Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Lighting 95
lever is held up or down. The lever
moves back to neutral as soon as it
is released.
A green light on the instrument
panel is designed to flash to tell you
that the front and rear turn signal
lights are working. If the light stays
on, but does not flash, check for a
burned-out turn signal bulb. If the
green light does not come on when
you move the lever, check the fuse
and indicator bulb.
Either of these indicator lights
flashes when the turn signal switch
is operated with the engine control
switch in the ON position.
Cornering Lamps
The cornering light illuminates the
area to which the vehicle is turning.
With the headlights or marker lights
on, the cornering lights come on in
coordination with the turn signal
lights.
SeeExterior Lamp Controls 092
and Bulb Replacement 0254.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The control will change the light
level of the instrument panel.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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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.-
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122 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior
Napping in the Vehicle
{Warning
Before taking a nap in the vehicle,
be sure to shut off the engine and
place the engine control switch in
the "LOCK" position. Otherwise,
any unintended contact with the
accelerator pedal while you are
asleep could cause the vehicle to
move, resulting in an accident.. If you leave the engine
running and unintentionally
keep the accelerator pedal
pressed while asleep, the
engine and exhaust pipe
could become abnormally
hot, resulting in a fire.
. If you leave the engine
running while taking a nap
with the vehicle parked in a
place where exhaust gases
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could get into the cab (for
example, a place that is
poorly ventilated), you could
suffer carbon monoxide
poisoning.
. You and others could be
seriously injured.
Distracted Driving
Do Not Use a Mobile Phone
While Driving
{Warning
Drivers should never use mobile
telephones or car phones in any
mode other than Hands Free
while driving. Doing so is
dangerous. Using a mobile
telephone while driving could
result in an accident because you
would not be paying full attention
to your surroundings. If you are
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
driving and you wish to use a
mobile telephone, first stop the
vehicle in a safe place.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Control of a Vehicle
Warnings for Driving
{Warning
Concentrate on driving safely,
obeying all legally designated
speed limits, road signs and
traffic signals.
If you notice any abnormal noise,
abnormal smell or abnormal
vibration from any part of the
vehicle, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and
perform checks.(Continued)
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 125
Warning (Continued)
exhaust pipe are extremely hot.
Be careful not to inadvertently
touch them when working near
them (for example, tilting the cab
or operating an attachment). You
and others could be seriously
injured.
Recommendations for Driving
in Hot Regions
The engine is more likely to
overheat in an environment where
the ambient temperature is high. To
prevent the engine from
overheating, pay attention to the
following points:
.If the engine does not contain
the appropriate concentration of
engine coolant, overheating is
likely to occur.
Refer to Engine Coolant 0231.
. Do not put well water, river water
or other hard water in the engine
cooling system. It would hasten
the formation of rust and scale. .
If foreign matter (insects, mud,
etc.) gets stuck in the radiator's
air passages, the cooling
system's performance will
deteriorate. Check the air
passages for clogging, and
remove any foreign matter using
water under low pressure.
Refer to Exterior Care 0293.
When Turning, the Rear
Wheels will Follow Tighter
Curves than the Front Wheels
Use the mirrors to confirm safety.
Sidewinds
If the vehicle catches a sidewind
and drifts sideways, firmly grip the
steering wheel, decelerate to a
speed that allows you to stay
completely in control, and make a
directional correction. The vehicle
may catch strong sidewinds in the
following situations:
.
Emerging from a tunnel
. Driving over a bridge
. Driving on an embankment
. Driving through a cutting .
Being overtaken by a large truck
or bus
. Overtaking a large truck or bus
Flat Tire
If a blowout or flat tire occurs while
you are driving, calmly grip the
steering wheel and gradually apply
the brakes to decelerate. (Hard
braking would be dangerous
because it could cause the steering
wheel to be pulled to one side.)
Stop the vehicle in a safe place, and
change the tire.
Hard Bump Under Vehicle
If the underside of the vehicle
receives a hard bump, stop in a safe
place where the vehicle will not
obstruct traffic and check for brake
fluid leakage, fuel leakage and
component damage. If any part of
the vehicle is damaged or broken,
promptly have the vehicle inspected
and repaired.
Highways
.Speeds on highways are higher
than those on regular roads, so
there is more danger. Also, a
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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126 Driving and Operating
breakdown on a highway
represents a hazard to other
vehicles and can cause an
accident. Concentrate on safe
driving. Remember to perform
daily pre-operation inspections
and use highway driving
techniques. When performing
daily pre-operation inspections,
perform the checks shown in the
table on the left with particularly
great care.
Refer toOwner Checks and
Services 0317.
