
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
146 Driving and Operating
When Ice Prevents You from
Putting Your Key in the Door
or Opening the Door
If you try to force the key into the
door, you could bend it. And if you
try to pull the door open with undue
force, the rubber seal around the
door could come unstuck or become
damaged. Use warm water to melt
the ice, then quickly wipe it away
and open the door.
If the wipers, electric door mirrors,
or power windows freeze up, also
use warm water to melt the ice and
then operate the system. Otherwise,
you could damage the mechanism
and drain the battery. After that,
wipe the water away.
Before Driving in Cold Regions
Getting In and Out of the Vehicle
The step can get icy in cold regions.
Be careful not to slip when getting in
and out of the vehicle.
Before Sitting in the Driver’s Seat
Remove snow and ice from your
shoes when getting into the vehicle.
If you try to drive with snow on your shoes, your shoes would slip on the
pedals and you would not be able to
press the pedals properly, meaning
that your driving would be
inconsistent. Also, the cabin could
become more humid, causing the
glass to fog up.
Check Fuel Level
Fuel consumption increases when
tire chains are used. Determine how
much fuel you need to reach your
destination and fill up the tank in
advance. Refer to
Fuel for Diesel
Engines 0232 orFuel (Gasoline)
0 231.
Removing Snow from Glass
and Underbody
Do not use a sharp implement to
remove snow. Sharp edges could
damage rubber parts.
To maintain an adequate field of
view, use a plastic scraper to
remove snow and frost from the
glass surfaces. By using a plastic
scraper, you can remove the snow
and frost without scratching the glass. At this time, check whether
the wiper blades are frozen onto the
glass.
Also, look under the vehicle and
remove any lumps of ice that are
stuck to the underbody. Be careful
not to damage components.
Driving on Snowy or Frozen
Roads
On slippery roads, never accelerate
rapidly, brake hard, decelerate
rapidly or make sharp turns of the
steering wheel.
There is a risk of reduced grip
between the tires and road surface
and of increased braking distances.
The danger of icy road surfaces is
particularly great on bridges, in
shady places and where there are
puddles.
Keep your speed down and be sure
to use tire chains or winter tires on
snowy or frozen road surfaces.
For diesel vehicles, use engine
brakes together with the foot brakes
to decelerate. Using the exhaust
brake on a slippery road surface
could cause the tires to slip.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
Driving and Operating 147
For gasoline vehicles, use lower
gears to overcome the retardation
effect of the engine. Apply the foot
brakes lightly.
Pay Attention to the Way the
Steering Wheel Turns and Feels
On snowy roads, water and snow
splashed up by the tires can freeze
and accumulate inside the fenders,
making the steering wheel hard to
turn. From time to time, get out of
the vehicle and remove any
accumulated snow.
Check the Brakes from Time
to Time
When the vehicle is driven or
parked on a snowy surface, ice can
form on the brakes, decreasing their
effectiveness. From time to time
while you are driving, press the
brake pedal lightly and check the
effectiveness of the brakes. Pay
attention to vehicles both ahead of
and behind you when checking the
brakes in this way.
Also, check the effectiveness of the
brakes as soon as possible when
starting to drive the vehicle after ithas been parked. If the brakes do
not work well, drive slowly and
gently press the brake pedal several
times until the brakes dry out and
start working normally.
Parking in Cold Regions
When snow collects around the
wheels and the lights, try to remove
it before night falls.
Do not apply the parking brake in
extremely cold weather, such as in
temperatures or at below 0 °C (32 °
F). If you leave the parking brake
applied, the wires and brake shoes
could freeze up, making it
impossible for you to release the
parking brake. Be sure to park the
vehicle in gear.
Be sure to put chocks against the
tires.
Whenever possible, park in a
garage to help prevent parts from
freezing up and to help make the
engine easy to start.
{Warning
If you park in a place where there
is a lot of snowfall, snow
accumulating around the vehicle
could limit ventilation. Running
the engine with the vehicle in
these conditions could cause
exhaust gases to enter the cabin,
resulting in carbon monoxide
poisoning. Take preventive action
by, for example, clearing the snow
around the vehicle.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Do not park under trees or under
the eaves of a building. Chunks of
ice could fall on the vehicle if you
park in such a place.
