Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
156 Driving and Operating
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 Tires0255.
. 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, crash).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
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.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
214 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 215
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 216
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 224
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 225
Automatic Transmission Fluid (8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 228
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 229
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 237
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Battery - North America . . . . . . 240
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 241
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 242
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 243
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 244
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 244
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 245
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 245
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 247
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 247
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 248 Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 249
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 253
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 257
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 275
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13882570) - 2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
256 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
.Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfacesand weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be
“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0256.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see
Buying New Tires 0271.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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272 Vehicle Care
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires. Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0264.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 158 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 273
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0271 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 216.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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326 Customer Information
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
. Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Chevrolet dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is not given
when the vehicle is stuck in the
sand, mud, or snow.
. Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
. Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
event, incidental expenses may be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 500 miles.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
.
Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws
. Legal fines
. Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 liters. If available,
diesel fuel delivery may be restricted. Propane and other
fuels are not provided through
this service.
. Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
150 km from where your trip was
started to qualify.
Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders are required.
Once authorization has been
received, the Roadside
Assistance advisor will help to
make arrangements and explain
how to receive payment.
. Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside
Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
after sending the original receipt
to Roadside Assistance.
Mechanical failures may be
covered, however any cost for
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 345
Automatic (cont'd)Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . 225, 228
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
B
Battery Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Battery - North America . . . . 240, 288
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 244
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 94
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Brakes (cont'd)
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 162
Bulb Replacement Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 247
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 247
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .215, 240, 288,
Back CoverCamera
Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . 92
Check
Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 243
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 57
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70, 72
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 353
Tires (cont'd)If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 265
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 264
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Terminology and Definitions . . 260
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 275
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 196
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 196
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 292
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . .211 Towing (cont'd)
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Traction Control System(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . 97
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . .211
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . 225, 228
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 273
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
VehicleAlarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Vehicle (cont'd)
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 317
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . 96
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 190
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warnings
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237