checking oil CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2017 1.G Owners Manual

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Vehicle Care 219
1.Battery - North America0236.
2. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeCooling System0226.
3. Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeCooling System0226.
4. Automatic Transmission FluidDipstick. See“Checking theFluid Level”underAutomaticTr a n s m i s s i o n F l u i d0222.
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See“Whento Add Engine Oil”underEngine Oil0219.
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See“Checking Engine Oil”underEngine Oil0219.
7.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter0225.
8. Power Steering FluidReservoir. SeePower SteeringFluid0232.
9. Brake Master CylinderReservoir. SeeBrakeFluid0234.
10. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See“Adding WasherFluid”underWasherFluid0233.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see“Engine Oil”in the Duramax dieselsupplement.
To e n s u r e p r o p e r e n g i n eperformance and long life, carefulattention must be paid to engine oil.Following these simple, butimportant steps will help protectyour investment:
.Use engine oil approved to theproper specification and of theproper viscosity grade. See“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”in this section.
.Check the engine oil levelregularly and maintain theproper oil level. See“CheckingEngine Oil”and“When to AddEngine Oil”in this section.
.Change the engine oil at theappropriate time. SeeEngine OilLife System0221.
.Always dispose of engine oilproperly. See“What to Do withUsed Oil”in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly(every 650 km (400 mi), especiallyprior to a long trip. The engine oildipstick handle is a loop. SeeEngine Compartment Overview0218for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center(DIC) message displays, check theoil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To g e t a n a c c u r a t e r e a d i n g , p a r kthe vehicle on level ground.Check the engine oil level afterthe engine has been off for atleast two hours. Checking theengine oil level on steep gradesor too soon after engine shutoffcan result in incorrect readings.Accuracy improves when

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
220 Vehicle Care
checking a cold engine prior tostarting. Remove the dipstickand check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, theengine must be off for at least15 minutes if the engine iswarm, or at least 30 minutes ifthe engine is not warm. Pull outthe dipstick, wipe it with a cleanpaper towel or cloth, then push itback in all the way. Remove itagain, keeping the tip down, andcheck the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatchedarea at the tip of the dipstick andthe engine has been off for at least15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of therecommended oil and then recheckthe level. See“Selecting the RightEngine Oil”later in this section foran explanation of what kind of oil to
use. For engine oil crankcasecapacity, seeCapacities andSpecifications0309.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview0218for the location of the engineoil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the levelsomewhere in the proper operatingrange. Push the dipstick all the wayback in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oildepends on both the proper oilspecification and viscosity grade.SeeRecommended Fluids andLubricants0305.
Specification
Ask for and use engine oils thatmeet the dexos1™specification.Engine oils that have beenapproved by GM as meeting thedexos1 specification are markedwith the dexos1 approved logo. Seewww.gmdexos.com.

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Vehicle Care 223
Caution (Continued)
fluid could come out and fall on
hot engine parts or exhaust
system parts, starting a fire. Too
little fluid could cause the
transmission to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if
checking the transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes with theengine off, before checking thetransmission fluid level if the vehiclehas been driven:
.In hot weather, when outsidetemperatures are above 32 °C(90 °F).
.The vehicle is heavily loaded.
.At high speed for quite a while inhot weather.
.In heavy traffic and hot weather.
.While pulling a trailer.
After driving under these conditions,ahotcheckcanbeperformed.Thefluid should be hot, which is 71 °C to93 °C (160 °F to 200 °F).
Acoldfluidlevelcheckcanbeperformed after the vehicle hasbeen sitting for eight hours or morewith the engine off, but this is usedonly as a reference. Let the enginerun at idle for five minutes if theoutside temperature is between 15 °Cto32°C(60°Fto90°F).Shouldthe fluid level be low during this coldcheck, the fluid must be checkedwarm or hot before adding fluid.If the outside temperature is colderthan 15 °C (60 °F) or hotter than 32 °C(90°F),acoldcheckcannotbeperformed.
Awarmfluidlevelcheckcanbeperformed by driving the vehicleunder lightly loaded conditions andoutside temperatures between 10 °Cto 27 °C (50 °F to 80 °F). Thevehicle should be driven for at least24 km (15 mi) before performing awarm check. Checking the fluidwarm or hot will give a moreaccurate reading of the fluid levelthan a cold check.
Because the vehicle is equippedwith a high-efficiency air-to-oilcooler, the transmission fluidtemperature may not reach the
required hot fluid level checkingtemperature under normal lightlyloaded driving vehicle conditions.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare the vehicle:
1. Park the vehicle on a levelplace. Keep the enginerunning.
2. With the parking brake applied,place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With a foot on the brake pedal,move the shift lever througheach gear range, pausing forabout three seconds in eachrange. When M is reached,move the selector from M1through M3. Then, position theshift lever in P (Park).
4. Let the engine run at idle fortwo minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off theengine, use the steps that follow.

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9967827) - 2017 - crc - 5/2/16
228 Vehicle Care
or bodies of water. Have the coolantchanged by an authorized servicecenter, familiar with legalrequirements regarding usedcoolant disposal. This will helpprotect the environment and yourhealth.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a levelsurface when checking the coolantlevel.
Check to see if coolant is visible inthe coolant recovery tank. If thecoolant inside the coolant recoverytank is boiling, do not do anythingelse until it cools down. If coolant isvisible but the coolant level is not ator above the COLD FILL mark, adda50/50mixtureofclean,drinkablewater and DEX-COOL coolant at thecoolant recovery tank, but be surethe cooling system is cool beforethis is done.
The coolant recovery tank cap hasthis symbol on it.
When the engine is cold, the coolantlevel should be at or above theCOLD FILL mark. If it is not, therecould be a leak in the coolingsystem.
If the coolant is low, add the coolantor take the vehicle to a dealer forservice.
How to Add Coolant to the
Recovery Tank for Gasoline
Engines
{Warning
Yo u c a n b e b u r n e d i f y o u s p i l l
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Caution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
If coolant is needed, add the properDEX-COOL coolant mixture at thecoolant recovery tank.
How to Add Coolant to the
Radiator
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the surge tank pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and surge tank pressure
cap to cool.