
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Vehicle Care 265
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator hoses,
or other engine parts. They can be very
hot and can burn you. Do not run the
engine if there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an engine fire
and can burn you. Fix any leak before
driving the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is filled
with DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant
needs to be checked and replaced at
appropriate intervals. SeeMaintenance
Schedule 0323.
The following explains the cooling system
and how to check and add coolant when it
is low. If there is a problem with engine
overheating, see Engine Overheating 0267.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant. This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down to −37 °C
(−34 °F), outside temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to 129 °C
(265 °F), engine temperature.
.Protects against rust and corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a mix of
DEX-COOL coolant that meets GM
Standard GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause damage
to the engine cooling system and the
vehicle, which would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never dispose of engine coolant by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground,
or into sewers, streams, or bodies of water.
Have the coolant changed by an authorized
service center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used coolant
disposal. This will help protect the
environment and your health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when
checking the coolant level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the
coolant surge tank is boiling, do not do
anything else until it cools down. If coolant
is visible but the coolant level mark is not

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Vehicle Care 267
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with theproper mixture to the indicated
level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If the
level is lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until
the level reaches the indicated
level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly. 6. Verify coolant level after the engine is
shut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down again,
see your dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and
tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators to warn of
the engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant temperature
gauge on the instrument cluster. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 0102. The
vehicle may also display a message on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
If the decision is made not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, get service help
right away. See Roadside Assistance Program
0 341. If the decision is made to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on a level
surface. Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be running. If it
is not, do not continue to run the engine.
Have the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a leak
in the engine cooling system. This can
cause a loss of all coolant and can
damage the system and vehicle. Have
any leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system are under pressure.
Turning the pressure cap, even a little,
can cause them to come out at high
speed and you could be burned. Never
turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
268 Vehicle Care
If No Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is displayed
but no steam can be seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
If the overheat warning is displayed with no
sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest fan
speed. Open the windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral), and
let the engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge is
no longer in the overheated area, the
vehicle can be driven. Continue to drive the
vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the
warning does not come back on, continue to
drive normally and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function. If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still displayed, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is needed, be
sure to read the manufacturer's instructions
before use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall below
freezing, use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0259 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
.When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer instructions
for adding water.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake linings have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake linings are worn and

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Index 359
Climate Control SystemsDual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 99
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Control Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 214
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Controls Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 186
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 343 Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Customer Information Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 345
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 338
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Database Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . .154
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211, 271
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . 244
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
360 Index
Dual Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 277
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 282
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . 104
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Engine (cont'd)
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . .128
F
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . 232 Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 243
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 277
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 282
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Index 361
Garage Door Opener (cont'd)Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Gauges Engine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 96
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . . 153
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Guidance Problems with the Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Headlamps (cont'd)
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 124
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . .41
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 186
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . 275
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . 49
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 186
I
If the System Needs Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Indicator Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . 67
Information Publication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 99
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 129
J
Jack Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . 309
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6