climate control CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2021 Owner's Guide

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
204 Driving and Operating
Stop/Start System
This vehicle has a Stop/Start system to shut
off the engine to help conserve fuel. It has
components designed for the increased
number of starts.
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start feature
causes the engine to shut off while the
vehicle is still on. Do not exit the vehicle
before shifting to P (Park). The vehicle
may restart and move unexpectedly.
Always shift to P (Park), and then turn
the ignition off before exiting the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and the vehicle
is at a complete stop, the engine may turn
off. When stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer0101. When
the brake pedal is released or the
accelerator pedal is pressed, the engine will
restart.
To maintain vehicle performance, other
conditions may cause the engine to
automatically restart before the brake pedal
is released. Auto Stops may not occur and/or auto
restarts may occur because:
.The climate control settings require the
engine to be running to cool or heat the
vehicle interior.
.The vehicle battery charge is low.
.The vehicle battery has recently been
disconnected.
.Minimum vehicle speed has not been
reached since the last Auto Stop.
.The accelerator pedal is pressed.
.The engine or transmission is not at the
required operating temperature.
.The outside temperature is not in the
required operating range.
.The vehicle is in any gear other than
D (Drive).
.Tow/Haul Mode or other driver modes
have been selected.
.The vehicle is on a steep hill or grade.
.The driver door has been opened or driver
seat belt has been unbuckled.
.The hood has been opened.
.The Auto Stop has reached the maximum
allowed time.
Engine Heater
The engine heater can provide easier
starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below 0 °F (−18 °C). Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in at least
four hours before starting. Some models
may have an internal thermostat in the cord
which will prevent engine heater operation
at temperatures above 0 °F (−18 °C).
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block heater
while the vehicle is parked in a garage or
under a carport. Property damage or
personal injury may result. Always park
the vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Driving and Operating 245
that extend out from the back of the vehicle
do not move further back when a trailer is
towed.
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death from
carbon monoxide (CO), when towing a
trailer:
.Do not drive with the liftgate, trunk/
hatch, or rear-most window open.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under
the instrument panel.
.Adjust the climate control system to a
setting that brings in only outside air.
See“Climate Control Systems” in the
Index.
For more information about carbon
monoxide, see Engine Exhaust 0207.
Towing a trailer requires experience. The
combination of the vehicle and trailer is
longer and not as responsive as the vehicle
itself. Get used to the handling and braking
of the combination by driving on a level
road surface before driving on public roads.
The trailer structure, the tires, and the
brakes must be all be rated to carry the
intended cargo. Inadequate trailer equipment can cause the combination to
operate in an unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before driving, inspect all trailer hitch parts
and attachments, safety chains, electrical
connectors, lamps, tires, and mirrors. See
Towing Equipment
0250. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the combination
moving and then manually apply the trailer
brake controller to check the trailer brakes
work. During the trip, occasionally check
that the cargo and trailer are secure and
that the lamps and any trailer brakes are
working.Towing with a Stability Control System
When towing, the stability control system
might be heard. The system reacts to
vehicle movement caused by the trailer,
which mainly occurs during cornering. This is
normal when towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle
ahead as you would when driving without a
trailer. This can help to avoid heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. The combination of the
vehicle and trailer will not accelerate as
quickly and is much longer than the vehicle
alone. It is necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before returning
to the lane. Pass on level roadways. Avoid
passing on hills if possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. To move the trailer to the left,
move that hand to the left. To move the
trailer to the right, move that hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider arcs
when towing a trailer to prevent damage
to your vehicle. Making very sharp turns
could cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle.

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
300 Vehicle Care
tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General
Motors passenger cars and light trucks
may vary with respect to these grades,
they must also conform to federal
safety requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) standards.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must Conform to
Federal Safety Requirements In Addition
To These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the
tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1½)times as well on the government course
as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance. Warning:
The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning,
or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law. Warning:
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
Index 359
Climate Control SystemsDual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 99
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Control Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 214
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Controls Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 186
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 343 Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Customer Information Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 345
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 338
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Database Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . .154
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211, 271
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . 244
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
360 Index
Dual Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 277
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 282
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . 104
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Engine (cont'd)
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . .128
F
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . 232 Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 243
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 277
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 282
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
364 Index
PositioningVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Privacy
Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Problems with Route Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256, 270, 309, Back Cover
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 345
R
Radio Data System (RDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Radios (cont'd)
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Rear Camera Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Rear Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Recognition
Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . 331
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . .7
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Replacing LATCH System Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . 205
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Roof Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . 208
S
Safety Defects Reporting Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347