brakes CHEVROLET LOW CAB FORWARD 2018 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Storage 59
Model MaximumGVWR
kg (lb.) Front GAWR
Capacitykg (lb.) Rear GAWR
Capacitykg (lb.)
4500HD 6 577 (14,500) 2 431 (5,360) 4 482 (9,880) 4500XD 7 258 (16,000) 3 007 (6,630) 4 998 (11,020)
5500HD 8 142 (17,950) 3 098 (6,830) 5 888 (12,980)
5500XD 8 845 (19,500) 3 300 (7,275) 6 196 (13,660)
Maximum Front and Rear Axle
Weights
The weight of the cargo load must
be properly distributed over both the
front and rear axles. The “VIN,Weight Rating, and Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) Emissions Plate”
shows
the maximum weight that the front
axle can carry (front GAWR). It also
shows the maximum weight that the
rear axle can carry (rear GAWR).
The GVWR is the maximum
permissible loaded weight of the
vehicle and takes into account the
capabilities of the engine,
transmission, frame, springs,
brakes, axles and tires. Actual loads
at the front and the rear axles can
only be determined by weighing the
vehicle. This can be done at
highway weigh stations or other
such places. See your dealer for help. The cargo load should be
distributed on both sides of the
center line as equally as possible.
Tires
The tires on your truck must be of
the proper size and properly inflated
for the load that you are carrying.
The
“VIN, Weight Rating, and
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Plate” shows the originally equipped
tire size and recommended inflation
pressures.
For the vehicle plate location, see
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
0 330.
See “Tire Load and Inflation Table”
under Tire Pressure 0284.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Instruments and Controls 75
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 077.
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
warning light does not go away,
brake inspection and maintenance
should be performed.
Check and Corrective Action
1. Check to see that the parking brake 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.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
76 Instruments and Controls
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 0242.
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.
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

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Instruments and Controls 77
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
out after approximately three seconds. If the light does not
come on, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn if there is a problem.
This warning light comes on
together with the brake system
warning light whenever there is a
problem in the Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS). In this case, the ABS
stops working but the brakes still
function as ordinary service brakes.
{Warning
If this warning light comes on
while driving, immediately stop
your vehicle at a safe place well
clear of traffic and take the
following actions.
1. Stop the engine.
2. Restart the engine. Check ifthe ABS warning light
comes on and then goes
out. If it does, there is no
problem. The ABS operates
normally.
(Continued)

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
78 Instruments and Controls
Warning (Continued)
3. Move the vehicle slowlyforward. Gradually increase
the speed to 15 km/h
(9 mph). If the light goes off,
the ABS is normal.
If the light does not come on or
go out, or comes on frequently,
contact your dealer immediately
and have the system repaired.
Even if a problem has occurred in
the ABS, the brakes will still work
as normal brakes. In this case,
the ABS has no influence on the
operation of the brake system.
See Brake System Warning Light
(Parking Brake Light) 075 and
Antilock Brake System (ABS) 0196.
Exhaust Brake Light
This light comes on when the
exhaust switch is pulled and the
engine is running. See Exhaust
Brake 0201.
Service Transmission
Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine control switch is in the ON
position, as a check to show the
light is working. It should go out
when the engine is started. If the warning light starts to blink
while driving, it indicates that there
is a malfunction in the automatic
transmission’s electronic control
system. If the warning light is
blinking, see your dealer for service.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid Temperature
Warning 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.
The Automatic Transmission Fluid
(ATF) Temperature warning light
comes on if the ATF temperature is
high. This usually occurs when the
transmission is overfilled and may

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
Driving and Operating 121
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 132
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 132
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 136
Emergencies(Troubleshooting) . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Emergencies (Disabled Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 147
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Operating Temperature . . . . . . . 153
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Alarm and Automatic Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Idle Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
High Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Engine Checks Before
Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 161
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 170
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 185
Selector Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Overdrive Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Exhaust Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fuel
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . 206
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 209
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Running Out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 212
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Power Take-Off (PTO) . . . . . . . . 215

