lights CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2012 10.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
6-8 Lighting
Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.
k(Dome Off):Press the button
in and the dome lamps remain off
when a door is opened. Press the
button again to return it to the
extended position so that the dome
lamps come on when a door is
opened.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps
they are located on the overhead
console.
To turn on the reading lamps, press
the button located next to each
lamp. To turn them off, press the
button again.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. To turn the
lamps on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp.
The lamps are fixed and cannot be
adjusted.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated entry
feature.
When the doors are opened, the
dome lamps will come on if the
dome override button is in the
extended position. If the dome
override button is pressed in, the
lamps will not come on.
Exit Lighting
The interior lamps come on when
the key is removed from the ignition.
They turn off automatically in
20 seconds. The lights do not come
on if the dome override button is
pressed in.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-23
will remain active. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑26.
This position locks the ignition.
It also locks the transmission on
automatic transmission vehicles.
The key can be removed in
LOCK/OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location. 3. Come to a complete stop, shift
to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑44.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled
over, and must be shut off while
driving, turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, then the vehicle needs
service.
Notice:
Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position lets things like the radio
and the windshield wipers operate
while the engine is off. Use this
position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
C (ON/RUN): This position can
be used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. This position
can also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-37
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the switches show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
the last chosen setting will stay on.If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, and the
vehicle's power is sent to the front
and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. Driving in this mode results in
slightly lower fuel economy than
Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages your front axle to help
drive the vehicle. This is the best
setting to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-39
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have significant
engagement noise and bump when
shifting between Four-Wheel Drive
Low and Four-Wheel Drive High
ranges or from N (Neutral) while the
engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive Low position
when the vehicle is in gear and/or
moving more than 5 km/h (3 mph),
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator
light will flash for 30 seconds and
not complete the shift. After
30 seconds the transfer case
will shift to Four-Wheel Drive
High mode. With the vehicle moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and the
transmission in N (Neutral), attempt
the shift again. Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Drive
Low to Four-Wheel Drive High,
AUTO, or Two-Wheel Drive High,
the vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in N (Neutral)
and the ignition in ON/RUN. The
preferred method for shifting out of
Four-Wheel Drive Low is to have
your vehicle moving 1.6 to 3.2 km/h
(1 to 2 mph). Turn the knob to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light to stop
flashing and remain on before
shifting the transmission into gear.
Notice:
Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have significant
engagement noise and bump when
shifting between Four-Wheel Drive
Low and Four-Wheel Drive High
ranges or from N (Neutral) while the
engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in
gear and/or moving more than
5 km/h (3 mph), the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds but will not complete
the shift. With the vehicle moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral),
attempt the shift again.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
9-42 Driving and Operating
You can choose among three
driving settings:
Indicator lights in the switch show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
the last chosen setting will stay on.
If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When driving the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, and the
vehicle's power is sent to the front
and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. Driving
in this mode results in slightly lower
fuel economy than Two-Wheel
Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
Service Four‐Wheel Drive
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer for
service. See “SERVICE 4 WHEEL
DRIVE” message under
Transmission Messages on
page 5‑43. Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive
High or AUTO (Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
Drive High or AUTO position. This
can be done at any speed. The
indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
Drive High position. This can be
done at any speed. The indicator
light will flash while shifting. It
will remain on when the shift is
completed.
Excessively shifting the transfer
case into or out of the different
modes may cause the transfer case
to enter the shift protection mode.
This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only
allow the transfer case to respond
to one shift per 10 seconds. The
transfer case may stay in this mode
for up to three minutes.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-47
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to“rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9‑15.
When the transfer case is in 4LO,
the stability system is automatically
disabled, the StabiliTrak light comes
on, and the appropriate message
will appear on the DIC. Both
traction control and StabiliTrak are
automatically disabled in this
condition.Traction Control Operation
The TCS is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits
wheel spin by reducing engine
power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying
brakes to each individual wheel
(brake-traction control) as
necessary.
The TCS is enabled automatically
when the vehicle is started. It will
activate and the StabiliTrak light will
flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction while driving.
If traction control is turned off, only
the brake-traction control portion
of traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly. Notice:
If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin
the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights and messages are
displayed.
The TCS may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions
such as heavy acceleration while
turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this
happens, a reduction in acceleration
may be noticed, or a noise or
vibration may be heard. This is
normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑49.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-53
Other conditions may affect
system performance, such as
vibrations from a jackhammer or
the compression of air brakes on a
very large truck.
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA)
If available, the Side Blind Zone
Alert system is a lane changing aid
that assists drivers with avoiding
crashes that occur with vehicles in
the side blind zones.
{WARNING
SBZA does not detect vehicles
rapidly approaching outside of the
side blind zones, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or animals. Failure to
use proper care when changing
lanes may result in injury, death,
or vehicle damage. Always check
for other vehicles and use the
turn signals when changing lanes.
SBZA Detection Zones
The SBZA sensor covers a zone of
approximately one lane over from
both sides of the vehicle, 3.5 m
(11 ft). This zone starts at each side
mirror and goes back approximately
5.0 m (16 ft). The height of the
zone is approximately between
0.5 m (1.5 ft) and 2.0 m (6 ft) off the
ground.
Use caution while changing lanes
when towing a trailer, as the SBZA
detection zones do not change
when a trailer is towed.How the System Works
The SBZA symbol lights up in the
side mirrors when the system
detects a vehicle in the side blind
zone, indicating it may be unsafe to
change lanes. Before making a lane
change, check the SBZA display,
check all mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and use the turn signals.
Left Side Mirror
DisplayRight Side Mirror Display
When the vehicle is started,
both outside mirror SBZA
displays will briefly come on to
indicate the system is operating.
When the vehicle is moving
forward, the left or right side mirror
display will light up if a vehicle
is detected in that blind zone.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-9
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it
properly may help to avoid
future costly repairs. To maintain
vehicle performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required. It is recommended
that your dealer perform these
services—their trained dealer
technicians know your vehicle
best. Your dealer can also
perform a thorough assessment
with a multi‐point inspection to
recommend when your vehicle may
need attention. The following list is
intended to explain the services
and conditions to look for that may
indicate services are required. Battery
The battery supplies power to
start the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if
they squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians
can inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s
systems and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
FluidAutomatic Transmission . . . . .10-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . 9-36, 9-41
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36, 9-41, 10-27
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65 Fuel (cont'd)
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-61
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-60
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-24
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-61
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-53Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Gauges Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-7
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
LATCH SystemReplacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Level Control Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Liftgate Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . 2-9, 2-10
Light StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-21
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 Lights (cont'd)
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-15
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®. . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5 Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . 9-36, 9-41
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-18
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-42
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36