Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
6 Introduction
1.Air Vents 0149.
2. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons (Out of View). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
099.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 113.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 080.
4. Horn 080.
5. Hazard Warning Flashers
0113.
6. Instrument Cluster 086.
7. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0171.
Manual Mode 0174 (If
Equipped).
8. Climate Control Systems
0144.
9. Infotainment 0117.
10. Power Outlets 083.
11. USB Port (If Equipped). See Auxiliary Devices 0131. 12. Power Outlet 110/120 Volt
Alternating Current. See Power
Outlets 083.
13. Rear Heating System 0146 (If
Equipped).
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) 0190 (If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0186 (If Equipped).
14. Passenger Airbag On-Off Switch (If Equipped). See
Airbag On-Off Switch 050.
15. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0178.
16. Tow/Haul Mode Button (If Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0175.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 079
(If Equipped).
18. Steering Wheel Adjustment
079 (Out of View), (If
Equipped).
19. Parking Brake Release. See Parking Brake 0177.
20. Cruise Control 0180 (If
Equipped). Fast Idle System
0166 (If
Equipped).
21. Parking Brake 0177.
22. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 093.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0114.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps 0114.
24. Exterior Lamp Controls 0110.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Instruments and Controls 95
If the warning light comes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If it
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. See
Parking Brake 0177 for more
information. The light stays on if the
parking brake does not fully release.
If it stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, it means the
vehicle has a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal might go closer to the floor. It could take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle
0291.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See Brake System Warning Light
0 94.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
150 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 155
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 156
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 158
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 162
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 167 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 171
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 177
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 182 Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 184
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 192
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 192
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 211
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 153
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects
at speeds greater than 3 km/h
(1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane
dividers and speed bumps.
Damage caused by misuse of the
vehicle is not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering. It may require
maintenance. See
Power Steering
Fluid 0237.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or
because of a system malfunction,
the vehicle can be steered but may
require increased effort. See your
dealer if there is a problem.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 163
Ignition Positions
0. Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF
1. ACC/ACCESSORY
2. ON/RUN
3. START
The ignition switch has four
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN and the brake
pedal must be applied.0 (Stopping the Engine/LOCK/
OFF) :
This position turns off the
vehicle. It also locks the ignition, the
transmission, and the steering
column, if equipped with a locking
steering column.
To turn off the vehicle:
1. Make sure that the vehicle is stopped.
2. Shift to P (Park).
3. Continue to hold the brake pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Parking Brake
0 177. 4. Push the key all the way in
toward the steering column (1),
then turn the key to
LOCK/OFF (2).
5. Remove the key.
6. Release the brake pedal.
See your dealer if the key can be
removed in any other position.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0167.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
If equipped with a locking steering
column, the steering can bind with
the front wheels turned off center,
which may prevent key rotation out
of LOCK/OFF. 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.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
164 Driving and Operating
{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, turn off the vehicle
only in an emergency.
In an emergency, if the vehicle
cannot be pulled over and must be
turned off while driving: 1. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2. Brake using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
3. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. Continue
braking and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
4. Come to a complete stop. 5. Shift to P (Park).
6. Continue to hold the brake
pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Parking Brake
0 177.
7. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF.
8. Remove the key.
9. Release the brake pedal.
Caution
Use the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in —or pushed all
the way in toward the steering
column when turning off the
vehicle —and turn it only with
your hand.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position allows features such as the
infotainment system to operate
while the vehicle is off. It also
unlocks the steering column,
if equipped with a locking steering
column. Use this position if the vehicle must be pushed or towed.
See
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0167.
From ON/RUN, push the key all the
way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If the key is left in ACC/
ACCESSORY with the engine off,
the battery could drain and the
vehicle may not start.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
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. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
166 Driving and Operating
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 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
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.
Fast Idle System
If equipped, this feature is available
only with cruise control. The manual
fast idle switch is operated using the
cruise control buttons on the left
side of the steering wheel.
This system can be used to
increase engine idle speed
whenever the following conditions
are met:
.
The parking brake is set.
. The brake pedal is not pressed.
. The vehicle must not be moving
and the accelerator must not be
pressed.
To control the fast idle: .
To enable the Fast Idle System,
press and release the cruise
control on/off button and ensure
that the switch indicator light
is lit.
. Press and release the cruise
control SET- button. Engine
speed will be held at
approximately 1200 rpm.
When the fast idle is active, the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will
display FAST IDLE ON.
One of the following actions will turn
off the fast idle:
. Pressing the brake.
. Selecting the cruise control
cancel button.
. Releasing the parking brake.
. Moving the transmission shift
lever out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral).
. Selecting the cruise control on/
off button when it was
previously on.
. Pressing the cruise control SET-
button a second time.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 169
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down,then set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Push the ignition key in, towards the steering column
and then turn the ignition off.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the
vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, the vehicle is
in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park 0169.
If you are towing a trailer, see
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0196.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set. After the
shift lever is moved into P (Park),
hold the regular brake pedal down.
Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without first pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle can put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. It might be difficult to
pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see
Shifting
Into Park 0169.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you might
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission. Then you
should be able to pull the shift lever
out of P (Park).