ABS CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2010 1.G User Guide

Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-23
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-33
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-40
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55

Driving and Operating 9-9
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑27improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice. Turn off cruise control, if equipped,
on slippery surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the
Roadside
Assistance Program
on page 13‑6.

Driving and Operating 9-27
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑19. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. The ABS pump or motor
might be heard operating, and the
brake pedal might be felt to pulsate,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

9-28 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then
push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 5‑18. Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the park brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will be on and
a chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Trailer Towingon page 9‑50.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsations or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

9-30 Driving and Operating
Traction control can be turned on by
pressing and releasing the traction
control disable button if not
automatically shut off for any other
reason.
When the traction control system is
turned off, the StabiliTrak light and
the appropriate traction control off
message will be displayed on the
DIC to warn the driver. The vehicle
will still have brake-traction control
when traction control is off, but will
not be able to use the engine speed
management system. See“Traction
Control Operation” next for more
information.
When the traction control system
has been turned off, system noises
may be heard and felt as a result of
the brake-traction control working.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to “rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See
If the Vehicle is Stuck
on page 9‑11.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of
the StabiliTrak system. Traction
control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine
speed management) and by
applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as
necessary.
The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will flash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction while driving. If traction
control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of
traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly.
Notice:
If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak, ABS and
brake warning lights and any
relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power
and do not spin the wheel(s)
excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed.
The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt
upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.

Driving and Operating 9-49
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
will boil at a lower temperature than
at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To
avoid this, let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level ground,
with the transmission in P (Park) for
a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, seeEngine Overheating
on page 10‑18.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce the vehicle speed to
around 88 km/h (55 mph) to reduce
the possibility of the engine and the
transmission overheating.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing
uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load. 4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then
apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.Start the engine.
.Shift into a gear.
.Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.

Vehicle Care 10-31
FusesUsage
A/C CLUTCH Air Conditioning
Clutch
ABS MTR Antilock Braking
System (ABS)
Motor
AFS Adaptive Forward
Lighting System Fuses
Usage
AIRBAG Airbag System
AUX POWER Auxiliary Power AUX
VAC PUMP Auxiliary
Vacuum Pump
AWD All-Wheel-Drive
System Fuses
Usage
BATT 1 Battery 1
BATT 2 Battery 2
BATT 3 Battery 3
ECM Engine Control
Module
ECM 1 Engine Control
Module 1
EMISSION 1 Emission 1
EMISSION 2 Emission 2
EVEN COILS Even Injector Coils FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FOG LAMP Fog Lamps
FSCM Fuel System
Control Module
HORN Horn
HTD MIR Heated Outside
Rearview Mirror

10-66 Vehicle Care
1. Press down on the latch tab andpull the cover off to access the
storage compartment.
2. Press the two tabs on the quick release buckle to release the tire
sealant and compressor kit
strap.
3. Remove the sealant and compressor kit from its tray.
To store the tire sealant and
compressor kit, reverse the steps.
Tire Changing
Removing Tools
The tools needed to remove the
spare tire are located in the storage
compartment on the driver side, at
the rear of the vehicle.
1. Open the jack storage compartment by pulling on the
latch tab, located toward the rear
of the vehicle, and pulling the
cover off.
A. Tool Bag
B. Wing Bolt
C. Jack
2. Remove the wing bolt (B) by turning it counterclockwise
3. Push the jack (C) up out of the holding bracket.
4. Turn the jack on its side, with the bottom facing toward you.
5. Pull the jack straight out, bottom first.

10-90 Vehicle Care
cleaned. Permanent damage can
result from using cleaners on
surfaces for which they were not
intended. Apply the cleaner directly
to the cleaning cloth to prevent
over-spray. Remove any accidental
over-spray from other surfaces
immediately.
Notice:Using abrasive cleaners
when cleaning glass surfaces on
the vehicle, could scratch the
glass and/or cause damage to the
rear window defogger. When
cleaning the glass on the vehicle,
use only a soft cloth and glass
cleaner.
Cleaners can contain solvents that
can become concentrated in the
vehicle's interior. Before using
cleaners, read and adhere to all
safety instructions on the label.
While cleaning the vehicle's interior,
maintain adequate ventilation by
opening the vehicle's doors and
windows. Do not clean the interior using the
following cleaners or techniques:
.Never use a knife or any other
sharp object to remove a soil
from any interior surface.
.Never use a stiff brush. It can
cause damage to the vehicle's
interior surfaces.
.Never apply heavy pressure or
rub aggressively with a cleaning
cloth. Use of heavy pressure can
damage the interior and does
not improve the effectiveness of
soil removal.
.Use only mild, neutral-pH soaps.
Avoid laundry detergents or
dishwashing soaps with
degreasers. Using too much
soap will leave a residue that
leaves streaks and attracts dirt.
For liquid cleaners, about
20 drops per 3.78 L (1 gal) of
water is a good guide.
.Do not heavily saturate the
upholstery while cleaning.
.Damage to the vehicle's interior
may result from the use of many
organic solvents such as naptha,
alcohol, etc.
Fabric/Carpet
Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft
brush attachment to remove dust
and loose dirt. A canister vacuum
with a beater bar in the nozzle may
only be used on floor carpet and
carpeted floor mats. For soils,
always try to remove them first with
plain water or club soda. Before
cleaning, gently remove as much of
the soil as possible using one of the
following techniques:
.For liquids: gently blot the
remaining soil with a paper
towel. Allow the soil to absorb
into the paper towel until no
more can be removed.
.For solid dry soils: remove as
much as possible and then
vacuum.

INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 3-37
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-10
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-28 Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-14
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Alarm System Anti-Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Antenna
Multi-Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-36
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Armrest Stoarge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5 Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21, 7-26
Audio System Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-21 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shiftlock Control System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-24
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43