CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2012 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-55
It is important that the vehicle
does not exceed any of its
ratings—GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR,
Maximum Trailer Rating or Tongue
Weight. The only way to be sure it is
not exceeding any of these ratings
is to weigh the vehicle and trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle tires are inflated
to the upper limit for cold tires.
These numbers can be found on the
Certification label at the rear edge of
the driver door, or see Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑11. Make sure not
to go over the GVW limit for the
vehicle, or the GAWR, including the
weight of the trailer tongue. If using
a weight distributing hitch, make
sure not to go over the rear axle
limit before applying the weight
distribution spring bars.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
It is important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why the right hitch is
needed.
Weight‐Distributing Hitches
and Weight Carrying Hitches
A. Body to Ground Distance
B. Front of Vehicle When using a weight-distributing
hitch, the hitch must be adjusted so
the distance (A) remains the same
both before and after coupling the
trailer to the tow vehicle.
If a step-bumper hitch will be used,
the bumper could be damaged in
sharp turns. Make sure there
is ample room when turning to
avoid contact between the trailer
and the bumper.
If the loaded trailer being pulled
will weigh more than 2 270 kg
(5,000 lbs), be sure to use a
properly mounted weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper
size. This equipment is very
important for proper vehicle loading
and good handling when driving.
Always use a sway control if the
trailer will weigh more than these
limits. Ask a hitch dealer about
sway controls.
Will any holes need to be made in
the body of the vehicle when a
trailer hitch is installed?

Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-56 Driving and Operating
If using the wiring provided with the
factory-installed trailering package,
no holes need to be made in the
body of the vehicle. However, if an
aftermarket hitch is installed, holes
may need to be made in the body.
If holes are made in the body, then
be sure to seal the holes later when
the hitch is removed. If the holes are
not sealed, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) from the engine's exhaust can
get into the vehicle as well as dirt
and water. See“Carbon Monoxide”
under Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑24.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 680 kg (1,500 lbs) needs to
have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted and
maintained properly.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The optional heavy-duty trailer
wiring package includes a wiring
harness, with a seven-pin connector
at the rear of the vehicle and a
four-wire harness assembly under
the driver side of the instrument
panel. The four-wire harness
assembly comes without a
connector.
If the vehicle does not have a trailer
hitch, the seven-wire harness
assembly with connector is taped
together and located in a frame
pocket at the driver side rear left
corner of the frame. If the vehicle has a trailer hitch, the
seven-wire harness assembly with
connector is attached to a bracket
on the hitch platform. In both cases,
the seven-wire harness has a
connector and includes a 30-amp
feed wire.
The seven-wire harness connector
contains the following trailer circuits:
.Light Green: Back-up Lamps
(10A fuse)**
.White: Ground
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
.Dark Green: Right Rear Stop
and Turn Signal*
.Red/Black Stripe: Battery Feed
(30A Fuse)
.Brown: Trailer Park Lamp
Supply Voltage (15A fuse)**
.Yellow: Left Rear Stop and Turn
Signal *

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-57
The four-wire harness (without
connector) contains the following
circuits:
.Black: Ground
.Red/White: Battery Feed
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
.Light Blue: CHMSL/Stoplamp
Supply Voltage
* If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse will
be shared for both left/stop trailer
turn and right/stop trailer turn
signals. However, the cutaway
lighting connector will have a
10 amp fuse for each signal.
** If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse will
be shared for trailer park lamps and
cutaway rear lighting connector park
lamps. Also, a 10 amp fuse will be
shared for trailer back-up lamps and
cutaway rear lighting connector
back-up lamps.
Tow/Haul Mode
This button is on the instrument
panel, to the right of the steering
wheel.
Pressing this button turns on and off
the Tow/Haul Mode.
This indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster comes on when the
Tow/Haul Mode is on.
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists
when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load. See Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑32 for more
information. Tow/Haul is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at least
75 percent of the vehicle Gross
Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).
See
“Weight of the Trailer” inTrailer
Towing on page 9‑50. Tow/Haul is
most useful under the following
driving conditions:
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load through
rolling terrain.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in stop and
go traffic.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in busy
parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is
desired.

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
9-58 Driving and Operating
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
when lightly loaded or with no trailer
at all will not cause damage.
However, there is no benefit to the
selection of Tow/Haul when the
vehicle is unloaded. Such a
selection when unloaded may
result in unpleasant engine and
transmission driving characteristics
and reduced fuel economy. Tow/
Haul is recommended only when
pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load.Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
Notice:Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should. Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12‐volt battery, even if
the vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑35
andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑35.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-2
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid (4-Speed Transmission) . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-16
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-22 Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Noise Control System . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-33
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Front Turn Signal,Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-39
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-40
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . 10-64

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
10-2 Vehicle Care
When It Is Time for NewTires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-70
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-83
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-85
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-99
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-3
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑35.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
10-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{WARNING
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience,
the proper replacement
parts, and tools before
attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.
.Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. Metric and English
fasteners can be easily
confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts
can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑18.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑35.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed.
See Maintenance Records on
page 11‑15.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbol on it. It is located in front
of the driver side door frame
near the floor.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-5
2. Go to the front of the vehicle andlift up the secondary hood
release, which is located
underneath the middle of
the hood.3. Lift the hood, release the hoodprop from its retainer and put the
hood prop into the slot in
the hood. If the vehicle has an underhood
lamp, it will automatically come on
and stay on until the hood is closed.
Before closing the hood, be sure all
of the filler caps are on properly.
Then lift the hood to relieve
pressure on the hood prop. Remove
the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its
retainer. Let the hood down and
close it firmly.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012
10-6 Vehicle Care
Engine Compartment Overview
4.3L V6 Engine Shown (4.8L V8 Engine, 5.3L V8 Engine and 6.0L V8 Engine Similar)