Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 121
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 132
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 132
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 136
Emergencies(Troubleshooting) . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Emergencies (Disabled Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 147
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Operating Temperature . . . . . . . 153
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Alarm and Automatic Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Idle Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
High Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Engine Checks Before
Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 161
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 170
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 185
Selector Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Overdrive Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Exhaust Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fuel
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . 206
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 209
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Running Out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 212
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Power Take-Off (PTO) . . . . . . . . 215
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
130 Driving and Operating
1. Hold the regular brake pedaldown with your right foot and
apply the parking brake all the
way before shifting the
transmission. Follow the
Parking Brake instructions in
this manual for your vehicle.
2. To move the selector lever to "P" (Park), hold in the button
on the lever and push the lever
all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Turn the key to "LOCK".
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
5. Before you leave the driver's seat, be sure the vehicle is not
moving, or check that your
vehicle is in Park by trying to
pull the selector lever out of "P"
(Park) by pulling the selector
lever toward you without
pushing the button. If you can
do this, it means that the
selector lever was not fully
locked into "P" (Park).Driving Down a Long Slope
When driving down a long slope,
use the exhaust brake together with
the foot brakes. Using the exhaust
brake and low-gears reduces the
work load on the foot brakes and
yields greater braking force. Even
so, use the foot brakes
appropriately to prevent the engine
over-revving.
Frequent use of the foot brakes can
cause vapor lock and brake fade,
resulting in reduced brake
effectiveness.
Brake Fade : Frequent use of the
brakes can cause the brakes to
overheat so that the frictional force
of the brake linings decreases and
the brakes become less effective
than normal. This phenomenon is
called brake fade.
Vapor Lock : If the brakes overheat
due to frequent use, the heat can
cause the brake fluid to boil so that
air bubbles are created in the brake
fluid. Pressing the brake pedal
simply compresses the air bubbles;
pressure is not transmitted to the
wheel cylinders, so the brakes' effectiveness sharply deteriorates.
This phenomenon is called
vapor lock.
Even so, you should be very careful
when using engine braking in a low
gear because the engine is likely to
over-rev.
See
Exhaust Brake 0201 and
Selector Lever 0194.
Do not adjust the exhaust brake
valve.
The engine should never be allowed
to exceed the governed speed.
Supplement the exhaust brake with
vehicle service brakes intermittently
and/or shift to higher transmission
gear to prevent engine overspeed.
A rule of thumb for gear selection is
that the vehicle should be driven
down a grade in the same gear that
would be used to climb that grade.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of personal
injury, before going down a steep
or long grade, reduce speed, turn (Continued)
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 145
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Loud or abnormal
noises From the
transmission
Insufficient
transmission oil
Add oilSee
Automatic
Transmission Fluid
0 229
Transmission inner
components faulty
4-
From differential Insufficient differential
gear oil
Add oilSee
Rear Axle
(Gear Oil Viscosity
Chart) 0249 or
Rear Axle (Oil
Level Check) 0249
Differential inner
components faulty
4-
From the
suspension Spring pins, shackles,
or stoppers worn
4-
From the driveshaft Poor lubrication in each
component
Lubricate themSee
Owner Checks
and Services 0317
Splines or bearings worn
4-
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 153
To prevent the battery from going
dead, turn the engine control switch
to the ACC or LOCK position after
stopping the engine. If you leave the
vehicle for an extended period of
time, place the engine control switch
in the LOCK position.
Let the engine idle for 3 minutes
before shutting off the engine. This
allows the turbocharger to slow
down while keeping the bearings
lubricated.
If the Vehicle Has Not Been Used
for a Long Period
If a diesel vehicle has been
standing for an extended period of
time, the turbocharger bearings
should be pre-lubricated prior to
starting. See your authorized dealer
for more detailed information.
Before using a vehicle that has not
been driven for a long period, check
the engine and transmission for oil
leakage, and make sure the oil is at
the required levels. If there is
insufficient oil, it will not adequately
reach and lubricate components,
and a breakdown will result.Start the engine and allow it to idle
for at least five minutes. Check for
abnormal noises.
