Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
Introduction 9
1. Air Flow Direction ControlLever. See Air Vents0124.
2. Combination Light Control Switch. See Exterior Lamp
Controls 080.
Cruise Control Set Switch/
Resume Switch. See Cruise
Control 0214.
3. Windshield Wiper and Windshield Washer Switch.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 54.
Exhaust Brake Switch. See
Exhaust Brake 0213.
4. Heater and Manual Air Conditioner. See Climate
Control Systems 0121.
5. Radio with CD/USB/Bluetooth. See AM-FM Radio 085.
6. Small Article Storage Pocket. See Instrument Panel Storage
0 43.
7. Windshield Washer Fluid Tank. See Washer Fluid 0252.
8. Glove Compartment. See Glove Box 043. 9. Relay Box. See
Electrical
System Overload 0277.
10. Cupholders 044.
11. Hook. See Shopping Bag
Hooks 045.
12. Card Holder. See Instrument
Panel Storage 043.
13. Accessory Power Outlet. See Power Outlets 055.
14. Accessory Power Outlet. See Power Outlets 055.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
52 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 53
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 54
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Battery Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 61
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . 61
Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . . 62 Brake System Warning Light
(Parking Brake Light) . . . . . . . . . 62
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Exhaust Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Service Transmission Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Automatic Transmission Fluid Temperature Warning Light . . . 66
Overdrive Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Wait-to-Start Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . 67
Engine Oil Level Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Engine Shutdown Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Idle Shutdown Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Reduced Engine Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Warning Buzzers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
62 Instruments and Controls
If this light comes on intermittently
or continuously while driving,
service is required. Even if the
vehicle is drivable and does not
require towing, see your dealer as
soon as possible. Continued driving
without having the system serviced
could cause damage to the
emission control system. It could
also affect fuel economy and
drivability.
Service Vehicle Soon
Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine control switch is in the ON
position, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show the
light is working. It should go out
when the engine is started.If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, the vehicle control
system may be malfunctioning. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for service
as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning
Light (Parking Brake
Light)
This light should come on briefly
when the engine control switch is
turned to the ON position, and then
should go out after the engine is
started.
Brake System Warning Light
If the light remains on after engine
start up or comes on during
operation of the vehicle, it means
that there is something wrong with
part of the brake system.The brake system warning light
comes on while the engine is
running (after startup) in the
following situations:
.
Drop in the level of brake fluid
(due to brake lining wear or fluid
leakage).
. Abnormality in the charging
system (such as an alternator
malfunction or loose or split
fan belt).
. Abnormality in the anti-lock
brake system (ABS) and
Electronic Braking force
Distribution (EBD) functions.
(The ABS warning light and
brake system warning light will
illuminate at the same time.) See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light 064.
To serve as a reminder, the light
should stay on when the parking
brake is not fully released, and the
engine control switch is on. Have
the system repaired if the light does
not come on when it should. If this
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
Instruments and Controls 63
warning light does not go away,
brake inspection and maintenance
should be performed.
Check and Corrective Action
1. Check to see that the parkingbrake has been fully released.
If it has, check the following:
2. Turn on the exhaust brake to help slow the vehicle.
3. Pull off the road and stop carefully. Remember that
stopping distances may be
longer, the pedal may be
harder to push, and the pedal
may go down farther than
normal.
4. Check the brake fluid reservoir on the left side of the
instrument panel. If low, add
fluid as needed.
5. If the brake fluid is not low: Try out the brakes by starting and
stopping on the shoulder of the
road, then either drive
cautiously at a safe speed to
the nearest dealer for repair,
if you judge driving to be safe; or have the vehicle towed to
the nearest dealer for repair.
Continued driving without the
necessary repairs could be
dangerous.
If this warning light stays on, see
your dealer.
The regular braking system is a split
system designed so that one part
will provide some braking if there is
a loss of hydraulic pressure in the
other part of the system.
{Warning
If this warning light comes on
while the engine is running,
immediately stop the vehicle at a
safe place well clear of traffic and
contact your dealer for inspection.
When the brake system warning
light is illuminated, brake
effectiveness may be decreased.
When this happens, strongly
press the brake pedal.
See Brakes 0253.
Parking Brake Light
This indicator light comes on when
the parking brake lever is pulled
with the engine control switch on.
This light also stays on when the
parking brake is not fully released
and the engine control switch is on.
If this warning light stays on, see
your dealer.
The illumination of the parking brake
light does not necessarily ensure
firm application of the parking brake.
The parking brake lever must be
sufficiently pulled up and locked.
