Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10603118) - 2018 - CRC - 1/29/18
Driving and Operating 275
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument cluster flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes, or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument cluster flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often.
The Tow/Haul Mode may be used if
the transmission shifts too often.
See
Tow/Haul Mode 0235.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
boils at a lower temperature than at
normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating 0298.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10603118) - 2018 - CRC - 1/29/18
276 Driving and Operating
3. When the wheel chocks are inplace, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.Start the engine.
. Shift into a gear.
. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule 0365.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system, and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
0 298.
Trailer Towing
Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
See New Vehicle Break-In 0223.
{Warning
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too heavy
or the trailer brakes are
inadequate for the load, the
vehicle may not stop as expected.
The driver and passengers could
be seriously injured. The vehicle
may also be damaged; the
resulting repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Pull a trailer only if all the steps in
this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer
with the vehicle.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 279
should weigh 10–15 percent
of the total loaded trailer
weight (2).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Trailering may be limited by the
vehicle's ability to carry tongue
weight. Tongue weight cannot cause
the vehicle to exceed the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or
the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating). The effect of
additional weight may reduce the
trailering capacity more than the
total of the additional weight.
It is important that the vehicle does
not exceed any of its ratings—
GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR, Maximum
Trailer Rating, or Tongue Weight.
The only way to be sure it is not
exceeding any of these ratings is to
weigh the vehicle and trailer.Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Inflate the vehicle's tires to the
upper limit for cold tires. These
numbers can be found on the
Certification label or see Vehicle
Load Limits 0219 for more
information. Do not go over the
GVW limit for the vehicle, or the
GAWR, including the weight of the
trailer tongue. If using a
weight-distributing hitch, do not go
over the rear axle limit before
applying the weight-distribution
spring bars.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
It is important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads
are a few reasons why the right
hitch is needed.
. The rear bumper on the vehicle
is not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
. Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If so,
then be sure to seal the holes
when the hitch is removed. If the
holes are not sealed, dirt, water,
and deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) from the exhaust may get
into the vehicle. See Engine
Exhaust 0231.
Weight-Distributing Hitches and
Weight-Carrying Hitches
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Driving and Operating 281
Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
These wiring provisions for an
electric trailer brake controller are
included with the vehicle as part of
the trailer wiring package. The body
harness, inside the front driver side
instrument panel, contains blunt cut
wires below the headlamp switch for
the electric trailer brake controller.
The harness contains the following
wires:
.Blue: “To Trailer”
. Red/Black or Red/Blue:
Battery Feed
. White/Blue: Brake Apply Signal
. Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer or
a qualified service center.Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service
and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0141.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 095 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 95.
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282 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 283
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 284
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 291
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 293
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 298
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Battery - North America . . . . . . 302
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 303
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 304
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 304
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 306
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and Sidemarker . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 308
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Electrical System Overload . . . 309
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 310
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 338
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Vehicle Care 283
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 347
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0302
and Jump Starting - North America
0 348 and the back cover.
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286 Vehicle Care
Engine Compartment Overview
2.0L L4 Engine
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Vehicle Care 287
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0293.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0289.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0289.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 294.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0301. 6.
Battery - North America 0302.
7. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0294.
8. Positive (+) Battery Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump
Starting - North America 0348. 9. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 299.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0310.
11. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0348.