Chevrolet 2011 Express 1500 Cargo User manual

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Express Owner Manual M
In Brief ........................ 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-42
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Phone........................7-24
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Express Owner Manual M
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-34
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-56
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-8
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-11
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-2
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-16
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Index ..................... i-1

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem, and
EXPRESS are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.
Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited”for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever
it appears in this manual.
If the vehicle has the Duramax
®
Diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement for additional and
specific information on this engine.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25953303 B Second Printing ©2010 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number
where it can be found.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning or Caution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury
or death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage.
This would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it
is a safety symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do not do this,”or
“Do not let this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when
you need to see the owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*:This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar
®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3:Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child
Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_:Tow/Haul Mode
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
vi Introduction
2NOTES

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Airbag On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Sensing System for Passenger
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®
................... 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-17
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak
®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-19
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Roadside Assistance
Program .................... 1-20
OnStar
®
..................... 1-21

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A. Air Vents on page 8‑8.
B. Driver Information Center (DIC)
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.
C. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑5(Out of View).
E. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑11.
F. Shift Lever. See Starting the
Engine on page 9‑18.
Manual Mode on page 9‑30
(If Equipped).
G. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
H. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
I. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
J. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps on page 6‑6.
K. Cruise Control on page 9‑37
(If Equipped) .
Fast Idle System (If Equipped).
See the Duramax diesel
supplement for more
information.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑21.
N. Horn on page 5‑4.
O. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
P. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See
“Tow/Haul Mode”under Towing
Equipment on page 9‑53.
Q. Power Outlets on page 5‑9.
R. StabiliTrak
®
System on
page 9‑34 (If Equipped).
S. Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑32 (If Equipped) .
T. Front Storage on page 4‑1.
U. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑19
(If Equipped).
OnStar
®
System Button.
(If Equipped).
V. Rear Heating System on
page 8‑5(If Equipped).
W. USB Port. See Auxiliary
Devices on page 7‑19.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-4 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The RKE transmitter is used to
remotely lock and unlock the doors
from up to 60 m (195 feet) away
from the vehicle.
RKE Transmitter With Remote
Start Shown
Press Kto unlock the driver door.
Press Kagain within 5 seconds to
unlock all remaining doors.
Press jto unlock only the cargo
doors.
Press Qto lock all doors.
Lock and unlock feedback can
be personalized.
Press Land release to locate
the vehicle.
Press Land hold for more than
2 seconds to sound the panic alarm.
Press Lagain to cancel the
panic alarm.
See Keys on page 2‑2and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
Remote Vehicle Start
With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press Q.
3. Immediately after completing
Step 2, press and hold /until
the turn signal lamps flash.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on as
long as the engine is running. The
doors will be locked and the climate
control system may come on.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-5
The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold /
until the parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.
Door Locks
Manual Door Locks
Lock and unlock the door from the
outside using the key or the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
if available. From the inside, slide
the manual lever on the door up
or down.
See Door Locks on page 2‑7.
Power Door Locks
On vehicles with power door locks,
the switches are located on the
doors.
T:Press to lock and unlock
the doors.
See Power Door Locks on page 2‑8.
Windows
Manual Windows
Operate the manual windows by
turning the hand crank on each door
to raise or lower the side door
windows.
See Manual Windows on page 2‑17.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-6 In Brief
Power Windows
If the vehicle has power windows,
the controls are located on each of
the side doors. The driver door also
has a control to operate the front
passenger window.
Press or pull up on the switch to
lower or raise the window.
Express‐Down
The driver window switch also has
an express-down feature that allows
the window to be lowered without
holding the switch. Press fully and
release the window switch marked
AUTO to activate the express-down
mode. This mode can be cancelled
at any time by pulling up on the
switch. To open the window part
way, lightly tap the switch until the
window is at the desired position.
See Power Windows on page 2‑17.
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.
3. Try to move the seat back and
forth to be sure the seat is
locked in place.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑2.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-7
Power Seats
To adjust a power seat, if available,
use the controls on the front of
the seat:
.Adjust the seat by moving the
center knob up, down, right,
or left.
.Raise and lower the front or rear
of the seat cushion by moving
the right or left lever up or down.
See Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑3.
Reclining Seatbacks
To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the lever on the inboard side
of the seat.
2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
To return the seatback to the
upright position:
1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑3.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-8 In Brief
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑8.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑12.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑18.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52.
Airbag On-Off Switch
If the instrument panel has one of
the switches pictured in the
following illustrations, the vehicle
has an airbag on-off switch that you
can use to manually turn on or off
the right front passenger airbag.
United States
Canada and Mexico
To operate the airbag on‐off switch,
use the vehicle key.
See Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑32 for important information.
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver airbag
and roof‐rail airbags, if equipped,
are not affected by this.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-9
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
on the instrument panel when the
vehicle is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑35 for important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to
right so you can see a little of the
side of the vehicle, and have a clear
view of objects behind you.
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls located on the driver
side door.
Select each mirror by turning the
knob clockwise for the passenger
side mirror or counterclockwise for
the driver side mirror. Adjust the
mirror angle by moving the knob in
the desired direction.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
Vehicles with towing mirrors can be
adjusted manually for a clear view
of the objects behind you.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-10 In Brief
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return it to the original position.
Interior Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view behind the vehicle. Adjust the
mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind. Push the tab,
located at the base of the mirror,
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
See Manual Rearview Mirror on
page 2‑16.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
For vehicles with a tilt steering
wheel, the lever is located on the
left side of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever to move the
steering wheel up or down into a
comfortable position.
2. Release the lever to lock the
steering wheel in place.
See Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamp
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened. They turn off after
all the doors are closed.
The instrument panel brightness
knob extends when Dis pressed.
To manually turn on the dome
lamps, press Dthen turn the knob
clockwise to the farthest position.
In this position, the dome lamps
remain on whether a door is opened
or closed.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-11
EDOME OFF : This button is
located above the instrument panel
brightness knob.
Press the button in and the dome
lamps remain off when a door is
opened. Press the button again so
that the dome lamps come on when
a door is opened.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps,
press the button located next to
each lamp to turn it on or off.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. The lamps
cannot be adjusted.
For more information on interior
lighting, see:
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
.Entry/Exit Lighting on page 6‑7.
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
O:Briefly turn the control to this
position to turn the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) off or back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position only works for
vehicles that are shifted into the
P (Park) position.
AUTO: Automatically turns on
the headlamps, parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.
;:Turns on the parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.
2:Turns on the headlamps,
parking lamps, taillamps, instrument
panel lights, and license plate
lamps.
For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Exterior Lamps Off Reminder on
page 6‑2.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑3.
.Automatic Headlamp System on
page 6‑4.

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-12 In Brief
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The lever is located on the left side
of the steering column.
8:Use for a single wiping cycle.
6:Use to adjust the delay time
between wipes. Turn the band up or
down for more frequent wipes or
less frequent wipes.
d:Slow wipes.
a:Fast wipes.
9:Use to turn the wipers off.
L:Push the paddle on top of the
multifunction lever to spray washer
fluid on the windshield.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
Climate Controls
The vehicle's heating, cooling, and ventilation can be controlled with these
systems.
Vehicles Without Air Conditioning
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-13
Vehicles With Air Conditioning
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Rear Window Defogger
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1. See Rear Heating System
on page 8‑5(If Equipped) or Rear
Climate Control System on page 8‑6
(If Equipped).

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Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2011
1-14 In Brief
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control the
vehicle's transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or
towing a trailer by letting you select
a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column
shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for current driving
conditions.
When M (Manual Mode) is selected
a number displays in the DIC next to
the M indicating the current gear.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑31.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.