ABS CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2006 1.G Owners Manual

Midgate®Operation
Your vehicle is equipped with a midgate and a
removable rear glass panel. The midgate allows you to
extend the length of your vehicle’s cargo area.The following are the main components of the midgate
system:
A. Latch Levers
B. Grab Handles
C. Glass-Catch
Release Button
D. Glass Lock KnobsE. Window Retaining Tabs
F. Midgate Release
Handle
G. Window Alignment
Arrows
2-12

5. Load the rear glass into the storage pocket in the
midgate, guiding the lower edge of the rear glass
behind the three rear glass retaining tabs (E).
Hold the rear glass at against the storage pocket,
with grab handles facing you, until the next step.6. Turn both glass lock knobs (D), located at both top
corners of the storage pocket, to the locked
position. Push in on the corner of the rear glass to
allow the lock knob to engage more easily.
2-15

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Locking Rear Axle..........................................4-8
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-9
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Off-Road Driving...........................................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-31
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-32
City Driving..................................................4-35
Freeway Driving...........................................4-36Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-37
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-38
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-38
Winter Driving..............................................4-40
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-44
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-44
Recovery Hooks...........................................4-45
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-46
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-52
Truck-Camper Loading Information..................4-56
Towing..........................................................4-56
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-56
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-57
Level Control...............................................4-61
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-62
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-75
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor
or clicking noise while this test is going on. This is
normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-39.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will 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.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: ABS 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 ABS.
Using ABS
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 ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
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.
4-8

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. In
the limited mode, the traction control system will only
use engine traction-control and is limited in its ability to
provide optimal performance since the system will
not utilize brake traction-control to control slip on the
drive wheels. The system will return to normal operation
after the brakes have cooled. This can take up to
two minutes or longer depending on brake usage.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively while the traction off, ABS and brake
warning lights and the SERVICE STABILITY
message are displayed, you could damage the
transfer case. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
this message are displayed.The traction control system 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 you may
notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise
or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will
appear on the Driver Information Center and the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to use cruise again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-11.
StabiliTrak
®may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
4-11

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.Remember: StabiliTrak
®helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-9.
If the StabiliTrak®System is off, then an acceleration
skid is also best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on
the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-16

StabiliTrak®will improve your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. But you can turn StabiliTrak®
off if you ever need to. SeeStabiliTrak®System on
page 4-9andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow on page 4-44. Even with StabiliTrak
®, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may
want to turn StabiliTrak
®off, such as when driving
through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain
vehicle motion at lower speeds.
Your Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on
a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, you will
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne until
you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as
around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of
you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while
you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If 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 do not have 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.
4-42

6. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-35for 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 tow vehicle.
8. Turn the ignition off to lock the steering column.
If the tow vehicle will not be started or driven for
six weeks or more, remove the battery cable
from the negative terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent your battery from draining while towing.Level Control
The self-adjusting rear suspension may come as part of
the premium smooth ride suspension package.
This type of level control will provide a leveled riding
position as well as improved handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions. A hydraulic pump
inside each rear shock absorber raises the rear of
the vehicle to the proper height, based on inputs from
the road surface, while the vehicle is being driven. It take
approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) of driving for the
leveling to complete, depending on the road surface
conditions.
If the loaded vehicle is not moved for approximately
12 hours, the leveling system may bleed down to a lower
height. This can be especially apparent if a trailer is
left attached to a parked vehicle for long periods of time.
The vehicle must be driven to re-level the vehicle.
If a weight-distributing hitch is being used, the vehicle
should be driven approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) with the
trailer prior to adjusting the hitch.
4-61

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g.,
under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
You may also want to activate the tow/haul mode if the
transmission shifts too often. See “Tow/Haul Mode”
earlier in this section.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant at or near
sea level will boil at a lower temperature than at higher
altitudes. If you turn your engine off immediately
after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, your
vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably
on level ground) with the automatic transmission in
PARK (P) for a few minutes before turning the engine
off. If you do get the overheat warning, seeEngine
Overheating on page 5-30.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
4-71