
Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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132 Instruments and Controls
HOOD OPEN
This message will display when the
hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
TRUNK OPEN
This message will display when the
trunk is open. Close the trunk
completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED
—
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When the engine oil is changed, be sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See
Engine Oil Life System 0248,
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 125, Engine Oil 0246, and
Maintenance Schedule 0322.
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.
OIL PRESSURE LOW— STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 207
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle
when it is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped. Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor and start the engine.
Starting Procedure (Key Access)
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the
ignition.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for
up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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208 Driving and Operating
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Starting Procedure (Keyless
Access) 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Press
ENGINE START/STOP with the
brake pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go
of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or if the RKE
transmitter battery is low, the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
will display a message. See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0125 andRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation
(Keyless Access) 031 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key
Access) 028.Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold ENGINE START/
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down.
When the engine starts, let go
of the button and the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly but then stops again,
follow the same steps. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Engine Heater
Vehicles with the 1.4L engine may
have an engine heater. The engine
heater can help in cold weather
conditions at or below
−18 °C (0 °F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the heater at least four hours
before starting the vehicle. An
internal thermostat in the plug end
of the cord will prevent engine
heater operation at temperatures
above −18 °C (0 °F).
To Use the Engine Heater
1. Turn off the engine.

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234 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
(MMT), which can damage
the emissions control
system and spark plugs.
. Fuel with a posted octane
rating of less than the
recommended fuel. Using
this fuel will lower fuel
economy and performance,
and may decrease the life of
the emissions catalyst.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post
fuel octane ratings in anti-knock
index (AKI). For fuel not to use in a
foreign country, see “Prohibited
Fuels” inFuel 0233.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel0233. If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death.
. To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not re-enter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
. Fuel can spray out if the fuel
cap is opened too quickly.
This spray can happen if the
tank is nearly full, and is
more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly
and wait for any hiss noise
to stop, then unscrew the
cap all the way.
The fuel cap is behind a hinged fuel
door at the rear driver side of the
vehicle.

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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238 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 239
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 239
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 248
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 250
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 250
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 255
Power Steering Fluid (1.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Power Steering Fluid (1.8L L4
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Battery - North America . . . . . . 260
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 262
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 263
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 265
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 270
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 272
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 272
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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244 Vehicle Care
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0250.
2. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0246.
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System 0251.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0246.
5. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0251.
6. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0259 and
Hydraulic Clutch 0250.
7. Auxiliary Fuse Block. See Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0273.
8. Battery - North America 0260.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0257.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0273.

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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246 Vehicle Care
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0250.
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering
Fluid (1.4L L4 Engine) 0257
or Power Steering Fluid (1.8L
L4 Engine) 0257.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0246.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System 0251.
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0246.
6. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0251.
7. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0259 and
Hydraulic Clutch 0250.
8. Auxiliary Fuse Block. See Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0273.
9. Battery - North America 0260.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0257. 11.
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0273.
Engine Oil
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:
.
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 0248.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0243 for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the
oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground.
Check the engine oil level after
the engine has been off for at
least two hours. Checking the
engine oil level on steep grades
or too soon after engine shutoff
can result in incorrect readings.
Accuracy improves when

Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 247
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
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 and
the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then recheck
the level. See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for
an explanation of what kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see
Capacities and
Specifications 0334.
Caution
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 MAX mark, 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
0 243 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range between the MIN and MAX
marks. 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 0330.
Specification
Ask for and use engine oils that
meet the dexos1™ specification.
Engine oils that have been
approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked
with the dexos1 approved logo. See
www.gmdexos.com.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.