For instructions on warming up the
engine, refer to
“Starting the Engine”
previously in this section.
If one year has passed since the
diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in the
DEF tank was added, the DEF in
the tank should be replaced. Be
careful not to inhale the ammonia
odor when replacing the DEF. Also,
please contact your nearest dealer
about the replacement work.
Operating Temperature
Recommendations for Warming
Up the Engine
The engine is sufficiently warmed
up when the needle of the engine
coolant temperature gauge starts
to move.
Do not race the engine or quickly
accelerate before the engine has
sufficiently warmed up. Oil would
not have adequately reached and
lubricated components, and a
breakdown may result. The exhaust pipe becomes
extremely hot while the engine is
idling. Before warming up the
engine, make sure there is no
flammable material, such as grass,
waste paper, oil, or old tires near the
exhaust pipe.
Engine Warm-up System
During cold ambient conditions, the
automatic engine warm-up system
operates to reduce engine warm-up
time during idling.
Automatic Engine Warm-up :
When the engine is idling with the
engine coolant temperature below
62 °C (144 °F), the engine warm-up
system automatically closes the
exhaust brake and increases engine
idle speed so that the engine is
warmed more quickly. Warm-up is
cancelled when the accelerator
pedal is pressed, and resumed
when the pedal is released.
Warm-up is automatically cancelled
entirely after the engine coolant
temperature rises above 65 °C
(149 °F).
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 185
When the exhaust system warning
light comes on, promptly have the
vehicle inspected and serviced at a
dealer.
When a malfunction is detected in
the SCR system, the warning and
the indicator lights shown in the
table come on. SeeVehicle
Messages 086, Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 074, and Diesel Exhaust
Fluid (DEF) Warning Light 080.
When the Diesel Exhaust Fluid
(DEF) Tank is Empty
If the DEF tank is empty and
warning and indicator lights are on,
you must follow below procedure to
cancel the vehicle restriction: 1. Turn the engine control switch to the LOCK or ACC position,
and add DEF.
2. After adding DEF, turn the engine control switch to ON
position.
3. Wait until buzzer stops, warnings and indicators are
turned off. 4. If the buzzer does not stop,
return the engine control switch
back to the LOCK position and
add more DEF, and then start
over from step 2 above.
5. Restart the engine.
It may take a while until the warning
lights and indicators turn off and the
buzzer stops after turning the
engine control switch to the ON
position.
It is desirable to fill up the tank with
DEF to avoid DEF remaining level
warning indication from reappearing.
When the outside temperature is
low, refer to Adding DEF in Cold
Weather. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 082, Brake System
Warning Light (Parking Brake Light)
0 75, Warning Buzzers 091, and
Winter Driving 0133.Automatic
Transmission
On an automatic transmission
vehicle, the driver does not use a
clutch pedal when pulling away,
changing gears, or stopping. Only
the selector lever, accelerator pedal,
and brake pedal are used.
Practice learning the characteristics
of the automatic transmission
vehicle and how to correctly operate
it. When the vehicle is stationary,
remember to keep the brake pedal
firmly pressed, and if necessary,
move the selector lever in the P or
N position and apply the parking
brake.
Creep : With the engine running
and a gear position other than P or
N selected with the selector lever,
power reaches the wheels even
when the accelerator pedal is not
pressed, causing the vehicle to tend
to move.
Furthermore, the higher the engine
speed, the stronger the creep and
the greater the vehicle's tendency
to move.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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188 Driving and Operating
To start your vehicle:1. Firmly press the brake pedal. After making sure the selector
lever is placed into P or N, that
P or N is shown in the shift
indicator and that the parking
brake lever is fully pulled up,
place the engine control switch
into the ON position.
2. Start the engine and move the selector lever into D for forward
movement, or R for backward
movement while firmly pressing
the brake pedal with your
right foot.
