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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-
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172 Driving and Operating
Do not race the engine or quickly
accelerate before the engine has
sufficiently warmed up. Oil would
not have adequately reached and
lubricated components, and a
breakdown may result.
The exhaust pipe becomes
extremely hot while the engine is
idling. Before warming up the
engine, make sure there is no
flammable material, such as grass,
waste paper, oil, or old tires near the
exhaust pipe.
Engine Warm-up System
During cold ambient conditions, the
automatic engine warm-up system
operates to reduce engine warm-up
time during idling.
Automatic Engine Warm-up :
When the engine is idling with the
engine coolant temperature below
62 °C (144 °F), the engine warm-up
system automatically closes the
exhaust brake and increases engine
idle speed so that the engine is
warmed more quickly. Warm-up is
cancelled when the accelerator
pedal is pressed, and resumedwhen the pedal is released.
Warm-up is automatically cancelled
entirely after the engine coolant
temperature rises above 65 °C
(149 °F).
Winter Cover
.
Do not cover the front of the
radiator with newspapers,
cardboard or any other
flammable material to raise the
engine coolant temperature.
. If you allow the engine to warm
up but the engine coolant
temperature does not rise, have
the nearest dealer inspect the
thermostat.
Radiator Grille Covers
{Warning
Radiator shutters, winter fronts,
or grille covers are not to be used
and may cause the engine's
radiator cooling fan to fatigue
from the alternate unloading and (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
loading of the blades as they
pass by the masked area
followed by the unmasked area.
After the fan has been fatigued, it
may suddenly break apart while
rotating, possibly causing
personal injury to anyone
standing nearby, and equipment
damage. You and others could be
seriously injured.
Engine Heater
Engine Block and Oil Pan Heater
If the vehicle is parked in a garage,
the block and pan heaters should
not be needed until the garage
temperature drops below −23°C
(−10°F) regardless of outside
temperature.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
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Driving and Operating 173
The engine block and oil pan
heaters are designed to warm the
block and oil pan areas that will let
the engine run faster. To use the
heaters:1. On single cab vehicles, tilt the cab.
2. Unwrap the electrical cord and remove the protective cap.
3. Plug the cord into any three-prong 110 volt outlet
(normal household current).
It may require several hours to
sufficiently heat the engine.
Outside temperature, oil
viscosity, etc., will affect how
long the block and oil pan
heater should remain plugged
in. Contact your dealer for the
conditions in your area.
4. After using the heater(s), be sure to restore the cord
properly, to help keep it away
from moving engine parts. If the cord is too short, use a heavy
duty, three-prong extension cord. Do
not use an extension cord such as
you would use for a lamp, because
the cord may overheat.
The engine should go through a
warm-up period to warm up the
engine oil before placing engine
under load. This will ensure proper
lubrication of the engine. See
Cab
Tilting 0243.
Engine Alarm and
Automatic Shutdown
If the system senses any of the
following conditions: high engine
temperature, low engine oil pressure
or low engine coolant, the
corresponding warning light and
engine alarm (shutdown) warning
light will come on. If the engine
alarm (shutdown) warning light
comes on, you will also hear a tone
alarm.
If your vehicle has the engine
shutdown feature, your engine will
shut down in 30 seconds.
Pull safely off the road and shut off
the engine. Do not start it until the
cause of the problem is known, and
the problem is fixed. However, if the
engine shuts down when you are
still in traffic, you can restart the
engine and get another 30 seconds
of operation. Do this only if you
have to, since there is a problem
that can harm the engine if it is not
fixed. See Engine Shutdown
Warning Light 080.
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Driving and Operating 191
.Any substance other than the
DEF may cause a breakdown to
the SCR system.
. Use the DEF handling
equipment made of correct
materials (Polyethylene or
Stainless-steel).
. Avoid contamination from using
dirty funnel for filling.
. If a fluid other than the specified
DEF is mistakenly added,
incorrect fluid may cause a
failure. Have it inspected and
serviced at a dealer immediately.
. Ammonia odor may be
generated when the DEF is
exposed to high temperature.
. Do not add DEF above the F
position on the level gauge. DEF
may leak from the breather hose
while driving. Also, the sensor
may be broken when DEF
freezes.
. Do not put your feet on or stand
on the DEF tank. The tank, pipe
or sensors may be damaged. .
After stopping the engine, a flow
sound may be heard from the
DEF tank or DEF supply pump.
