check engine light CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2010 2.G User Guide

Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. The
engine can become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle serviced.Notice:
Lack of proper engine oil maintenance can
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
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 then
goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil is
not flowing through the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might have some other
system problem.
4-45

SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message displays if there is a
problem with the battery charging system. Under certain
conditions, the charging system light may also turn on
in the instrument panel cluster. SeeCharging System
Light
on page 4‑36. Driving with this problem could
drain the battery. Turn off all unnecessary accessories.
Have the electrical system checked as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with the brake system
warning light if there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning Light
on
page 4‑37. If this message appears, stop as soon as
possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the vehicle
and check for the message on the DIC display. If the
message is still displayed or appears again when you
begin driving, the brake system needs service as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
SERVICE BRAKES SOON
On some vehicles, this message displays if there is a
problem with the brake system. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed or
appears again when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service. See your dealer.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) system, this message displays if there is a
problem with the URPA system. Do not use this system
to help you park. See Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA)
on page 3‑60for more information. See your
dealer for service.
SERVICE STABILITRAK
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®and this message
displays, it means there may be a problem with the
StabiliTrak system. If you see this message, try to reset
the system. Stop; turn off the engine for at least
15 seconds; then start the engine again. If this message
still comes on, it means there is a problem. You should
see your dealer for service. The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the benefit of StabiliTrak, so
reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
4-68

SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM
This message displays when there is a problem
with the theft-deterrent system. The vehicle may
or may not restart so you may want to take the vehicle
to your dealer before turning off the engine. See
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer Operationon
page 3‑19for more information.
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays if a part on the system
is not working properly. The tire pressure light also
flashes and then remains on during the same ignition
cycle. See Tire Pressure Light
on page 4‑40. Several
conditions may cause this message to appear. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on page 6‑76for more
information. If the warning comes on and stays on,
there may be a problem with the TPMS. See your
dealer.
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this message displays
when there is a problem with the Traction Control
System (TCS). When this message displays, the
system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See your dealer for service. See
StabiliTrak
®Systemon page 5‑6for more
information.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, this message displays and a chime may
sound when there is a problem with the ITBC system.
When this message displays, power is no longer
available to the trailer brakes.
As soon as it is safe to do so, carefully pull your vehicle
over to the side of the road and turn the ignition off.
Check the wiring connection to the trailer and turn the
ignition back on. If this message still displays, either
your vehicle or the trailer needs service. See your
dealer.
See “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑51for more information.
4-69

STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this message displays
when you turn off StabiliTrak, or when the stability
control has been automatically disabled. To limit wheel
spin and realize the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak on. However, you should turn StabiliTrak off
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and
you want to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if
you are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 5‑27. To turn the
StabiliTrak system on or off, see StabiliTrak®Systemon page 5‑6.
There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear.
.One condition is overheating, which could occur if
StabiliTrak®activates continuously for an extended
period of time.
.The message also displays if the brake system
warning light is on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 4‑37.
.The message could display if the stability system
takes longer than usual to complete its diagnostic
checks due to driving conditions.
.The message displays if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected and the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer.
.The message also displays if the vehicle is shifted
into 4LO.
The message turns off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along with the check engine
light on the instrument panel cluster if the vehicle's fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
on page 4‑41. Reinstall the fuel cap fully. See
Filling the Tankon page 6‑11. 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 this light
and message off.
4-70

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts, heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking,
rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake.
The brakes might not have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much faster with a lot of
heavy braking. Keeping pace with the traffic and
allowing realistic following distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being
driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes.
If the brakes are pumped, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, there will still be some
power brake assist but it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is used up, it can take
longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6‑4.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the vehicle begins to
drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
on
page 4‑38.
Along with ABS, the vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights come on
accompanied by a 10‐second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service.
5-4

This indicator light on the
instrument panel cluster
comes on when the tow/
haul mode is on.
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load. See Tow/Haul Mode
on
page 3‑34for more information.
Tow/Haul is designed to be most effective when the
vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least
75 percent of the vehicle's Gross Combined Weight
Rating (GCWR). See “Weight of the Trailer” later in the
section. Tow/Haul is most useful under the following
driving conditions:
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load through rolling terrain.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in stop and go traffic.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in busy parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul when lightly loaded
or with no trailer at all will not cause damage. However,
there is no benefit to the selection of Tow/Haul when the vehicle is unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded
may result in unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics and reduced fuel economy. Tow/
Haul is recommended only when pulling a heavy trailer
or a large or heavy load.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more than 2,000 lbs
(900 kg) needs to have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the trailer. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so they
are installed, adjusted and maintained properly.
If the vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak
®, the trailer
cannot tap into the vehicle's hydraulic brake system.
The trailer brake system can tap into the vehicle's
hydraulic brake system only if:
.The trailer parts can withstand 3,000 psi
(20 650 kPa) of pressure.
.The trailer's brake system will use less than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3 cc) of fluid from the vehicle's
master cylinder. Otherwise, both braking systems
will not work well or at all.
If everything checks out this far, make the brake tap at
the port on the master cylinder that sends the fluid to
the rear brakes. Use only steel brake tubing to make
the tap.
5-65

Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine
3. Shift into a gear
4. Release the parking brake
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store thechocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a
trailer. See this manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system
and brake system. It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The vehicle is equipped with one of the following wiring
harnesses for towing a trailer or hauling a slide-in
camper.
Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, extended cab and crew cab pickups have a
seven‐wire trailer towing harness.
For vehicles not equipped with heavy duty trailering, the
harness is secured to the vehicle's frame behind the
spare tire mount. The harness requires the installation
of a trailer connector, which is available through your
dealer.
If towing a light‐duty trailer with a standard four‐way
round pin connector, an adapter is available from your
dealer.
5-75

A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Active Fuel Management™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-117
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . . . . . 5-37
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18, 4-21
Airbag Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-EquippedVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-92
Airbag System Airbag Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-82
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-80
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-86
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-92
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-79
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-80
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-78
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-75 Airbags
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-73
Antenna Fixed Mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-147
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-147
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Appearance Care Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
i - 1

Bulb Replacement (cont.)License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-62
Pickup Box Identification and Fender Marker
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-59
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-83
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-126
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
CD, MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-105, 4-112
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76 Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 2-49
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-58
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61, 2-65, 2-70
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-118
Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
i - 3

Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49, 4-56
DIC Vehicle Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-73
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63
Driving At Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Before a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
In Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get it Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Dual Tire Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
DVD Rear Seat Entertainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-132E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-9
EDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-117
Electrical SystemCenter Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-121
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-118
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-119
Power Windows and Other Power Options . . . . . . 6-118
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-122
Windshield Wiper Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-118
Electronic Immobilizer PASS-Key
®III+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Electronic Immobilizer Operation PASS-Key
®III+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Check and Service Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
i - 5