traction control CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2004 1.G Owners Manual

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-7
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-8
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-14
Interior Lamps..............................................3-20
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-21
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-22
Climate Controls............................................3-22
Automatic Climate Control System...................3-22
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-29
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-32
Climate Controls Personalization.....................3-32
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-33
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-34
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-35
Tachometer.................................................3-35
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-36Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-36
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator.................3-38
Charging System Light..................................3-40
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-41
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-42
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-43
Low Tire Pressure Warning Light....................3-43
Traction Off Light..........................................3-44
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-45
Transmission Temperature Gage.....................3-45
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-47
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-50
Security Light...............................................3-51
Cruise Control Light......................................3-51
Tow/Haul Mode Light....................................3-51
Fuel Gage...................................................3-52
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-52
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-53
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-54
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-65
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of your instrument panel are the
following:
A. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-32.
B. Exterior Lamps Control. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 3-14.
C. Cargo/Top-Box Lamps Button. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 3-14.
D. Automatic Transfer Case Buttons (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-38. Traction Assist
System (If Equipped). SeeTraction Assist System
(TAS) on page 4-9. Stabilitrak
®Button (If Equipped).
SeeStabilitrak®System on page 4-11.
E. OnStar®and Radio Steering Wheel Buttons (If
Equipped). SeeOnStar®System on page 2-59and
Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-114.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-34.
G. Shift Lever/Tow/Haul Selector Button. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-34.
H. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-72.
I. Dome Override Button. SeeInterior Lamps on
page 3-20.J. Fog Lamps Button. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-14.
K. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8.
L. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-10.
M. Tilt Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-7.
N. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-53.
O. Parking Brake Release. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-42.
P. Comfort Control Systems. SeeAutomatic Climate
Control System on page 3-22andDual Climate
Control System on page 3-29.
Q. Lighter (If Equipped) or Accessory Power Outlet
(If Equipped). SeeAshtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-22andAccessory Power Outlets on
page 3-21.
R. Accessory Power Outlet (If Equipped). See
Accessory Power Outlets on page 3-21.
S. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-65.
3-5

Cruise Control
9
(Off):This position
turns the system off.
R(On):This position activates the system.
+ (Resume/Accelerate):Push the lever to this symbol
to make the vehicle accelerate or resume to a
previously set speed.
T(Set):Press this button to set the speed.
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long
trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes, the cruise control will shut off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can not drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
3-11

Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal,
move the cruise control switch to off, or
shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
If your vehicle has the Stabilitrak®feature, cruise
control will turn off if road conditions cause
Stabilitrak
®to activate.
If the accelerator pedal is held longer than
60 seconds, cruise control will turn off.
The cruise control will turn off automatically if the
traction control system or Stabilitrak
®system activate, if
your vehicle is equipped with either feature.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The control on the driver’s side of your instrument panel
operates the exterior lamps.
3-14

PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
If the passenger’s door is not fully closed and the vehicle
is in a drive gear, this message will appear on the display
and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstacles, and close the door again.
Check to see if the message still appears on the DIC.
Pressing the select button will acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display.
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the driver’s side rear door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is in a drive gear, this message will appear on the
display and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the door for obstacles, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message still appears on the
DIC. Pressing the select button will acknowledge this
message and clear it from the DIC display.
RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the passenger’s side rear door is not fully closed and
the vehicle is in a drive gear, this message will appear on
the display and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn off
the vehicle, check the door for obstacles, and close the
door again. Check to see if the message still appears on
the DIC. Pressing the select button will acknowledge this
message and clear it from the DIC display.
KEYFOB X BATTERY LOW
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low, this
message will appear on the DIC. The battery needs
to be replaced in the transmitter. Pressing the select
button will acknowledge this message and clear it from
the DIC display.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that any
of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. For more information seeTraction Assist
System (TAS) on page 4-9andStabilitrak
®System
on page 4-11.
TRACTION SYS LIMITED
If the brake traction-control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high-speed
braking, brake traction-control will be disabled and the
TRACTION SYS LIMITED message will be displayed.
For more information on the Stabilitrak
®system and
traction control, seeStabilitrak®System on page 4-11.
3-70

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-9
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-11
Stabilitrak
®System.......................................4-11
Steering......................................................4-15
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-17
Passing.......................................................4-17
Loss of Control.............................................4-19
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle....................................................4-20
Driving at Night............................................4-33
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-35City Driving..................................................4-38
Freeway Driving...........................................4-39
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-41
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-42
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-43
Winter Driving..............................................4-44
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . .4-49
Towing..........................................................4-52
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-52
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-52
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-55
Level Control...............................................4-62
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-63
Truck-Camper Loading Information..................4-67
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-67
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-68
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeTraction Assist
System (TAS) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that is
only an average. It might be less with one driver and as
long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age,
physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But
even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Assist System (TAS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the rear wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on in the
DIC when the TAS is limiting wheel spin. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
You may hear or feel the system working or notice a
lack of accelerator response, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise ControlunderTurn Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-8.
4-9

If desired, you can change the TAS automatic
engagement feature so that the system will not come on
automatically when the engine is started. To do so:
1. Park the vehicle with the ignition off and the
transmission in PARK (P).
2. Turn the ignition to RUN; do not start the engine.
3. Apply the brake pedal, shift into NEUTRAL (N),
press the accelerator pedal to the oor and then
press the TAS on/off button and hold it down for at
least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
The next time you start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the TAS is
set to come on automatically or not, you can always turn
the system on or off by pressing the TAS on/off button.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, it can give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when one of the rear
wheels has no traction and the other does, this feature
will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
Stabilitrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with Stabilitrak®which
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32
km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately
two miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed. If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking or multiple turns during the
rst two miles of driving after starting your vehicle, the
STABILITY SYS DISABLED message may appear.
If this is the case, your vehicle does not need servicing.
You will need to turn the vehicle off and then restart
it to initialize Stabilitrak
®. If either message appears on
the Driver Information Center (DIC), and your vehicle
hasn’t gone through hard acceleration, braking or
multiple turns in the rst two miles of driving, your
vehicle should be taken in for service.
4-11

The STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) only when the
system is both on and activated. It means that an
advanced computer-controlled system has come on to
help your vehicle continue to go in the direction in which
you’re steering. Stabilitrak
®activates when the
computer senses that your vehicle is just starting to
spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or other slippery
spot on the road. When the system activates, you
may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake pedal.
This is normal. When the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
message is on, you should continue to steer in
the direction you want to go. The system is designed to
help you in bad weather or other difficult driving
situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit. For more information on the
stability messages, seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-53.Stabilitrak
®and part of the
traction control system can
be turned off or back on
by pressing the
Stabilitrak
®button on the
instrument panel.
When the system is turned off, the traction off light will
illuminate, and the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message will appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
both the stability system and part of the traction
control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when Stabilitrak
®is off, but
will not be able to use the engine speed management
system. See “Traction Control Operation” next for
more information.
4-12