This sound occurs as the DEF in
the piping is returning to the
tank, and does not indicate an
abnormality.
See Winter Driving 0151.
Adding DEF
1. Turn the engine control switch to the ACC or LOCK position
and make sure to stop the
engine. 2. Wipe off dust or dirt from
around the filler port of the
DEF tank.
3. Turn and remove the filler cap.
4. Refill the tank up to the F position in the level gauge on
the front face of the tank. The
DEF may overflow from the
filler port if it is added in excess
of the F position.
5. Tighten the cap after refilling is completed.
6. Wipe off DEF that is spilled at refilling.
{Warning
On occasion, you may notice an
odor when the DEF tank is
opened. Do not sniff the filler
port, etc.
When refilling the DEF tank:
Failure to follow the above
instructions could result in a fire
or a breakdown of the selective
catalytic reduction (SCR) system.
(Continued)
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192 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
Do not dilute DEF with water.
Do not add substances such as
gasoline or diesel fuel to the DEF
tank. You and others could be
seriously injured.
Caution
When opening the DEF tank cap,
be careful not to let dirt or other
foreign matter enter inside the
DEF tank. Intrusion of foreign
matter can cause a clogging of
the filter or affect the quality of
DEF, which may result in a SCR
system failure.
If DEF is spilled on the body or
frame, it may cause generation of
rust, so wipe it off and then rinse
it away with water.When DEF dries it will leave a
crystalline residue, this condition is
normal. Wash with water or wipe
away the residue to prevent it from
entering the DEF tank.
Adding DEF in Cold Weather
DEF freezes at low temperature but
the engine coolant circulates to
thaw the DEF tank and to prevent
DEF from freezing. Vehicle can be
driven normally when DEF is frozen.
If the refill diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)
warning light is on and the
remaining DEF in the DEF tank is
frozen, the warning lights, indicator
lights and restriction will not be
canceled until the DEF thaws even
if the DEF tank is refilled.
It is not recommended parking the
vehicle for long periods with the refill
diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) warning
light on in cold weather. The DEF
gauge will not register correctly
should the DEF freeze in this
condition causing the DEF low level
warning system not to reset when DEF is added. Take the following
actions to avoid this condition in
cold weather:
1. Refill the DEF as soon as possible after parking the
vehicle.
2. Turn the engine control switch to the ON position from the
LOCK position.
3. Wait for the warning buzzers and warning lights to turn off.
4. If the buzzer does not stop, return the engine control switch
back to the LOCK position and
add more DEF, and then start
over from step (2) above.
5. Turn the engine control switch to the LOCK position.
The DEF freezes at approximately
−11 °C (12 °F).
In cold weather, when the vehicle is
left without performing these actions
and the DEF tank freezes, the low
DEF level warnings and indicators
may not turn off when DEF is added
until after the tank defrosts.
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Selective Catalytic Reduction
(SCR) System
The Selective Catalytic Reduction
(SCR) system reduces nitrogen
oxide (NOx) emissions emitted from
a diesel engine. The SCR system
reduces NOx by adding (injecting)
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) into the
exhaust system and inducing a
reaction converting NOx into water
vapor and nitrogen.
The SCR system consists of the
DEF tank, DEF Control Unit, DEF
Supply Pump and Injector, and the
SCR Catalyst. It is important to keep
a good supply of DEF in the DEF
tank at all times. Monitor the DEF
gauge to be sure the DEF tank level
does not become too low.
If the DEF level becomes too low or
incorrect fluid is added to the DEF
tank, the warning buzzer will sound,
warning and indicator lights will
come on and engine power will be
reduced. If you see these warning
and indicator lights, add DEF as
soon as possible or have your
vehicle serviced as soon as
possible.Continuing to drive for too long after
these lights come on will result in
additional warnings, more engine
power reduction and will eventually
result in a severe vehicle speed
limitation. See
“Diesel Exhaust
Fluid (DEF) Low Level Warning” and
“Incorrect Diesel Exhaust Fluid
(DEF)/SCR System Malfunction
Warnings” later in this section.
{Warning
Do not touch the water that
comes out from the muffler. The
water is mildly acidified due to the
action of oxidation catalyst inside
the muffler. In the event that the
fluid does come into contact with
your skin, completely wash it off
with water. You and others could
be seriously injured. Do not relocate or modify the
exhaust pipe, muffler, DPF, SCR,
or DEF tank, which may affect the
exhaust gas cleaning performance.
