CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2004 1.G Owners Manual

If You Are Caught in a BlizzardIf you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
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Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you are stuck, but
you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-88.
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Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear
the area around your front wheels. If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift into 4HI or 4LO. If your
vehicle has the Traction Assist System, you should turn it
off by pressing the TAS on/off button. If your vehicle has
the Stabilitrak
®System, turn the system off by pressing
the Stabilitrak®button so that the STABILITY SYS
DISABLED message and the traction off light are
illuminated on the instrument panel cluster. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear.
By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and
reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a
few tries, you may need to be towed out. Or, you can use
your recovery hooks if your vehicle has them. If you do
need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-52.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The hooks
are provided at the front of your vehicle. You may need to
use them if you are stuck off-road and need to be pulled
to some place where you can continue driving.
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{CAUTION:
These hooks, when used, are under a lot of
force. Always pull the vehicle straight out.
Never pull on the hooks at a sideways angle.
The hooks could break off and you or others
could be injured from the chain or cable
snapping back.
Notice:Never use recovery hooks to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it would
not be covered by warranty.
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Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following.
Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be
towed. SeeBefore Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-41.
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Dinghy TowingTwo-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Two-wheel drive vehicles should not be towed with all
four wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles Only
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Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to tow your vehicle:
1. Shift the transmission to PARK (P).
2. Turn the engine off, but leave the ignition on.
3. Firmly set the parking brake.
4. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow
vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). You or someone
else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set
the parking brake before placing the transfer
case in NEUTRAL. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-42.
5. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-38for the proper
procedure to select the neutral position for your
vehicle.6. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is rmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
7. Turn the ignition off and leave the steering column
unlocked.
Dolly Towing
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Two-wheel drive vehicles should not be towed with the
rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Two-wheel drive vehicles can be towed on a dolly with
the front wheels on the ground provided that the wheels
are straight and the steering column has been locked.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to tow your vehicle:
1. Drive the vehicle up onto the tow dolly.
2. Shift the transmission to PARK (P).
3. Turn the engine off, but leave the ignition on.
4. Firmly set the parking brake.
5. Securely attach the vehicle being towed
to the tow dolly.
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{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). You or someone
else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set
the parking brake before placing the transfer
case in NEUTRAL. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-42.
6. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-38for the proper
procedure to select the neutral position for your
vehicle.
7. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is rmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
8. Turn the ignition off and lock the steering column.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication/Tire label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
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Tire and Loading Information LabelA. Vehicle Capacity Weight
The Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the center pillar, near the driver’s door latch. Vehicles
without a center pillar will have the Tire and Loading
Information label attached to the driver’s door edge.
This label lists the number of people that can be in your
vehicle and the total weight it can carry. This weight
is called the vehicle capacity weight.
The Tire and Loading Information label also tells you
the size and recommended ination pressure for
the original equipment tires on your vehicle. For more
information on tires and ination seeTires on page 5-68
andInation - Tire Pressure on page 5-76.
If your vehicle does not have the Tire and Loading
Information label, the Certication/Tire label shows the
tire size and recommended ination pressures
needed to obtain the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axles. See “Certication/Tire Label”
later in this section.
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