trailer CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2007 2.G Owner's Manual

But let’s say your specic vehicle is equipped with
some of the latest options and you have a front
seat passenger and two rear seat passengers with
some luggage and gear in the vehicle as well.
You may add 300 lbs (136 kg) to the front
axle weight and 400 lbs (181 kg) to the rear axle
weight. Your vehicle now weighs:
Weight is still below 7,200 lbs (3 266 kg) and you
may think that you should subtract 700 additional
pounds (318 kg) from your trailering capacity
to stay within GCWR limits. Your maximum trailer
would only be 7,800 lbs (3 538 kg). You may
go further and think you must limit tongue
weight to less than 1,000 lbs (454 kg) to avoid
exceeding GVWR. But, you must still consider the
effect on the rear axle. Because your rear axle
now weighs 3,100 lbs (1 406 kg), you can only
put 900 lbs (408 kg) on the rear axle without
exceeding RGAWR.The effect of tongue weight is about 1.5 times the
actual weight. Dividing the 900 lbs (408 kg) by
1.5 leaves you with being able to handle only
600 lbs (272 kg) of tongue weight. Since tongue
weight is usually at least 10 percent of total loaded
trailer weight, you can expect that the largest
trailer your vehicle can properly handle is
6,000 lbs (2 721 kg).
It is important that you make sure your vehicle
does not exceed any of its ratings — GCWR,
GVWR, RGAWR, Maximum Trailer Rating
or Tongue Weight. The only way to be sure you
are not exceeding any of these ratings is to
weigh your vehicle and trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll nd these numbers on the
Certication label at the rear edge of the driver’s
door or seeTires on page 492. Then be sure you
don’t go over the GVW and rear axle limits for your
vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
If you use a weight distributing hitch, make sure
you don’t go over the rear axle limit before
you apply the weight distributing spring bars.
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Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads
are a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch.
Weight-Distributing Hitches and Weight
Carrying Hitches
When using a weight-distributing hitch, the hitch
must be adjusted so that the distance (A) remains
the same both before and after coupling the
trailer to the tow vehicle.If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded,
will weigh more than 5,000 lbs (2 270 kg) be
sure to use a properly mounted weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper size. This
equipment is very important for proper vehicle
loading and good handling when driving.
You should always use a sway control if your
trailer will weigh more than these limits. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your
vehicle and your trailer. Cross the safety
chains under the tongue of the trailer to help
prevent the tongue from contacting the road if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Always
leave just enough slack so you can turn with
your rig. Never allow safety chains to drag
on the ground.
(A) Body-to-Ground Distance (B) Front of Vehicle
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Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 2,000 lbs (900 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes — and
they must be adequate. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Since your vehicle is equipped with the
StabiliTrak
®system, your trailer brake system
cannot tap into the vehicle’s hydraulic brake
system.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Before setting out for the open road,
you’ll want to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving
is now a good deal longer and not nearly
as responsive as your vehicle is by itself.Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle and
trailer moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electrical
connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure
that the load is secure, and that the lamps and
any trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead
as you would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a
good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can
return to your lane.
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Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left,
just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to come in
contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very sharp
turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal. Do this so your trailer
won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will
ash whenever you signal a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
ash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the
bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are seeing
your signal when they are not. It’s important to
check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbefore
you 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 higher altitudes will boil at a lower temperature
than at or near sea level. 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 460.
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.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the
chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you’re pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance
Schedule for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission uid (don’t overll), engine
oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you nd them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
426

Trailer Wiring Harness
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Package
Your vehicle is equipped with the seven-wire
trailer towing harness. This harness with a
seven-pin universal heavy-duty trailer connector
is attached to the rear bumper beam. It is located
next to the integrated trailer hitch.The seven-wire harness contains the following
trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Taillamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Red: Battery Feed **#
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake #
** If you are charging a remote (non-vehicle)
battery, press the tow/haul mode button located
at the end of the shift lever. This will boost
the vehicle system voltage and properly charge
the battery. If the trailer is too light for tow/haul
mode, you can turn on the headlamps as a
second way to boost the vehicle system and
charge the battery.
# The fuses for these circuits are installed in the
underhood electrical center, but the wires are
not connected. These circuits should be connected
by your dealer or a qualied service technician.
427

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included with your
vehicle as part of the heavy-duty trailer wiring
package. These provisions are for an electric
brake controller. The instrument panel contains
blunt cut wires near the data link connector for
the trailer brake controller. The harness contains
the following wires:
Dark Blue: Auxiliary
Red/Black: Battery #
Light Blue: Brake Switch
White: Ground
The trailer brake controller should be installed
by your dealer or a qualied service center.
Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch loads from the
Cargo Weight Rating (CWR). CWR is the
maximum weight of the load your vehicle can
carry. It doesn’t include the weight of the people
inside, but you can gure about 150 lbs. (68 kg)
for each seat. The total cargo load must not
be more than your vehicles CWR.
Weigh your vehicle with your trailer attached,
so that you won’t go over the GVWR or GAWR.
If you are using a weight-distributing hitch,
weigh the vehicle without the spring bars in place.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread
out the weight of your load the right way, and if
you choose the correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information seeTowing a Trailer
on page 414.
428

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transmission Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transmission
uid level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change the uid and lter at the intervals listed in
Additional Required Services on page 566, and
be sure to use the transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 574.
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at the dealership
service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false
reading on the dipstick.Notice:Too much or too little uid can
damage your transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the uid could come out
and fall on hot engine parts or exhaust system
parts, starting a re. Too little uid could
cause the transmission to overheat. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above
90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic — especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the uid should be
at normal operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F (82°C to 93°C).
454

If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
The ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE
or the ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message, along with a low coolant condition,
can indicate a serious problem.
If you get an engine overheat warning, but see
or hear no steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a
little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. SeeTowing a Trailer
on page 414.If you get the ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE or the ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE message with no sign of steam, try this
for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it is on,
turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest
fan speed and open the windows as
necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in
NEUTRAL (N) while stopped. If it is safe to
do so, pull off the road, shift to PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N) and let the engine idle.
If you no longer have the overheat warning,
you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for
about 10 minutes. If the warning does not
come back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park your vehicle immediately.
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