Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
9-30 Driving and Operating
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel
drive, but there is no separate lever
or switch to engage or disengage
the front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-13
vehicle towed to a dealer and have
it repaired before driving the vehicle
further.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed inMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3, and be sure
to use the transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Because this operation can be
difficult, it is recommended to have
this check done at your dealer,
which can monitor the transmission
temperature. The transmission fluid
level increases with temperature. To
obtain a highly accurate fluid level
check, the transmission temperature
must be measured.
If it is decided to check the fluid
level, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or a false reading
on the dipstick may occur. Notice:
Too much or too little
fluid can damage the
transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the fluid could
come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts,
starting a fire. Too little fluid
could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if checking the
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes with the
engine off, before checking the
transmission fluid level if the vehicle
has been driven:
.In hot weather, when outside
temperatures are above 32°C
(90°F).
.The vehicle is heavily loaded.
.At high speed for quite a while in
hot weather.
.In heavy traffic and hot weather.
.While pulling a trailer. After driving under these conditions,
a hot check can be performed. The
fluid should be hot, which is 71°C to
93°C (160°F to 200°F).
A cold fluid level check can be
performed after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more
with the engine off, but this is used
only as a reference. Let the engine
run at idle for five minutes if the
outside temperature is between
15°C to 32°C (60°F to 90°F). Should
the fluid level be low during this cold
check, the fluid must be checked
warm or hot before adding fluid.
If the outside temperature is colder
than 15°C (60°F) or hotter than
32°C (90°F), a cold check cannot be
performed.
A warm fluid level check can be
performed by driving the vehicle
under lightly loaded conditions and
outside temperatures between 10°C
to 27°C (50°F to 80°F). The vehicle
should be driven for at least 24 km
(15 mi) before performing a warm
check. Checking the fluid warm or
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
10-14 Vehicle Care
hot will give a more accurate
reading of the fluid level than a cold
check.
Because the vehicle is equipped
with a high-efficiency air-to-oil
cooler, the transmission fluid
temperature may not reach the
required hot fluid level checking
temperature under normal lightly
loaded driving vehicle conditions.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare the vehicle:
1. Park the vehicle on a levelplace. Keep the engine running.
2. With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With a foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through
each gear range, pausing for
about three seconds in each
range. When M is reached,
move the selector from M1
through M3. Then, position the
shift lever in P (Park). 4. Let the engine run at idle for
two minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the
engine, use the steps that follow.
The transmission dipstick is near
the center of the engine
compartment and will be labeled
with the graphic shown.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for more information
on location.
1. COLD Range
2. WARM Range 3. HOT Range
1. Flip the handle up, pull out the
dipstick, and wipe it with a clean
rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds, and pull it back
out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower level. The
fluid level must be in the
COLD (1) range for a cold
check, transmission temperature
27°C to 32°C (80°F to 90°F);
between the COLD (1) and
HOT (3) range for a WARM (2)
check, 50°C to 60°C (122°F to
140°F); or in the HOT (3)
cross-hatched range for a hot
check, 71°C to 93°C (160°F to
200°F). Be sure to keep the
dipstick pointed down to get an
accurate reading.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then
flip the handle down to lock the
dipstick in place.
Black plate (79,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Vehicle Care 10-79
3. Turn off the ignition on bothvehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlet. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks
and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations of the other
vehicle.
On your van, use the unpainted
radio antenna bracket as a
remote negative (−) terminal.
{WARNING
Using an open flame near a
battery can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running. 5. Check that the jumper cables do
not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables,
here are some basic things you
should know. Positive (+) will go
to positive (+) or to a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle
has one. Negative (−) will go to
an unpainted metal part or to a
remote negative (−) terminal if
the vehicle has one. On your
van, use the unpainted radio
antenna bracket as a remote
negative (−) terminal.
Do not connect positive (+) to
negative (−) or you will get a
short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts
too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal on the dead
battery because this can cause
sparks.
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
Service and Maintenance 11-9
Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled. Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Additional Information
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-18 Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Light On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-16
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-27, 9-30
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22, 9-26
TransmissionFluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10, 10-12
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-31
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-36
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . 10-32, 10-33
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-17
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-31
Child Restraints
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Securing . . . . . . . . . . 3-48, 3-50, 3-53
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2013 - 1stPrintReady - 6/19/12
i-4 INDEX
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Floor Console Fuse Block . . 10-41
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-31
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Engine (cont'd)
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-22
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Enhanced Technology Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Fan Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4 Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Fluid AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . 10-10, 10-12
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-42
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-23