Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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176 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 177
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 181
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 182
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 184
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 188
Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Extended Parking (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 200
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 203
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 207
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 212
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 221
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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182 Driving and Operating
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0268.
. Turn off cruise control.
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.
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184 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0199.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 208.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0297.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
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Driving and Operating 189
The RKE transmitter must be in the
vehicle for the system to operate.
If the vehicle is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong
antenna signal causing interference
to the Keyless Access system.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access)
0 31 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) 034.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be turned on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, and the brake must
be applied.
Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF
(No Indicator Lights) : When the
vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE
START/STOP once to turn the
engine off. If the vehicle is in
P (Park), the ignition will turn off,
and Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) will remain active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
0 195. If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
the message SHIFT TO PARK.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
switch off.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location. 3. Come to a complete stop, shift
to P (Park), and turn the
ignition off. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0206.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) : This mode allows
you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off.
For a manual transmission, set the
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Driving and Operating 191
This position locks the ignition and
transmission. The steering wheel
may also lock, if equipped.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with the wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from right
to left while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location. 3. Come to a complete stop. Shift
to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0206.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Caution
Using a tool to force the key to
turn in the ignition could cause
damage to the switch or break the (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
key. Use the correct key, make
sure it is all the way in, and turn it
only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This is the
position in which you can operate
things like the radio and the
windshield wipers when the engine
is off.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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192 Driving and Operating
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
3 (START) :This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF, and the key is in the ignition.
If the ignition becomes difficult to
turn, see Keys (Keyless Access)
0 28 orKeys (Key Access) 029.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the
proper gear.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
covered by the vehicle warranty.
SeeAdd-On Electrical Equipment
0 224.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle
when it is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor and start the engine.
Starting Procedure (Key Access) 1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the
ignition.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
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Driving and Operating 193
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for
up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Starting Procedure (Keyless
Access) 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Press
ENGINE START/STOP with the
brake pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go
of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or if the RKE
transmitter battery is low, the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
will display a message. See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0127 andRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 031 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless
Access) 034.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold ENGINE START/
Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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194 Driving and Operating
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down.
When the engine starts, let go
of the button and the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again,
follow the same steps. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Engine Heater
Vehicles with the 1.4L engine may
have an engine heater. The engine
heater can help in cold weather
conditions at or below−18 °C (0 °F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the heater at least four hours
before starting the vehicle. An internal thermostat in the plug end
of the cord will prevent engine
heater operation at temperatures
above
−18 °C (0 °F).
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block
heater while the vehicle is parked
in a garage or under a carport.
Property damage or personal
injury may result. Always park the
vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.
To Use the Engine Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The cord is
located in the driver side of the
engine compartment, near the
battery. It is shipped from the
factory with a tie holding it in
place. Use care in removing
the tie so that the cord is not
damaged.
Check the heater cord for
damage. If it is damaged, do
not use it. See your dealer for
a replacement. Inspect the
cord for damage yearly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.