CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2008 2.G Owners Manual

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You might want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight, a red
cloth, and a couple of reective warning triangles.
And, if you will be driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet,
or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction.
Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 5-56.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You have a lot less traction, or grip, and need to be
very careful.What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can
be even more trouble because it can offer the least
traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about
freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
4-31

StabiliTrak®improves 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 4-6andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow on page 4-34. Even with StabiliTrak
®, slow
down and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you might want to turn
StabiliTrak
®off, such as when driving through deep
snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion
at lower speeds.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have ABS, begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-4.
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 can 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 can 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 the hazard warning 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.
4-32

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 cannot 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 the 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
the headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
4-33

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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free your
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-34.
If your vehicle has a traction system, it can often help
to free a stuck vehicle. Refer to your vehicle’s traction
system in the Index. If the stuck condition is too
severe for the traction system to free the vehicle, turn
the traction system off and use the rocking method.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment re or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-78.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the
area around the front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four-Wheel High. For vehicles with
StabiliTrak
®, turn the traction control part of the system
off. SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-6. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning
before shifting gears. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear.
4-34

By slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that could free
your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out after a
few tries, it might need to be towed out. Or, you can use
recovery hooks, if your vehicle has them. If your vehicle
does need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-42.
Recovery Hooks
{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.
Your vehicle has recovery hooks at the front of the
vehicle. You can use them if you are stuck off-road
and need to be pulled to some place where you
can continue driving.
4-35

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 was designed to carry, the Tire
and Loading Information label and the Certication/
Tire label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on the 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 the vehicle.Tire and Loading Information Label
A vehicle specic Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the center pillar (B-pillar).
With the driver’s door open, you will nd the
label attached below the door lock post (striker).
The tire and loading information label shows
the number of occupant seating positions (A),
and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B)
in kilograms and pounds.
Label Example
4-36

The Tire and Loading Information label also shows
the size of the original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire ination pressures (D).
For more information on tires and ination see
Tires on page 5-56andInation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-64.
There is also important loading information on the
vehicle Certication/Tire label. It tells you 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.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting gure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be ve 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how
this reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle. SeeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-47for important information
on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and
trailering tips.
4-37

Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 1=1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg)×2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant
and Cargo Weight=700 lbs (317 kg)Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 2=1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg)×5=750 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)
Example 1Example 2
4-38

Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 3=1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 200 lbs
(91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information
label for specic information about your vehicle’s
capacity weight and seating positions.The combined weight of the driver, passengers and
cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s capacity
weight.
Certication/Tire Label
A vehicle specic Certication/Tire label is
attached to the rear edge of the driver’s door.
The label shows the size of your vehicle’s original
tires and the ination pressures needed to
obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle.
This is called Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Example 3
4-39

The Certication/Tire label also tells you the
maximum weights for the front and rear axles,
called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To nd
out the actual loads on your front and rear axles,
you need to go to a weigh station and weigh your
vehicle. Your dealer can help you with this. Be sure
to spread out your load equally on both sides of the
centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the
GAWR for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should
spread it out.
{CAUTION:
In the case of a sudden stop or collision,
things carried in the bed of your truck
could shift forward and come into the
passenger area, injuring you and others.
If you put things in the bed of your truck,
you should make sure they are properly
secured.
{CAUTION:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do,
parts on the 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 the vehicle.
Your warranty does not cover parts or components
that fail because of overloading.
The label will help you decide how much cargo
and installed equipment your truck can carry.
Using heavier suspension components to
get added durability might not change your weight
ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load your
vehicle the right way.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else — they
will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to
stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will
keep going.
4-40