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 123
Warning (Continued)
If a warning light comes on or a
buzzer sounds while you are
driving, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and
perform checks.
Slow down sufficiently when
approaching a curve. Applying the
brakes or sharply turning the
steering wheel while turning the
curve could cause the cargo to
shift, the tires to slip and the
vehicle to tip onto its side.
Avoid scraping the tire sidewalls
against curbstones or driving over
dips and protrusions in the road
surface. You could damage the
tires, resulting in a blowout or
flat tire.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Pulling Away After Stopping
and Parking
Before pulling away, check that
there are no children or obstructions
around the vehicle and confirm that
it is safe to pull away.
If you cannot see the area behind
your vehicle well enough to confirm
it is safe to back up, get out of the
vehicle and check behind it.
Make it a habit to look around and
confirm that it is safe to pull away
after a temporary stop (at traffic
lights, for example).
If the Windshield Fogs Up
Use the heater to blow hot air on the
windshield or dehumidify the cabin
using the air conditioner and place
the outlet selector knob in the
5or
4position.
Place the air selector lever in the
outside air position.
Nighttime Visibility
If there is an old film on the
windshield, the lights of oncoming
traffic will be reflected in many directions, making it hard for you to
see ahead. Use glass cleaner to
clean the glass and the wiper
blades.
Worn wiper blades cannot wipe the
windshield clean and thus cannot
maintain visibility. When the wiper
blades become worn, replace them
with new ones.
Do Not Attach Accessories to
the Windshield or Windows
{Warning
Do not attach ornaments, films or
other accessories to the
windshield or windows. They
would impair visibility. Also, any
plastic suction cups used to
attach accessories could cause a
fire or other accident by acting as
lenses.
You and others could be seriously
injured.

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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124 Driving and Operating
Never Stop the Engine While
Driving
{Warning
Do not move the engine control
switch away from the "ON"
position while the vehicle is being
driven.
If the engine stops while the
vehicle is moving, the brake
booster does not work, and the
brakes would not work properly.
The engine could also be
damaged.
Stopping the engine while driving
would be extremely dangerous
because the power steering
would stop working, making the
steering wheel extremely hard
to turn.
Stopping the engine while driving
would be extremely dangerous
because the warning lights,(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
indicator lights and other
electrical circuitry would
completely stop working.
Placing the engine control switch
in the "LOCK" position while
driving would be extremely
dangerous because the key could
come out, causing the steering
wheel to lock so that you could
not turn it.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Avoid Unnecessary Idling of
the Engine
If the engine idles too long, the
engine coolant temperature will fall
below the operating range. Low
engine operating temperature
causes several conditions that are
harmful to engine operation and life.
Incomplete combustion of fuel in an
engine that is not fully warmed-up
causes crankcase dilution and
forms lacquer and gummy deposits on valves, pistons, and rings. It also
causes rapid accumulation of
sludge within the engine.
Driving at Night
Nighttime driving is more dangerous
than daytime driving because the
field of view is narrower. Keep your
speed down, and maintain an ample
headway distance.
Metallic Plinking Sound from
the Muffler
Immediately after stopping the
engine, you may hear a metallic
plinking sound from the muffler. This
sound occurs as the muffler cools
down and contracts. It does not
indicate an abnormality or
breakdown.
When the Silencer and
Exhaust Pipe are Hot
{Warning
When the engine is running and
immediately after vehicle
operation, the DPF, silencer, and
(Continued)