Be careful not to drive the vehicle
with the parking brake lever still
pulled up.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
64 Instruments and Controls
Brake Low Vacuum Warning
Light
This light should come on briefly
when the engine control switch is
turned to the ON position, and then
should go out after the engine is
started. If the light does not come
on when the engine control switch is
turned to ON, it could indicate a
burned out bulb or a blown fuse.
Have the system repaired if the light
does not come on during this check.
The warning light and buzzer will
come on simultaneously when the
brake booster’s vacuum or pressure
becomes insufficient either during
driving or when the engine control
switch is in the ON position, or when
there is an abnormality in the
charging system, such as an
alternator malfunction or loosening
or splitting of the fan belt or whenever the hydraulic brake
booster (HBB) becomes faulty. The
warning buzzer will stop sounding
when the parking brake is engaged.
On 4500HD and 4500XD, the brake
low vacuum warning light and
warning buzzer should come on to
indicate low vacuum reserve for
brake power assist. At the same
time, the Back up Electric Vacuum
Pump operates.
(5500HD, 5500XD models) When
the HBB pressure is low, and/or the
HBB fluid (Dexron
–VI) level is low,
the light and warning buzzer should
come on. Do not use brake fluid in
the brake booster reservoir. Use
only Dexron –VI ATF.
If this happens while driving:
. Do not pump the brakes. The
system is designed to stop the
truck with reserve power assist if
the pedal is held down. This
reserve is greatly reduced each
time you apply and release the
brakes.
. Stopping distance may be
longer. .
You may have to push much
harder on the brake pedal.
. Have the vehicle repaired before
you continue driving.
The buzzer stops when the selector
lever is shifted to the P position.
{Warning
Do not drive while the buzzer
sounds as the brakes are not
operating to their full capacity.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine control switch is turned to
the ON position, and then should go
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
Instruments and Controls 69
Reduced Engine Power
Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine control switch is turned to
the ON position, and then should go
out after the engine is started.
If this light comes on while the
engine is running, it indicates power
is being reduced due to one or more
of the following conditions:
.Malfunction of the engine or
exhaust electronic control
system.
. DEF level is too low or empty.
If this light comes on with the
malfunction indicator lamp, see your
dealer immediately. If this light comes on with the Refill
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) warning
light and the DEF warning light, refill
DEF as soon as possible.
See
“Refill Diesel Exhaust Fluid
(DEF) Warning Light” underDriver
Information Center (DIC) 070. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) 061 and
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning
Light 068.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use or
the headlamps are cycled between
high and low beams (passing
signal).
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer 081.
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) Indicator Light
This light comes on when the DRL
are on. If the vehicle is started
during the daytime with the lighting
switch off and the parking brake
released, the low beam headlamps
will come on at a reduced
brightness. The light will go out
when the lighting switch is
turned on.
See Exterior Lamp Controls 080.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
Instruments and Controls 79
Hour Meter
HOUR METER
This message and light indicate how
many hours the engine has been
run. The figure(s) on the left side of
the decimal point indicate hours
while the figure on the right side
indicates 1/10 of an hour.
Warning Buzzers
A warning buzzer may not sound if
there is a problem with the buzzer
system. If this occurs, the system
needs to be inspected. See your
dealer.
A warning buzzer sounds under the
following conditions:
.Driver seat belt not buckled —
continuous beep. See Seat Belt
Reminders 060.
. Brake booster —continuous
beep. See Brake System
Warning Light (Parking Brake
Light) 062.
. Engine overheat —
continuous beep .
Parking brake on —
continuous beep
. Low engine coolant —beep
. Engine alarm and automatic
shutdown —beep
. Diesel particulate filter (DPF)
switch regeneration —three
short beeps or three long beeps
. Selective catalytic reduction
(SCR) system —one short
beep, three short beeps, nine
quick beeps, continuous beep
See Diesel Exhaust Fluid 0180 and
Engine Alarm and Automatic
Shutdown 0164.
Chevrolet Low Cab Forward 5.2L Diesel Engine 4500 HD/XD/5500 HD/XD
Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-13337621) - 2020 - crc - 12/5/18
128 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 140
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 141
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 144
Emergencies (Troubleshooting) . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Emergencies (Disabled Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 156
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Operating Temperature . . . . . . . 162
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Engine Alarm and Automatic
Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Idle Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
High Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Engine Checks Before Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 171
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 180
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 196
Selector Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Overdrive Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Exhaust Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuel
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . 218
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 221
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Running Out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 224
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Power Take-Off (PTO) . . . . . . . . 227