2013 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission Fluid (4-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Noise Control System . . . . . . 10-29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-31
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Front Turn Signal,Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-37
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
10-2 Vehicle Care
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62 Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-65
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-75
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-77
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-3
California Proposition 65
Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑31.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
10-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑16. This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑31.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records on
page 11‑15.
Notice: Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the
fluids, reservoir caps,
or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbol on it. It is in front of the driver
side door frame near the floor.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-5
2. Go to the front of the vehicle andlift up the secondary hood
release, which is underneath the
middle of the hood.3. Lift the hood, release the hoodprop from its retainer, and put
the hood prop into the slot in
the hood. If the vehicle has an underhood
lamp, it will automatically come on
and stay on until the hood is closed.
Before closing the hood, be sure all
of the filler caps are on properly.
Then lift the hood to relieve
pressure on the hood prop. Remove
the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its
retainer. Let the hood down and
close it firmly.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
10-6 Vehicle Care
Engine Compartment Overview
4.3L V6 Engine Shown (4.8L V8 Engine, 5.3L V8 Engine, and 6.0L V8 Engine Similar)

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-7
1.Battery on page 10‑27.
2. Radiator Pressure Cap. See Cooling System on page 10‑16.
3. Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling System on page 10‑16.
4. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (4-Speed
Transmission) on page 10‑10 or
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6-Speed Transmission) on
page 10‑12.
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 10‑7.
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
7. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
8. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑23. 9. Brake Master Cylinder
Reservoir. See Brake Fluid on
page 10‑25.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑23.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and of
the proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑9.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
10-8 Vehicle Care
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
{WARNING
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then
push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick, add
1 L (1 qt) of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section for an explanation of
what kind of oil to use. For engine
oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
Notice: Do not add too much oil.
Oil levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Specification
Use and ask for licensed engine oils
with the dexos1
®approved
certification mark. Engine oils
meeting the requirements for the
vehicle should have the dexos1
approved certification mark. This
certification mark indicates that the
oil has been approved to the dexos1
specification.