Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/6/16
Driving and Operating 167
Curve Tips
.Ta k e c u r v e s a t a r e a s o n a b l espeed.
.Reduce speed before entering acurve.
.Maintain a reasonable steadyspeed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out ofthe curve before acceleratinggently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations whensteering around a problem maybe more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of thesteering wheel allows you to turn180 degrees without removingahand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can dropoff the edge of a road onto theshoulder while driving. Followthese tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in theway, steer the vehicle so that itstraddles the edge of thepavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel aboutone-eighth of a turn, until theright front tire contacts thepavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to gostraight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids thatcorrespond to the vehicle's threecontrol systems:
.Braking Skid—wheels are notrolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid—too much speed or steering in acurve causes tires to slip andlose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid—too muchthrottle causes the drivingwheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skidsby taking reasonable care suited toexisting conditions, and by notoverdriving those conditions. Butskids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, followthese suggestions:
.Ease your foot off theaccelerator pedal and steer theway you want the vehicle to go.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/6/16
168 Driving and Operating
The vehicle may straighten out.Be ready for a second skid if itoccurs.
.Slow down and adjust yourdriving according to weatherconditions. Stopping distancecan be longer and vehiclecontrol can be affected whentraction is reduced by water,snow, ice, gravel, or othermaterial on the road. Learn torecognize warning clues—suchas enough water, ice, or packedsnow on the road to make amirrored surface—and slowdown when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,acceleration, or braking,including reducing vehicle speedby shifting to a lower gear. Anysudden changes could causethe tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes helpavoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reducevehicle traction and affect yourability to stop and accelerate.Always drive slower in these typesof driving conditions and avoiddriving through large puddles anddeep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Watercan build up under the vehicle'stires so they actually ride on thewater. This can happen if the road iswet enough and you are going fastenough. When the vehicle ishydroplaning, it has little or nocontact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule abouthydroplaning. The best advice is toslow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wetweather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wipingequipment in good shape.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Vehicle Care 215
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 282
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Towing the Vehicle
To w i n g t h e V e h i c l e . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 6Recreational VehicleTo w i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 6
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
General Information
For service and parts needs, visityour dealer. You will receivegenuine GM parts and GM-trainedand supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one ofthese marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING:Most motor vehicles,including this one, as well as manyof its service parts and fluids,contain and/or emit chemicalsknown to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects orother reproductive harm. Engineexhaust, many parts and systems,many fluids, and some componentwear by-products contain and/oremit these chemicals.
SeeBattery - North America0236andJump Starting - NorthAmerica0282.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotiveapplications, such as airbaginitiators, safety belt pretensioners,and lithium batteries contained inRemote Keyless Entry transmitters,may contain perchlorate materials.Special handling may be necessary.For additional information, seewww.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Vehicle Care 253
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come withall-season tires. These tires aredesigned to provide good overallperformance on most road surfacesand weather conditions. Originalequipment tires designed to GM'sspecific tire performance criteriahave a TPC specification codemolded onto the sidewall. Originalequipment all-season tires can beidentified by the last two charactersof this TPC code, which willbe“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires onthe vehicle if frequent driving onsnow or ice-covered roads isexpected. All-season tires provideadequate performance for mostwinter driving conditions, but theymay not offer the same level oftraction or performance as wintertires on snow or ice-covered roads.SeeWinter Tires0253.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originallyequipped with winter tires. Wintertires are designed for increasedtraction on snow and ice-coveredroads. Consider installing wintertires on the vehicle if frequentdriving on ice or snow coveredroads is expected. See your dealerfor details regarding winter tireavailability and proper tire selection.Also, seeBuying New Tires0268.
With winter tires, there may bedecreased dry road traction,increased road noise, and shortertread life. After changing to wintertires, be alert for changes in vehiclehandling and braking.
If using winter tires:
.Use tires of the same brand andtread type on all four wheelpositions.
.Use only radial ply tires of thesame size, load range, andspeed rating as the originalequipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speedrating as the original equipment tiresmay not be available for H, V, W, Y,and ZR speed rated tires. If wintertires with a lower speed rating arechosen, never exceed the tire'smaximum speed capability.
All-Terrain Tires
This vehicle may have All-TerrainTires. These tires provide goodperformance on most road surfaces,weather conditions, and for off-roaddriving.
The tread pattern on these tires maywear more quickly than other tires.Consider rotating the tires morefrequently than at 12 000 km(7,500 mi) intervals if irregular wearis noted when the tires areinspected. SeeTireInspection0265.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
254 Vehicle Care
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle and light
truck tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
(1) Tire Size:The tire size code
is a combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size”illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(2) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification):Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(3) DOT (Department of
Transportation):The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
DOT Tire Date of
Manufacture:The last four
digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two
digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits,
the year. For example, the third
week of the year 2010 would
have a four-digit DOT date
of 0310.
(4) Tire Identification Number
(TIN):The letters and numbers
following the DOT code are the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(5) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(6) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG):Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more
information, seeUniform Tire
Quality Grading0270.
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Vehicle Care 255
(7) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load. For
information on recommended
tire pressure seeTire Pressure
0260andVehicle Load
Limits0171.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Tire Size:The tire size code
is a combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size”illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(2) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification):Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines. This does not apply
to Goodyear LT225/75R16 G949
RSA and Goodyear LT225/
75R16 G933 RSD commercial
truck tires.
(3) Dual Tire Maximum Load:
Maximum load that can be
carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support that
load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on
recommended tire pressure see
Tire Pressure0260andVehicle
Load Limits0171.
(4) DOT (Department of
Transportation):The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
DOT Tire Date of
Manufacture:The last four
digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two
digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits,
the year. For example, the third
week of the year 2010 would
have a four-digit DOT date
of 0310.
(5) Tire Identification Number
(TIN):The letters and numbers
following the DOT code are the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
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256 Vehicle Care
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(6) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(7) Single Tire Maximum
Load:Maximum load that can
be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support that
load when used as a single. For
information on recommended
tire pressure seeTire Pressure
0260andVehicle Load
Limits0171.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following examples show
the different parts of a tire size.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
(1) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(2) Tire Width:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio:Atwo-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item 3 of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
75 percent as high as it is wide.
(4) Construction Code:Aletter
code is used to indicate the type
of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply
construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B
means belted-bias ply
construction.
(5) Rim Diameter:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Service Description:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire
is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
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Vehicle Care 257
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Light Truck (LT-Metric)
Tire:The United States version
of a metric tire sizing system.
The letters LT as the first two
characters in the tire size mean
alighttrucktireengineeredto
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(2) Tire Width:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio:Atwo-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item 3 of the light truck
(LT-Metric) tire illustration, it
would mean that the tire's
sidewall is 75 percent as high as
it is wide.
(4) Construction Code:Aletter
code is used to indicate the type
of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply
construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B
means belted-bias ply
construction.
(5) Rim Diameter:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Load Range:Load Range.
(7) Service Description:The
service description indicates the
load index and speed rating of a
tire. If two numbers are given as
in the example, 120/116, then
this represents the load index for
single versus dual wheel usage
(single/dual). The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is
certified to carry a load. This
does not apply to Goodyear
LT 2 2 5 / 7 5 R 1 6 G 9 4 9 R S A a n d
Goodyear LT225/75R16 G933
RSD commercial truck tires; see
the dual tire and single tire
maximum load and load range
letter designations on the tire
sidewall.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.