Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10603118) - 2018 - CRC - 1/29/18
Driving and Operating 217
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode. See Driver Mode Control
0 241 andAll-Wheel Drive
0 235.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.
Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0239.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0236.
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
Index 409
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
DrivingAssistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 259
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 29
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 217
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 219
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 237
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 144
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 310 Electrical System (cont'd)
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 286
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 231
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 392 Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 166
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 170
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 292
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 261
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390