3. Make sure that the shift indicator indicates the correct
gear (D for forward movement,
or R for backward movement),
release the parking brake,
release the brake pedal, and
then gradually press the
accelerator pedal. The vehicle
starts moving as you press the
accelerator pedal further. On a steep slope:
Make sure that the shift indicator
indicates the correct gear (D for
forward movement, or R for
backward movement), check the
area around the vehicle is clear,
release the brake pedal with your
right foot, and then slowly press the
accelerator pedal.
After you feel the vehicle start
moving, gradually release the
parking brake lever and start driving
the vehicle.
When the brake pedal is not
pressed, the shift lock system
operates and the selector lever
cannot be shifted from P to any
other position.
See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 82, Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle 0149, Selector Lever 0194,
and Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check 0251.
Normal Driving
When you move the selector lever
from P into D, shifting takes place in
the automatic mode. Check that D is
displayed in the shift indicator. If the automatic transmission fluid
temperature is too low, the
transmission may not initially make
automatic shift to the 4th, 5th, and
6th gear. This condition is normal
and will be resolved as the fluid
temperature rises.
To Accelerate
To accelerate when the accelerator
pedal is pressed further, kickdown
operates and the speed increases.
The transmission will downshift at
speeds below 88 km/h (55 MPH), to
provide greater acceleration.
Kickdown
If you press the accelerator pedal
fully while driving, in accordance
with the current speed the gear
automatically shifts down and the
engine speed rises, enabling
sufficient acceleration. This is called
kickdown.
You can easily accelerate to the
required speed when overtaking
other vehicles or when joining traffic
on a highway. In order to maintain
speed when driving on an uphill
road, as you gradually press the
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 189
accelerator pedal the engine may
automatically shift down in
accordance to the current speed
(shifts to a lower speed gear),
increasing the engine speed and
increasing vehicle speed.
Driving Uphill or Downhill
Uphill driving:
With the selector lever in D, if you
press down on the accelerator
pedal, kickdown (change to a low
speed gear) may operate causing
the engine revolutions to suddenly
increase (increasing the speed).
Driving for a prolonged duration on
an uphill road with the selector lever
in D may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
Drive with the overdrive off switch
ON to keep the engine revolutions
constant to enable smoother driving
with fewer changes in engine
revolutions.Driving conditions Selector lever position
Normal uphill road D (overdrive off switch ON)
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.
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.
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.
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 0122.
Driving at Low Speeds for
Sustained Periods
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 18 km/h (11 MPH).
Select 2 position during low speed
operation under 36 km/h (22 MPH).
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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190 Driving and Operating
SeeAutomatic Transmission Fluid
Temperature Warning Light 078.
To Stop Your Vehicle 1. To temporarily stop the vehicle, press the brake pedal firmly
while the selector lever is in D.
2. Use the parking brake as required. Press the brake pedal
firmly, and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If the vehicle is stationary for a
long time, move the selector
lever into the N or P position.
If the selector lever is kept in
D, the temperature of the
automatic transmission fluid
increases due to heat from the
torque converter.
To ensure reliable brake application,
be sure to use your right foot to
press the brake pedal.
When leaving the driver's seat,
follow the When Parking Your
Vehicle procedure. To Start After Stopping
To start again after stopping your
vehicle, visually check that the
selector lever is in D, and gradually
press the accelerator pedal to
pull away.
When Parking Your Vehicle
{Warning
Do not leave your vehicle while
the engine is still running. Do not
park with the selector lever in a
position other than P or N the
vehicle may begin moving by
itself due to creeping. You may
accidentally press the accelerator
pedal when getting into the
vehicle causing it to start moving
suddenly.
When parking the vehicle, always
apply the parking brake and move
the selector lever to the P
position.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
When parking on a slope, move
the selector lever in the P position
and block the wheels with chocks.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
1. Keep pressing the brake pedal firmly with your right foot, then
apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever in the P position, check that the shift
indicator is indicating P, and
slowly ease your right foot off
the brake pedal.
3. Stop the engine and remove the key. When the selector
lever is not placed in the P
position, the shift lock system
operates and the key cannot
be removed.
See Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle 0149, and Parking Brake
0 200.