Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 11/13/12
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-6
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-13
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-21
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-26
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-31
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-39
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-39
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 11/13/12
Driving and Operating 9-39
Prohibited Fuels
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, as well
as reformulated gasolines are
available in some cities. If these
gasolines comply with the
previously described specification,
then they are acceptable to use.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must be used only in
flex fuel vehicles.
{CAUTION
Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal
parts in the fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be
covered under the vehicle
warranty.
Some gasolines that are not
reformulated for low emissions can
contain an octane-enhancing
additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). Do not use
gasolines with MMT as they can
reduce spark plug life and affect
emission control system
performance. The malfunction
indicator lamp may turn on. If this
occurs, see your dealer for service.
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet
ASTM specification D 4814. Some
gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See
Fuel Additives
on page 9‑40.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑17. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If planning to drive in countries
outside the U.S. or Canada, the
proper fuel might be hard to find.
Check regional auto club or fuel
retail brand websites for availability
in the country where driving. Never
use leaded gasoline, fuel containing
methanol, or any other fuel not
recommended. Costly repairs
Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 11/13/12
9-40 Driving and Operating
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list ofmarketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of Fuel System Treatment
PLUS, part number 88861013,
added to the fuel tank at every
engine oil change, can help clean
deposits from fuel injectors and
intake valves. GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are not
reformulated for low emissions can
contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
spark plug life and affect emission
control system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer for service.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 11/13/12
INDEX i-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-39
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-39
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-48Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Gauges Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Daytime Running Lamps/Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Delayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 9-6