Chevrolet Express 2012 User manual

Black plate (1,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

2012 Chevrolet Express Owner Manual M

In Brief ........................ 1-1

Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4

Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Performance and

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Keys, Doors, and

Windows .................... 2-1

Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Doors..........................2-9

Vehicle Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1

Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Warning Lights, Gauges, and

Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-28

Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34

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

Black plate (2,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

2012 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33

Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33

Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-35

Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37

Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40

Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46

Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-58

Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35

Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41

Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49

Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86

Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90

Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93

Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1

General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3

Special Application

Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8

Additional Maintenance

and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8

Recommended Fluids,

Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12

Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-15

Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1

Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1

Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-19

Vehicle Data Recording and

Privacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20

OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2

OnStar Additional

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5

Index ..................... i-1

Black plate (3,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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

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.

Black plate (4,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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.

Black plate (5,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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

J:Brake System

Warning Light

":Charging System

I:Cruise Control

B:Engine Coolant Temperature

O:Exterior Lamps

.:Fuel Gauge

+:Fuses

3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam

Changer

i:Top Tether Anchors for

Child Restraints

*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp

::Oil Pressure

}:Power

/:Remote Vehicle Start

>:Safety Belt Reminders

7:Tire Pressure Monitor

_:Tow/Haul Mode

d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak

M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (6,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

vi Introduction

2NOTES

Black plate (1,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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 . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Airbag On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9

Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Steering Wheel

Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13

Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Vehicle Features

Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18

Bluetooth

................... 1-18

Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18

Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19

Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19

Performance and Maintenance

StabiliTrak

System . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-21

Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-21

Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-21

Driving for Better Fuel

Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Roadside Assistance

Program .................... 1-22

OnStar

..................... 1-22

Black plate (2,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

1-2 In Brief

Instrument Panel

Black plate (3,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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 5‑5.

D. Hazard Warning Flashers on

page 6‑5(Out of View).

E. Instrument Cluster on

page 5‑12.

F. Shift Lever. See Starting the

Engine on page 9‑18.

Manual Mode on page 9‑31

(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(If Equipped).

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(If Equipped).

P. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See

“Tow/Haul Mode”under Towing

Equipment on page 9‑55.

Q. Power Outlets on page 5‑10.

R. StabiliTrak

System on

page 9‑35 (If Equipped).

S. Passenger Airbag On‐Off

Switch (If Equipped). See

Airbag On-Off Switch on

page 3‑26.

T. Front Storage on page 4‑1

(If Equipped).

U. Passenger Airbag Status

Indicator on page 5‑20

(If Equipped).

OnStar

System Button

(If Equipped). See OnStar

Overview on page 14‑1.

V. Rear Heating System on

page 8‑5(If Equipped).

W. USB Port (If Equipped). See

Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑19.

Black plate (4,1)

Chevrolet Express Owner Manual - 2012

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

If equipped, the RKE transmitter is

used to remotely lock and unlock

the doors from up to 60 m (195 ft)

away from the vehicle.

RKE Transmitter with Remote

Start Shown

Q:Press to lock all doors.

Lock and unlock feedback can

be personalized. See Vehicle

Personalization on page 5‑42.

K:Press to unlock the driver door.

Press Kagain within five seconds

to unlock all remaining doors.

j:Press to unlock only the

cargo doors.

L:Press and release to locate

the vehicle. Press Land hold for

more than two 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.

Other manuals for Express 2012

Table of contents

Other Chevrolet Automobile manuals

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2008 Malibu Assembly instructions

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Trailblazer 2020 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Colorado 2024 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet chevrolet 1973 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2007 HHR Parts list manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2004 Cavalier Assembly instructions

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2011 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2010 Malibu User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Traverse 2018 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 1984 Cavalier User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2002 Impala User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2011 Equinox Parts list manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet CORVETTE User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2010 Silverado 1500 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Pontiac Wave 2007 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2005 Corvette User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 1998 Blazer User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet Metro 2000 User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2007 Equinox User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 1994 Blazer User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2003 Monte Carlo User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2010 Colorado User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2013 Tahoe Special Service Package User manual

Chevrolet

Chevrolet 2006 Equinox User manual

Popular Automobile manuals by other brands

Toyota

Toyota 2000 Tundra owner's manual

CITROËN

CITROËN DS4 DSign Handbook

Lexus

Lexus 2015 CT 200h owner's manual

Cadillac

Cadillac CTS 2008 owner's manual

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz M-class ML 55 AMG Operator's manual

Porsche

Porsche Boxster S Technical manual

GMC

GMC 2010 Savana 1500 Cargo owner's manual

KIAM

KIAM SPORTAGE 2014 Features & functions guide

GMC

GMC 2013 Terrain Getting to know

GMC

GMC T-Series 1999 owner's manual

Mercury

Mercury 1998 Mystique owner's manual

Mercury

Mercury 2007 Mariner Quick reference guide

Mazda

Mazda 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 Smart start guide

Mazda

Mazda 2014 CX-5 owner's manual

GMC

GMC Chevrolet Express 2022 owner's manual

GMC

GMC 1997 Jimmy owner's manual

Cadillac

Cadillac 2010 Escalade manual

Skoda

Skoda FABIA RS - ANNEXE 118 brochure