic Transmission DEXRON ®
-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Transfer Case (All-Wheel Drive) Transfer Case Fluid (GM Part No. 88861950, in Canada 88861951).