height CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2013 2.G User Guide

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-47
An air compressor connected to the
rear shocks will raise or lower the
rear of the vehicle to maintain
proper vehicle height. The system
is activated when the ignition key
is turned to ON/RUN and will
automatically adjust vehicle height
thereafter. The system may exhaust
(lower vehicle height) for up to
ten minutes after the ignition key
has been turned off. You may hear
the air compressor operating when
the height is being adjusted.
If a weight‐distributing hitch is being
used, it is recommended to allow
the shocks to inflate, thereby
leveling the vehicle prior to adjusting
the hitch.Cruise Control
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
With cruise control, a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more can
be maintained without keeping your
foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, cruise
control is turned off. If the vehicle has StabiliTrak and the
system begins to limit wheel spin,
cruise control will automatically
disengage. See
StabiliTrak
®System
on page 9‑43. When road conditions
allow the cruise control to be safely
used again, it can be turned
back on.
I(On/Off): Press to turn the
system on or off. The indicator light
is on when cruise control is on and
turns off when cruise control is off.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
10-22 Vehicle Care
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2. Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
10-44 Vehicle Care
Summer Tires
This vehicle may come with high
performance summer tires. These
tires have a special tread and
compound that are optimized for
maximum dry and wet road
performance. This special tread
and compound will decrease
performance in cold climates, and
on ice and snow. We recommend
installing winter tires on the vehicle
if frequent driving in cold
temperatures or on snow or ice
covered roads is expected. See
Winter Tires on page 10‑43.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger and light truck tire
sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
code is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail. (B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with
the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Vehicle Care 10-45
DOT Tire Date of
Manufacture
:The last four
digits of the TIN indicate the
tire manufactured date. The first
two digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits,
the year. For example, the third
week of the year 2010 would
have a four-digit DOT date
of 0310.
(D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT code are
the Tire Identification Number
(TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture. (E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more
information, see Uniform Tire
Quality Grading on page 10‑61.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load. For
information on recommended
tire pressure see Tire Pressure
on page 10‑51 andVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑15.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
code is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Vehicle Care 10-47
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item C of the tire illustration, it would mean that the tire's
sidewall is 75 percent as high as
it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire
is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Light Truck (LT‐Metric) Tire
(A) Light Truck (LT‐Metric)
Tire
:The United States version
of a metric tire sizing system.
The letters LT as the first two
characters in the tire size mean
a light truck tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
10-48 Vehicle Care
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown
in item C of the light truck
(LT‐Metric) tire illustration, it
would mean that the tire's
sidewall is 75 percent as high as
it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Load Range
:Load Range. (G) Service Description
:The
service description indicates the
load index and speed rating of a
tire. If two numbers are given as
in the example, 120/116, then
this represents the load index for
single versus dual wheel usage
(single/dual). The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is
certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords between the plies and the
tread. Cords may be made from
steel or other reinforcing
materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Vehicle Care 10-63
{WARNING
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel can
also cause problems with bearing
life, brake cooling, speedometer
or odometer calibration,
headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance, and tire
or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
Replacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
If the vehicle has P265/65R18 or
P275/55R20 size tires, do not use
tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a
vehicle without the proper amount
of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension,
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
or other vehicle parts. The area
damaged by the tire chains could
cause loss of control and a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the
traction device if it is contacting
the vehicle. Do not spin the
wheels.
If traction devices are used, install
them on the rear tires.