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
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Driving and Operating 125
Warning (Continued)
exhaust pipe are extremely hot.
Be careful not to inadvertently
touch them when working near
them (for example, tilting the cab
or operating an attachment). You
and others could be seriously
injured.
Recommendations for Driving
in Hot Regions
The engine is more likely to
overheat in an environment where
the ambient temperature is high. To
prevent the engine from
overheating, pay attention to the
following points:
.If the engine does not contain
the appropriate concentration of
engine coolant, overheating is
likely to occur.
Refer to Engine Coolant 0231.
. Do not put well water, river water
or other hard water in the engine
cooling system. It would hasten
the formation of rust and scale. .
If foreign matter (insects, mud,
etc.) gets stuck in the radiator's
air passages, the cooling
system's performance will
deteriorate. Check the air
passages for clogging, and
remove any foreign matter using
water under low pressure.
Refer to Exterior Care 0293.
When Turning, the Rear
Wheels will Follow Tighter
Curves than the Front Wheels
Use the mirrors to confirm safety.
Sidewinds
If the vehicle catches a sidewind
and drifts sideways, firmly grip the
steering wheel, decelerate to a
speed that allows you to stay
completely in control, and make a
directional correction. The vehicle
may catch strong sidewinds in the
following situations:
.
Emerging from a tunnel
. Driving over a bridge
. Driving on an embankment
. Driving through a cutting .
Being overtaken by a large truck
or bus
. Overtaking a large truck or bus
Flat Tire
If a blowout or flat tire occurs while
you are driving, calmly grip the
steering wheel and gradually apply
the brakes to decelerate. (Hard
braking would be dangerous
because it could cause the steering
wheel to be pulled to one side.)
Stop the vehicle in a safe place, and
change the tire.
Hard Bump Under Vehicle
If the underside of the vehicle
receives a hard bump, stop in a safe
place where the vehicle will not
obstruct traffic and check for brake
fluid leakage, fuel leakage and
component damage. If any part of
the vehicle is damaged or broken,
promptly have the vehicle inspected
and repaired.
Highways
.Speeds on highways are higher
than those on regular roads, so
there is more danger. Also, a

Chevrolet Low Cab Forward Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S.-
11254764) - 2018 - crc - 12/5/16
126 Driving and Operating
breakdown on a highway
represents a hazard to other
vehicles and can cause an
accident. Concentrate on safe
driving. Remember to perform
daily pre-operation inspections
and use highway driving
techniques. When performing
daily pre-operation inspections,
perform the checks shown in the
table on the left with particularly
great care.
Refer toOwner Checks and
Services 0317.
. When merging with traffic on a
highway, use the turn signal
lights to indicate your intentions
ahead of time. Speed up
sufficiently when you are in the
acceleration lane. Pay attention
to vehicles behind you and to
conditions in the lane you are
joining. Merge in such a way that
you do not obstruct vehicles in
the lane.
. Your sense of how fast you are
traveling becomes distorted on
long highway drives. Constantly keep an eye on the
speedometer, and maintain a
suitable headway distance.
. During high-speed driving, even
a little turn of the steering wheel
causes a big movement of the
vehicle. Turn the steering wheel
slowly.
. Excessive use of the brake
pedal is extremely dangerous
because it rapidly wears the
brake linings and causes brake
fade. Make effective use of the
engine brake and the exhaust
brake when you want to
decelerate.
. When you want to turn off a
highway, use the turn signal
lights to indicate your intentions
ahead of time. Paying attention
to vehicles behind you, turn off
the highway smoothly so as not
to obstruct other vehicles.
Brake Fade : Frequent use of the
brakes can cause the brakes to
overheat so that the frictional force
of the brake linings decreases and the brakes become less effective
than normal. This phenomenon is
called brake fade.
Braking
Brake Operation
The brakes give strong braking
force with only light pressure on the
pedal. Do not press the brake pedal
hard except in the event of an
emergency.
Actual stopping distances vary
greatly. Your ability to stop safely
will be greatly affected by the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
the weight of the load; and the
amount of brake force applied.
Please allow for realistic stopping
distances to avoid unnecessary
heavy braking. That means better
braking, longer brake life and safer
driving.