Cleaning the Vehicle after
Driving on Snowy Roads
. The vehicle speed sensors are
fitted on the wheels. When
removing snow, ice, and other
incrustation, take great care not
to damage the components.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
148 Driving and Operating
.Do not use a sharp implement to
remove snow. Sharp edges
could damage rubber parts.
Refer to Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0217.
Remove snow that has stuck to the
inside of the fenders and to the
brake hoses. Otherwise, it may
damage components. After driving
on a salted road, wash the
underside of the vehicle as soon as
possible to prevent the salt from
causing rust. Spraying water under
high pressure is an effective way to
get the salt off.
After washing the vehicle, wipe the
door openings dry.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
When Driving on Bad Roads
Freeing the Vehicle from Sand,
Mud, Snow, and Ice
If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, snow or ice, move the selector
lever from "Second" to "Reverse".
Apply a light pressure to the
accelerator pedal while the
transmission is in gear. Remove your foot from the accelerator and
press the brake pedal while shifting.
Do not race the engine. For best
traction, avoid spinning the wheels.
When you cannot avoid driving
through deep mud, using tire chains
is an effective way to avoid getting
stuck.
Do not allow wheels to spin freely in
mud, sand, snow, ice or other poor
road conditions. This free spinning
will damage the rear axle. Even
vehicles equipped with LSD (Limited
Slip Differential) have traction
limitations. If your vehicle gets stuck
and it is difficult to extricate,
immediately stop driving and have
the vehicle towed. Spinning wheels
for an extended period of time may
cause abnormal noises or
malfunction to LSD.
Do not spin wheels faster than
32 km/h (20 MPH). Damage may
result from excessive wheel
spinning, including tire, transmission
and/or rear axle malfunction.
When driving in sand or mud, avoid
hard braking, sudden acceleration
and sharp turns of the steering
wheel. Such actions could get the
vehicle stuck and make it difficult to
extricate.
After driving through deep mud: any
mud stuck to the vehicle can harm
the steering, brakes and powertrain.
Wash the vehicle and remove all
mud and other incrustation.
The vehicle speed sensors are fitted
on the wheels. When removing mud
and other incrustation, take great
care not to damage the
components.
Do not use a sharp implement to
remove mud. Sharp edges could
damage rubber parts.
Refer to
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0217 andExterior Care
0 334.Emergencies
(Troubleshooting)
Troubleshooting
Performing regular inspections and
maintenance prevents damage. Be
sure to perform inspections and
maintenance at regular intervals.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
Driving and Operating 157
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Not enough engine power Parking brake not fully
released
Make sure it is fully
released
-
Brake dragging
4-
Air cleaner clogged
4-
Fuel filter clogged
4-
Engine control system
faulty
4-
Common rail system
faulty
4-
Engine faulty
4-
DPF clogged (Diesel)
4-
Brakes not effective Drum-to-lining gap too
large
4-
Air in brake fluid
4-
Brake system failure
4-

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
162 Driving and Operating
If There is a Fuel Leak
{Danger
Leaking fuel from the vehicle is
dangerous due to possible
combustion or explosion. Stop the
engine immediately.
You or others could be seriously
injured or killed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Good vehicle care begins with
proper break-in. While every new
vehicle goes through rigid factory
and dealer inspection and tests
before delivery, the care you give
your vehicle during the initial
break-in period can pay off in longer
life, better performance and more
economical operation.
It is therefore always recommended
that during the initial 1 000 km
(600 mile) break-in period, the
following few simple precautions are
carefully observed.
Follow the recommendations listed
below for gasoline and diesel
engines:
.Warm up the engine by driving
easily for the first few minutes
before placing it under load. .
Do not drive for extended
periods at any one constant
speed, either fast or slow, during
the first 800 km (500 miles).
. Use the correct gear to maintain
the desired road speed without
lugging the engine.
. Avoid racing the engine,
full-throttle starts and aggressive
application of brakes when
stopping.
. Keep tires properly inflated for
the load carried.
. Check lubricant levels in the
engine and transmission weekly.
. For vehicles with gasoline
engines, keep speeds below
121 km/h (75 MPH) for the first
800 km (500 miles).
Follow the additional diesel only
recommendations listed below:
. Keep speeds below 80 km/h
(50 MPH) for the first 800 km
(500 miles).