. When merging with traffic on a
highway, use the turn signal
lights to indicate your intentions
ahead of time. Speed up
sufficiently when you are in the
acceleration lane. Pay attention
to vehicles behind you and to
conditions in the lane you are
joining. Merge in such a way that
you do not obstruct vehicles in
the lane.
. Your sense of how fast you are
traveling becomes distorted on
long highway drives. Constantly keep an eye on the
speedometer, and maintain a
suitable headway distance.
. During high-speed driving, even
a little turn of the steering wheel
causes a big movement of the
vehicle. Turn the steering wheel
slowly.
. Excessive use of the brake
pedal is extremely dangerous
because it rapidly wears the
brake linings and causes brake
fade. Make effective use of the
engine brake and the exhaust
brake when you want to
decelerate.
. When you want to turn off a
highway, use the turn signal
lights to indicate your intentions
ahead of time. Paying attention
to vehicles behind you, turn off
the highway smoothly so as not
to obstruct other vehicles.
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.
Braking
Brake Operation
The brakes give strong braking
force with only light pressure on the
pedal. Do not press the brake pedal
hard except in the event of an
emergency.
Actual stopping distances vary
greatly. Your ability to stop safely
will be greatly affected by the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
the weight of the load; and the
amount of brake force applied.
Please allow for realistic stopping
distances to avoid unnecessary
heavy braking. That means better
braking, longer brake life and safer
driving.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 129
Warning (Continued)
To reduce the chance of personal
injury and/or vehicle damage due
to engine overheating, never
leave the engine idling without an
alert driver present. If the engine
should overheat, as indicated by
the engine coolant temperature
gauge, immediate action is
required to correct the condition.
Continued operation of the
engine, even for a short time, may
result in a fire. Do not engage the
exhaust brake while the engine is
idling as this may cause engine
overheating.
The diesel particulate filter (DPF)
may automatically start
regeneration when the vehicle is
stopped and parked with the
engine running. To prevent a fire,
make sure there is no flammable
material near the muffler, DPF,
and exhaust pipe. Be careful not
to get burned by hot exhaust
gases.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Do Not Forget to Release the
Parking Brake
Pulling away with the parking brake
still applied can damage the brake
system.
Before pulling away, make sure the
parking brake is not set by checking
that the parking brake indicator light
is not on.
Be Sure to Have the Engine
Running When the Vehicle is
Moving
{Warning
When the engine is not running,
the power steering system does
not work so the steering wheel is
hard to turn. Also, the brake
booster does not work so there is
little braking ability. If you coast (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
down a slope without the engine
running, you would not be able to
properly control the vehicle and
could have an accident.
Parking, or Leaving
Driver’s Seat
{Danger
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the selector lever is
not fully in "P" (Park) or the
parking brake is not applied all
the way. Your vehicle can roll or
move suddenly.
To be sure your vehicle will not
move, even when you are parking
on level ground, follow the steps
below. (If you have to park on a
hill, also turn your front wheels so
the vehicle will roll away from
traffic.)
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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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.-
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Driving and Operating 131
Warning (Continued)
on the exhaust brake and shift the
transmission to the next lower
gear. This will help control your
speed. Do not hold the brake
pedal down too long or too often
while going down a steep or long
grade. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and not to work
as well. As a result, the truck will
not slow down at the usual rate.
Failure to take these steps could
result in loss of vehicle control.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Brake Effectiveness When the
Vehicle Has Been Driven on a
Flooded Road or Washed
{Warning
When the vehicle is driven on a
flooded road, parked on a flooded
road or washed, water can get(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
into the brakes and reduce their
effectiveness. If the brakes do not
work well afterward, drive slowly
and gently press the brake pedal
several times until the brakes dry
out and start working normally.
Always do this after driving
through water or washing the
vehicle to help reduce the risk of
personal injury. Before parking
the vehicle in winter, press the
brake pedal several times in the
same way to get rid of moisture in
the brakes. Otherwise, the
moisture in the brakes may freeze
and make the vehicle immovable.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
If the vehicle must be driven on a
flooded road or is parked in an area
that becomes flooded, promptly
perform a check for the following
points:
. Effectiveness of the brakes .
Water-ingress or damage to
drum brakes, disc brakes
. Engine damage due to
water-ingress
. Shorting of electrical
components
. Oil level and degradation
(cloudiness) of the engine,
transmission, differential
. Greasing of each components
(lubrication)
Steering
Do Not Leave the Steering
Wheel Fully Turned for a
Long Time
{Warning
If you leave the steering wheel
fully turned for a long time, the oil
in the power steering oil pump will
become extremely hot. This
would cause poor lubrication, oil
tank damage and seal
deterioration, leading to power
(Continued)