Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 135
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 it
has 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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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.
. Do not use a sharp implement to
remove snow. Sharp edges
could damage rubber parts.
Refer to Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0196.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
136 Driving and Operating
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 drivingthrough 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) 0196 andExterior Care
0 293.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 143
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Brakes not effective Drum-to-lining gap too
large
4-
Air in brake fluid
4-
Brake system failure
4-
Uneven braking Unbalanced air pressure
in tires
Adjust to proper air
pressureSee
Wheels and
Tires 0272
Tire unevenly worn Replace tire See
Wheels and
Tires 0272
Drum brake out of
adjustment
4-
Poor wheel alignment
4-
Exhaust brake not working The electrical system is
faulty
4-
Steering wheel hard to turn Loaded too far forward Load properly -
Power steering fluid level
too low
Add fluidSee
Power
Steering Fluid
0 240
Insufficient air in front
tires Adjust to proper inflation
pressureSee
Wheels and
Tires 0272
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 147
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 and 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:
.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.
. Keep speeds below 80 km/h
(50 MPH) for the first 800 km
(500 miles).
. Use the lowest gear ratio
available when starting a loaded
vehicle and when climbing
slopes to avoid lugging the
engine.
. It is recommended that the
engine speed is restricted to
2,300 r/min.
Mechanical Driveshaft Brake
Burnish Procedure
It is recommended that the
driveshaft mounted parking brake
be burnished as part of the new
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.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 193
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 R, N, or P, the accelerator pedal pressed, and the brakes not
applied. The transmission fluid overheats.
Continuously pressing the accelerator pedal and brake pedal at the same
time while the vehicle is in a position 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.-
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196 Driving and Operating
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)
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 197
Warning (Continued)
ABS does not prevent accidents if
you do not drive safely. Drive the
vehicle at a safe speed.
Install tires of the specified size,
same brand and same tread
design (including winter tires) on
all wheels. If different tires are
installed, the braking distance
becomes longer and directional
control stability of the vehicle
decreases. This is very
dangerous.
Steering during sudden braking
(when the ABS is working) will
feel slightly different than it does
when the brakes are not applied.
Operate the steering wheel
carefully keeping this in mind.
Driving in sand or on a muddy road
may adversely affect the brakes and
ABS sensors. Wash the vehicle to
remove sand and mud after
operating the vehicle in sandy or
muddy conditions. Before washing the vehicle, provide
necessary protection to prevent
water from being splashed on the
ABS components (sensors and
actuators). Especially when using
high-pressure washing, be careful
not to allow water to be directly
sprayed onto the ABS components
and their harness connectors.
These are not signs of ABS
malfunction:
.
Soon after you start the engine
and the vehicle starts moving,
the sound of motor or valve
working may be heard from the
rear of the vehicle or underside
of the cab. This sound is from a
self-check by the ABS system
and is normal. In addition, you
may also feel some vibration if
the brake pedal is pressed at
this time.
. When ABS is operating,
vibration is felt on the brake
pedal and steering wheel and
you may hear the system
operating. This is normal when
ABS is properly operating. .
The exhaust brake may release
when ABS is activated and the
exhaust brake is in operation.
. ABS is more likely to be
activated when the brake is
applied during cornering or
driving over a bump. This is
because inside wheels or
wheels that have gone over a
bump tend to lock.
. ABS is not activated immediately
after starting the vehicle. It is
activated only when the vehicle
speed reaches approx. 10 km/h
(6 MPH). ABS operation is
inactive when the vehicle speed
reduces to approx. 5 km/h
(3 MPH).