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
Driving and Operating 209
Driving conditionsSelector lever position
Normal uphill road Diesel engine
–D (overdrive off
switch ON)
Gasoline engine –D4
Steep uphill, steep slope, mountain
road with many sharp curves 2 or 1
Long uphill road 2
Downhill driving:
Do not overuse the foot brake. This
will cause the brakes to overheat,
reducing their effectiveness. On
long downward slopes or sharp
downhill sections of road, use the
engine brake together with the foot
brakes to control the speed.
On vehicles with a diesel engine,
when the selector lever is in the D
position, you can drive with the
overdrive off switch ON to allow a
gentle engine brake to be applied.
On vehicles with a 3.0L diesel
engine, push the overdrive off
switch to the ON position at speeds below 135 km/h (84 MPH) to
increase engine braking action
when traveling downgrade.
On vehicles with a 5.2L diesel
engine, push the overdrive off
switch to the ON position at speeds
below 101 km/h (63 MPH) to
increase engine braking action
when traveling downgrade.
On vehicles with a gasoline engine,
with the selector lever in the D4
position at speeds below
121 km/h (75 MPH) to increase
engine braking action when
traveling downgrade.
You can increase engine braking by
driving with the selector lever in the
2 position.To apply a stronger engine brake on
sharp downhill sections, shift the
selector lever to the 1 position when
required.
See
Control of a Vehicle 0133.
Driving at Low Speeds for
Sustained Periods
On vehicles with a 3.0L diesel
engine, any low speed applications
such as sweeper, road marking
machinery, trash collectors, highway
striping or moving, etc. require the
following treatment to prevent the
automatic transmission fluid (ATF)
from overheating:
Select 1 position during low speed
operation under 28 km/h (17 MPH).
Select 2 position during low speed
operation under 53 km/h (33 MPH).
On vehicles with a 5.2L diesel
engine, any low speed applications
such as sweeper, road marking
machinery, trash collectors, highway
striping or moving, etc. require the
following treatment to prevent the
automatic transmission fluid (ATF)
from overheating:

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
Driving and Operating 213
Actions that Can Lead to a Breakdown with an Automatic Transmission
Actions that can lead to a breakdownBreakdown symptoms
Stopping the vehicle on an uphill road with the selector lever in a position
other than N or P, the accelerator pedal pressed, and the brakes not
applied. The transmission fluid overheats.
Pressing the accelerator pedal and brake pedal at the same time while the
vehicle is in a gear other than N or P.
Placing the selector lever into any gear with the accelerator pedal pressed
and the engine speed high. The transmission gears are
overloaded.
Placing the selector lever into P before the vehicle has completely stopped. The parking mechanism will be
damaged.
Turning off the engine control switch while driving. The transmission is not properly
lubricated.
Driving with the selector lever in the N position on a long downward slope
(this is dangerous due to the lack of engine brake).

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
10716700) - 2017 - crc - 12/6/16
Driving and Operating 217
Overdrive Off Indicator Light
Indicator lightFunction Usage conditions
Goes Off. 6-Speed (4-speed + overdrive) automatic
change (Overdrive ON). Use under normal driving conditions.
Comes On. 4-speed automatic change, but no change to
overdrive (overdrive OFF). Used when a light engine brake is required.
Doing so will reduce the number of gear
changes making the ride smoother on roads
that have many hills.
. During cold weather, the
transmission may not shift to the
5th or 6th gear (overdrive) until
the engine warms up.
. Even if the engine is stopped
with the overdrive OFF, the
overdrive will be ON the next
time the engine is started.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
Wheels may be locked and slip
during sudden braking or braking on
a slippery road surface such as a
snowy road. ABS is a device to
prevent the wheels from locking by
detecting a slippery condition during
braking and securing the directional
stability and handling stability of the
vehicle. ABS only assists in limited
road conditions and will not prevent
an accident if you exceed safe
driving speeds for road conditions.
Always drive safely.
{Warning
The braking distance on slippery
road surfaces is longer than that
on a normal dry paved road even
with an ABS-equipped vehicle. In
addition the braking distance can
be slightly longer in deep snow
and on a gravel road when ABS
is activated. Therefore, always
keep in mind the road condition
and tire condition (type of tires
and worn condition), observe safe
driving habits and drive the
vehicle while keeping a proper
distance between vehicles.
(Continued)