tow CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2012 1.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
5-18 Instruments and Controls
Notice:Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3. This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑41. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
EnglishMetric
If the vehicle has antilock brakes,
this light should come on when the
key is turned to START. If it does
not come on, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem. When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has a
brake problem.
If, while driving, the light comes on
and a brake message comes on the
Driver Information Center (DIC), pull
off the road and stop carefully. The
pedal could be harder to push or the
pedal can go closer to the floor.
It could take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. See
Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21 andTowing the
Vehicle on page 10‑79.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
The brake message remains on until
any DIC button is pressed. The
brake light remains until the problem
is fixed. See Brake System
Messages on page 5‑32 for more
information.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The ABS warning light comes on
briefly when the ignition key is
turned to ON/RUN. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then,
have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off.
Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while driving, thevehicle needs service. If the regular
brake system warning light is not
on, there are still brakes, but no
antilock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on,
there are no antilock brakes and
there is a problem with the regular
brakes. See
Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑20.Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light comes on when the Tow/
Haul mode has been activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑25.
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light goes off.
If it stays on, or comes on while
driving, there could be a problem
with the StabiliTrak system and the
vehicle might need service. When
this warning light is on, the system
is off and will not limit wheel spin.
This light flashes when the
StabiliTrak system is active.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑28 for more information.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
The exterior lamps control has four
positions:
O(Off):Briefly turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again.
AUTO (Automatic): Turns the
headlamps on automatically at
normal brightness, together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps): Turns the
parking lamps on together with the
following:
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns the
headlamps on together with the
following lamps. A warning chime
sounds if the driver door is opened
when the ignition switch is off and
the headlamps are on.
.Parking Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/lane
change lever away from you to turn
the high beams on.
Pull the lever toward you to return to
low beams.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature is used to signal to
the vehicle ahead that you want
to pass.
If the headlamps are off or in the
low‐beam position, pull the turn
signal lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beams.
Release the lever to turn the
high-beam headlamps off.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
7-44 Infotainment System
Tips and Troubleshooting Chart (cont.)
ProblemRecommended Action
Sometimes the wireless headphone audio cuts out or
buzzes. Check for obstructions, low batteries, reception range,
and interference from cellular telephone towers, or use a
cellular telephone in the vehicle.
Check that the headphones are on correctly using the
L (left) and R (right) on the headphones.
The remote and/or the headphones are lost. See your dealer for assistance.
The DVD is playing, but there is no picture or sound. Check that the RSE video screen is sourced to the DVD player.
DVD Display Error Messages
The DVD display error message
depends on which radio the vehicle
has. The video screen might display
one of the following:
Disc Load/Eject Error:This
message displays when there are
disc load or eject problems.
Disc Format Error: This message
displays if the disc is inserted with
the disc label wrong side up, or if
the disc is damaged. Disc Region Error:
This message
displays if the disc is not from a
correct region.
No Disc Inserted: This message
displays if no disc is present when
the
ZEJECT button is pressed on
the radio.
DVD Distortion
Video distortion can occur when
operating cellular phones, scanners,
CB radios, Global Position Systems
(GPS)*, two-way radios, mobile
faxes, or walkie talkies.
It might be necessary to turn off the
DVD player when operating one of
these devices in or near the vehicle.
*Excludes the OnStar
®System.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
8-2 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature of the air flowing
from the system.
Air Delivery Mode Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the current airflow mode.
By positioning the right knob
between two modes, a combination
of those two modes is selected.
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
toward the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system automatically selects outside air.
Recirculation cannot be selected
while in floor mode.
-(Defog):
This clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
When this mode is selected, the
system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning unless the
outside temperature is less than 4°C
(40°F). Recirculation cannot be
selected while in the defog mode.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
0(Defrost): This clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window vents,
with some to the floor vents. In this
mode, outside air is pulled inside
the vehicle. Recirculation cannot be
selected while in the defrost mode.
The air conditioning system runs
automatically in this setting, unless
the outside temperature is less than
4°C (40°F). Do not drive the vehicle
until all windows are clear.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning system on
or off. An indicator light comes on
when A/C is on. The air conditioning
system does not operate when the
outside temperature is below 4°C
(40°F). The indicator light flashes
three times and turns off when
outside conditions affect air
conditioning operation. This is
normal.
For quicker cool down on hot days:
1. Open the windows to let hot air escape.
2. Select
Hmode.
3. Select
#.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest fan speed.
6. Close the windows after the hot air has escaped.
7. Once the vehicle's interior temperature is below the outside
temperature, select
@mode
for faster cooling.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
8-6 Climate Controls
When the passenger temperature
setting is different than the driver
setting, the PASS indicator
comes on.
Manual Operation
The air delivery mode or fan speed
can be manually adjusted.
D/C(Fan Control):Press to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
Pressing
DorCwhile in automatic
control places the fan speed under
manual control.
The air delivery mode remains in
automatic control. The fan setting
still displays, but the word AUTO
no longer displays, and the AUTO
button indicator light turns off.
H/G(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press to change the
direction of the airflow in the vehicle.
Repeatedly press
HorGuntil the
desired mode appears on the
display. Pressing a mode button
while the system is off changes the
air delivery mode without turning the system on. Press a mode button
while in automatic control to place
the system into manual control.
The air delivery mode setting still
displays, but the word AUTO no
longer displays, and the AUTO
button indicator light turns off.
H(Vent):
Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
towards the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system
uses outside air.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents. When this mode is selected, the
system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning compressor
unless the outside temperature is
less than 4°C (40°F). Do not drive
the vehicle until all the windows are
clear.
0(Defrost):
Press to turn the
defrost on or off. This mode quickly
clears the windshield of fog or frost.
Air is directed to the windshield,
side window, and floor vents. In this
mode, outside air is pulled inside
the vehicle. The air conditioning
system runs automatically in this
setting, unless the outside
temperature is less than 4°C (40°F).
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
While in defrost mode, if the PASS
button is pressed, the PASS button
indicator flashes three times to
show that the passenger climate
control system cannot be activated.
If the passenger temperature
buttons are adjusted while in defrost
mode, the driver temperature

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
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 . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-22
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-28
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-33
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-39
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑79.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight your vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on your vehicle
show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.Tire and Loading Information
Label
Example Label
A vehicle specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar
(B-pillar) of your vehicle. With
the driver's door open, you will
find the label attached below the
door lock post (striker). The tire
and loading information label
shows the number of occupant
seating positions (A), and the

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
maximum vehicle capacity
weight (B) in kilograms and
pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
size of the original equipment
tires (C) and the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures (D).
For more information on tires
and inflation seeTires on
page 10‑36 andTire Pressure
on page 10‑42.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification/Tire label. It tells
you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in
this section.Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.
Locate the statement “The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs” on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400
−750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity for
your vehicle.
See Trailer Towing on page 9‑47
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules and trailering tips.