Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Introduction 3
Q:Keep Fuse Block Covers Properly
Installed
|: Lane Change Alert
@:Lane Departure Warning
A:Lane Keep Assist
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
X:Park Assist
~:Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O:Power
7:Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I:Registered Technician
/:Remote Vehicle Start
h:Risk of Electrical Fire
>:Seat Belt Reminders
I:Side Blind Zone Alert
h:Stop/Start
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)
a: Under Pressure
V: Vehicle Ahead Indicator
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Introduction 5
1.Air Vents 0187.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals 0125.
IntelliBeam
®System Button (If Equipped).
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0122.
3. Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) 099 or
Instrument Cluster (Base Level) 097.
Driver Information Center (DIC) Display.
See Driver Information Center (DIC) 0111.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer 091.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer 092.
5. ENGINE START/STOP Button. See Ignition
Positions 0201.
6. Hazard Warning Flashers 0125.
7. Light Sensor. See Automatic Headlamp
System 0124.
8. Infotainment Controls. See Overview
0 130.
9. Dual Automatic Climate Control System
0182.
10. Heated and Ventilated Front Seats 041
(If Equipped).
11. Power Outlets 093.
12. Wireless Charging 094 (If Equipped). 13.
USB Port 0138.
Auxiliary Jack 0141.
14. Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0214.
Driver Mode Control Knob. See Driver
Mode Control 0215 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0239 (If
Equipped).
15. Electric Parking Brake 0212.
16. Shift Lever. See Automatic Transmission
0 208.
Manual Mode 0209.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 090.
18. Horn 091.
19. Steering Wheel Adjustment 090 (Out
of View).
20. Cruise Control 0217.
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) 0219
(If Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 090 (If
Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0 232 (If Equipped).
21. Hood Release. See Hood0257. 22.
Fog Lamps 0125 (If Equipped).
23. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) 0104.
24. Exterior Lamp Controls 0122.
25. Instrument Panel Illumination Control
0126.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Instruments and Controls 89
Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Instrument Cluster (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . 97
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . 102
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . 103
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 106
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Low Fuel Warning Light (Base Level) . . . 110
Low Fuel Warning Light (Uplevel) . . . . . . 110
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . 111
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Universal Remote System
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Universal Remote System Operation . . . 121
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Instruments and Controls 107
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
This warning light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. 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, safely
stop as soon as it is possible and turn off
the vehicle. Then turn on the vehicle again
to reset the system.
If the ABS warning light stays on, or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle needs
service. A chime may also sound when the
light stays on.
If the ABS warning light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but ABS is
not functioning.
If both the ABS warning light and the brake
system warning light are on, ABS is not
functioning and there is a problem with the
regular brakes. See your dealer for service.See
Brake System Warning Light 0106.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul Mode
feature, this light comes on when the Tow/
Haul Mode has been activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0210.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light
After the vehicle is started, this light turns
off and stays off if LKA has not been turned
on or is unavailable.
This light is green if LKA is turned on and is
ready to assist. LKA may assist by gently turning the
steering wheel if the vehicle approaches a
detected lane marking. The LKA light is
amber when assisting.
This light flashes amber as a Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) alert, to indicate that the
lane marking has been crossed.
LKA will not assist or alert if the turn signal
is active in the direction of lane departure,
or if LKA detects that you are accelerating,
braking, or actively steering.
See
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0239.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will display green
when a vehicle is detected ahead and amber
when you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0 232.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
116 Instruments and Controls
Collision / Detection Systems
Touch and the following may display:
.Forward Collision System
.Front Pedestrian Detection
.Park Assist
.Rear Cross Traffic Alert
.Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
.Lane Change Alert
Forward Collision System
This setting can alert of a potential crash
with a detected vehicle ahead and can apply
brakes to help reduce a collision’s severity.
See Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
0 234.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Front Pedestrian Detection
This feature may help avoid or reduce the
harm caused by front-end crashes with
nearby pedestrians.
See Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System
0 236.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake. Park Assist
If equipped, this allows the feature to be
turned on or off. See
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0228.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This setting specifies if an alert will display
when the vehicle detects approaching rear
cross traffic when in R (Reverse). See
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing
0 228.
Touch Off or On.
Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This setting determines if an alert will
appear when Adaptive Cruise Control brings
the vehicle to a complete stop and the
vehicle ahead of you starts moving again.
See Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced)
0 219.
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
This setting specifies if an alert will display
on the outside mirror to help you avoid
crashing into a vehicle in your blind spot, or rapidly approaching your blind spot,
during a lane change maneuver. See
Lane
Change Alert (LCA) 0237.
When Lane Change Alert is disabled, Side
Blind Zone Alert is also disabled.
Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may display:
.Chime Volume
.Hands Free Liftgate/Trunk Control
.Reverse Tilt Mirror
.Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
Chime Volume
This setting determines the chime volume
level.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to adjust the volume.
Hands Free Liftgate/Trunk Control
The liftgate may be operated with a kicking
motion under the left corner of the rear
bumper. See Liftgate018.
Touch Off, On-Open and Close,
or On-Open Only.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
188 Driving and Operating
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 189
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 205
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 207
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . 208
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic StabilityControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . 219
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 232 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 243
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
190 Driving and Operating
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they may do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with impaired
driving is a global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then
driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You can have a
serious—or even fatal —collision if you
drive after drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs, or ride with a driver
who has been drinking or is impaired by
drugs. Find alternate transportation
home; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will remain sober.
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
Electric Power 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.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
196 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
ignore police warnings and be very
cautious about trying to drive through
flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build
up under the vehicle's tires so they actually
ride on the water. This can happen if the
road is wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
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.
SeeTires 0284.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode. See
Driver Mode Control 0215.
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.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode. See
Driver Mode Control 0215 and
All-Wheel Drive 0211.
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