If any relocation or modification is
necessary, consult your dealer.
The SCR system continues to
operate for approximately 3 minutes
after the engine control switch is
turned to the "LOCK" position. It is
normal to hear a buzzing type noise
from the DEF supply pump
(mounted on the left side frame rail
behind the cab) during the
shutdown process.
If it is necessary to disconnect the
batteries for any reason, be sure to
wait at least 3 minutes after turning
the engine control switch to the
"LOCK" position. This will allow the
SCR system to properly complete
its shutdown processes. See
Winter
Driving 0151.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500/5500 Series (GMNA-
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Driving and Operating 205
When the exhaust system warning
light comes on, promptly have the
vehicle inspected and serviced at a
dealer.
When a malfunction is detected in
the SCR system, the warning and
the indicator lights shown in the
table come on. SeeVehicle
Messages 086, Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 073, and Diesel Exhaust
Fluid (DEF) Warning Light 080.
When the Diesel Exhaust Fluid
(DEF) Tank is Empty
If the DEF tank is empty and
warning and indicator lights are on,
you must follow below procedure to
cancel the vehicle restriction: 1. Turn the engine control switch to the LOCK or ACC position,
and add DEF.
2. After adding DEF, turn the engine control switch to ON
position.
3. Wait until buzzer stops, warnings and indicators are
turned off. 4. If the buzzer does not stop,
return the engine control switch
back to the LOCK position and
add more DEF, and then start
over from step 2 above.
5. Restart the engine.
It may take a while until the warning
lights and indicators turn off and the
buzzer stops after turning the
engine control switch to the ON
position.
It is desirable to fill up the tank with
DEF to avoid DEF remaining level
warning indication from reappearing.
When the outside temperature is
low, refer to Adding DEF in Cold
Weather. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 082, Brake System
Warning Light (Parking Brake Light)
0 74, Warning Buzzers 091, and
Winter Driving 0151.Automatic
Transmission
On an automatic transmission
vehicle, the driver does not use a
clutch pedal when pulling away,
changing gears, or stopping. Only
the selector lever, accelerator pedal,
and brake pedal are used.
Practice learning the characteristics
of the automatic transmission
vehicle and how to correctly operate
it. When the vehicle is stationary,
remember to keep the brake pedal
firmly pressed, and if necessary,
move the selector lever in the P or
N position and apply the parking
brake.
Creep : With the engine running
and a gear position other than P or
N selected with the selector lever,
power reaches the wheels even
when the accelerator pedal is not
pressed, causing the vehicle to tend
to move.
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To start your vehicle:1. Firmly press the brake pedal. After making sure the selector
lever is placed into P or N, that
P or N is shown in the shift
indicator and that the parking
brake lever is fully pulled up,
place the engine control switch
into the ON position.
2. Start the engine and move the selector lever into D for forward
movement, or R for backward
movement while firmly pressing
the brake pedal with your
right foot.
3. Make sure that the shift indicator indicates the correct
gear (D for forward movement,
or R for backward movement),
release the parking brake,
release the brake pedal, and
then gradually press the
accelerator pedal. The vehicle
starts moving as you press the
accelerator pedal further. On a steep slope:
Make sure that the shift indicator
indicates the correct gear (D for
forward movement, or R for
backward movement), check the
area around the vehicle is clear,
release the brake pedal with your
right foot, and then slowly press the
accelerator pedal.
After you feel the vehicle start
moving, gradually release the
parking brake lever and start driving
the vehicle.
When the brake pedal is not
pressed, the shift lock system
operates and the selector lever
cannot be shifted from P to any
other position.
See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 82, Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle 0168, Selector Lever 0214,
and Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check 0274. Normal Driving
When you move the selector lever
from P into D, shifting takes place in
the automatic mode. Check that D is
displayed in the shift indicator.
If the automatic transmission fluid
temperature is too low, the
transmission may not initially make
automatic shift to the 4th, 5th, and
6th gear. This condition is normal
and will be resolved as the fluid
temperature rises.
To Accelerate
To accelerate when the accelerator
pedal is pressed further, kickdown
operates and the speed increases.
The transmission will downshift at
speeds below 88 km/h (55 MPH), to
provide greater acceleration.
Kickdown
If you press the accelerator pedal
fully while driving, in accordance
with the current speed the gear
automatically shifts down and the
engine speed rises, enabling
sufficient acceleration. This is called
kickdown.