2019 CHEVROLET LOW CAB FORWARD brake fluid

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
138 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 149
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 150
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 153
Emergencies(Troubleshooting) . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Emergencies (Disabled Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 165
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Operating Temperature . . . . . . . 171
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Engine Alarm and Automatic
Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Idle Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
High Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Engine Checks Before Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 180
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 189
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 205
Selector Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Overdrive Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Exhaust Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Fuel
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . 227
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 230
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Running Out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 233
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Power Take-Off (PTO) . . . . . . . . 237

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
Driving and Operating 143
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
breakdown on a highway
represents a hazard to other
vehicles and can cause a crash.
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 to Owner Checks and
Services 0340.
. 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

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
148 Driving and Operating
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 0222 and
Selector Lever 0214.
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
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
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.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
Driving and Operating 151
.When going down on a steep
slope, avoid driving the vehicle
backward as much as possible.
Drive it forward slowly on the
down slope.
. Compared with forward
movement, the braking distance
of backward movement is longer,
and the steering response of
that is worse.
. If you must drive the vehicle
backward, drive it very carefully
and gradually by moving and
stopping repeatedly in order to
stop it any time.
Engine Brake : Engine brake is the
braking effect that occurs when you
release the accelerator pedal while
driving. The lower the gear, the
stronger the engine brake.
Exhaust Brake : The exhaust brake
is a system that closes the exhaust
pipe and uses the force of the
exhaust emissions to enhance the
effectiveness of engine brake. Overrunning :
An engine overrun is
an engine-speed increase that
causes the tachometer needle to
enter the red zone. It is dangerous
because it can cause engine failure.
Winter Driving
Recommendations for Driving
in Cold Regions
The following recommendations
apply to snowbound regions and to
mountainous regions, ski resorts
and other areas of extreme cold
and/or snowfall. Please follow them
also for reference in winter in other
regions.
For the sake of your vehicle, make
the winter preparations described in
the links below. Also have these
preparations made before driving to
a cold region.
See Engine Oil 0245.
See Engine Coolant 0253.
See Washer Fluid 0262.
See Battery - North America 0269.
When Ice Prevents You from
Putting Your Key in the Door
or Opening the Door
If you try to force the key into the
door, you could bend it. And if you
try to pull the door open with undue
force, the rubber seal around the
door could come unstuck or become
damaged. Use warm water to melt
the ice, then quickly wipe it away
and open the door.
If the wipers, electric door mirrors,
or power windows freeze up, also
use warm water to melt the ice and
then operate the system. Otherwise,
you could damage the mechanism
and drain the battery. After that,
wipe the water away.
Before Driving in Cold Regions
Getting In and Out of the Vehicle
The step can get icy in cold regions.
Be careful not to slip when getting in
and out of the vehicle.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
160 Driving and Operating
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Not enough engine power Parking brake not fully
released
Make sure it is fully
released
-
Brake dragging
4-
Air cleaner clogged
4-
Fuel filter clogged
4-
Engine control system
faulty
4-
Common rail system
faulty
4-
Engine faulty
4-
DPF clogged
4-
Brakes not effective Drum-to-lining gap too
large
4-
Air in brake fluid
4-
Brake system failure
4-

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
Driving and Operating 161
SymptomCauseCorrective Action Reference
Uneven braking Unbalanced air pressure
in tires
Adjust to proper air
pressureSee
Wheels and
Tires 0295
Tire unevenly worn Replace tire See
Wheels and
Tires 0295
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
0 262
Insufficient air in front
tires Adjust to proper inflation
pressureSee
Wheels and
Tires 0295

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
Driving and Operating 171
3. Always refuel at the end of aday's operation. Moisture will
condense in an empty tank;
therefore, the tank should be
filled before leaving the vehicle
standing for an extended
period.
Do not use starting aids in the air
intake system. Such aids can cause
immediate engine damage. See
Fuel for Diesel Engines 0227.
Stopping the Engine
When stopping the engine, take the
following steps: 1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Move the selector lever to the P position and make sure that
the shift indicator shows P.
4. Allow the engine to idle for approximately 3 minutes.
5. Turn the engine control switch to the ACC or LOCK position. Do not shut down the engine
immediately after driving the vehicle.
Otherwise, a seizure or other
failures may result.
To prevent the battery from going
dead, turn the engine control switch
to the ACC or LOCK position after
stopping the engine. If you leave the
vehicle for an extended period of
time, place the engine control switch
in the LOCK position.
Let the engine idle for 3 minutes
before shutting off the engine. This
allows the turbocharger to slow
down while keeping the bearings
lubricated.
If the Vehicle Has Not Been Used
for a Long Period
If a diesel vehicle has been
standing for an extended period of
time, the turbocharger bearings
should be pre-lubricated prior to
starting. See your authorized dealer
for more detailed information.
Before using a vehicle that has not
been driven for a long period, check
the engine and transmission for oil
leakage, and make sure the oil is at the required levels. If there is
insufficient oil, it will not adequately
reach and lubricate components,
and a breakdown will result.
Start the engine and allow it to idle
for at least five minutes. Check for
abnormal noises.
For instructions on warming up the
engine, refer to
“Starting the Engine”
previously in this section.
If one year has passed since the
diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in the
DEF tank was added, the DEF in
the tank should be replaced. Be
careful not to inhale the ammonia
odor when replacing the DEF. Also,
please contact your nearest dealer
about the replacement work.
Operating Temperature
Recommendations for Warming
Up the Engine
The engine is sufficiently warmed
up when the needle of the engine
coolant temperature gauge starts
to move.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S.-12407814) - 2019 - crc - 12/13/17
Driving and Operating 175
4. Press the cruise control mainswitch to set it to ON. At this
time, the operation indicating
light will turn to green.
5. Turn and hold the cruise control set switch in the SET
position. After approximately
3 seconds the cruise control
set indicator light will begin to
flash slowly and the engine idle
will increase to 1,200 r/min.
Canceling High Idle Mode
Any of the following actions will
cancel high idle mode.
. The cruise control main switch is
set to OFF.
. The brake pedal is pressed.
. The parking brake is released.
. The selector lever is moved from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) position.
. The accelerator pedal is
pressed, accelerating the engine
beyond the engine speed
threshold. The cruise set indicator light will
stop flashing and the engine speed
will return to normal.
Engine Checks Before
Operating
Checks Before Operating
Allow the engine to warm up before
placing the engine under heavy load
driving. While the engine is warming
up under light load, the following
checks should be made:
1. Observe the red engine oil pressure warning light. The
light should go out when the
engine is running. If it stays on,
shut the engine off and find the
cause.
2. Look at the engine coolant temperature gauge. If the
gauge reaches the H (HOT)
area, stop the engine and find
the cause of the overheating.
3. Check that the battery warning light has gone out. The light
should go off and stay off at
normal idle speeds. If the light does not go out or comes on
during normal operation, have
the charging system checked.
4. Check that the brake low vacuum warning light is out
and that the vacuum buzzer is
not sounding. It is normal for
the warning buzzer to sound
for a few seconds after the
engine starts. If the light and
buzzer remain on, do not drive
the vehicle until the cause has
been found and corrected.
5. Look at the brake system warning light. It should be out
when the parking brake is
released and the engine is
running. If it stays on, it could
mean that the brake fluid level
is low. Check the brake fluid
reservoir. This condition must
be corrected before moving the
vehicle.