cooling CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2012 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
1-16 In Brief
Climate Controls
The heating, cooling, defrost, defog and ventilation of the vehicle can be
controlled with these systems.
A. Fan Control
B. Outside Air
C. Air Recirculation
D. Air Delivery Mode ControlE. Air Conditioning
F. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Controls
G. Rear Window Defogger

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-5
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with aflat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.
.Carefully insert the tool
into the notch located
along the parting line of the
transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.
.Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object. 3. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
If available, this feature allows you
to start the engine from outside of
the vehicle. It may also start up the
vehicle's heating or air conditioning
systems and rear window defogger.
Normal operation of the system will
return after the key is turned to the
ON/RUN position.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures. If the
vehicle does not have an automatic
climate control system, the system
will turn on at the setting the vehicle
was set to when the vehicle was
last turned off. During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and will
shut off when the key is turned to
ON/RUN. If the vehicle does not
have an automatic climate control
system, during remote start,
manually turn the heated seats on
and off. See
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats on page 3‑9 for
additional information.
Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements
on remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.
Doors
Midgate®
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to drive with
the cargo area covered and the
tailgate and the Midgate
®open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You can not see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. If you must drive
with the cargo covers on and the
tailgate and Midgate open or if
electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through
the seal between the body and
the Midgate:
.Make sure all windows
are shut.
.Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed on the setting
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
that brings in outside air. This
will force outside air into your
vehicle. SeeDual Automatic
Climate Control System on
page 8‑4.
.If you have air outlets on or
under the instrument panel,
open them all the way. See
Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑31.
Midgate Operation
This vehicle is equipped with a
Midgate and a removable rear glass
panel. The Midgate allows you to
extend the length of the vehicle's
cargo area.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-24
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-25
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-26
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-36
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-39
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-39
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-40
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-42
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-43
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-44

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Center (DIC). SeeEngine Oil
Messages on page 5‑38 andEngine
Oil on page 10‑8 for more
information.
A reading in the low pressure zone
may be caused by a dangerously
low oil level or some other problem
causing low oil pressure. Check
your oil as soon as possible.
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how
hard the vehicle is working. During a
majority of the operation, the gauge
will read 100°C (210°F) or less.
If the vehicle is pulling a load or
going up hills, it is normal for the
temperature to fluctuate and
approach the 122°C (250°F) mark.
If the gauge reaches the 125°C
(260°F) mark, it indicates that the
cooling system is working beyond
its capacity.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-37
As soon as it is safe to do so,
carefully pull your vehicle over to
the side of the road and turn the
ignition off. Check the wiring
connection to the trailer and turn the
ignition back on. If this message still
displays, either your vehicle or the
trailer needs service. See your
dealer.
See“Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑75 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver door is not fully
closed and the vehicle is shifted
out of P (Park). Stop and turn off
the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
HOOD OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the hood is not fully
closed. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the hood for
obstructions, and close the hood
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver side rear door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the front passenger door
is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the passenger side rear
door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check
the door for obstructions, and close
the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air
Conditioning) TURNED OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑14. To avoid
added strain on a hot engine,
the air conditioning compressor
automatically turns off. When the
coolant temperature returns to
normal, the air conditioning
compressor turns back on. You can
continue to drive your vehicle.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
5-38 Instruments and Controls
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22 for more information.
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑14.
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10‑24 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22 for more information.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so
to avoid severe damage. This
message clears when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating
temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System on page 10‑11 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑14.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-39
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating on page 10‑22
for further information.
This message also displays when
the engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible. See Fuel
Gauge on page 5‑12 andFuel on
page 9‑60 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 9‑64. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
6-8 Lighting
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated
entry/exit feature.
The dome lamps come on if
the
EDOME OFF button is in the
extended position, when a door is
opened or the key is removed from
the ignition.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY LOW
START VEHICLE . If this message
displays, it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as
much as possible and restart the
vehicle. See
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages on page 5‑36.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome
lamps if they are left on for more
than 10 minutes when the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF. This helps to prevent
the battery from running down.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Dual Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, defrost, defog and ventilation of the vehicle can be
controlled with this system.
A. Fan Control
B. Outside Air
C. Recirculation
D. Air Delivery Mode Control E. Air Conditioning
F. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Controls
G. Rear Window Defogger