light CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2007 1.G Owners Manual

It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain
starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your reexes are tuned for
driving on dry pavement. If your vehicle has
four-wheel drive, seeFour-Wheel Drive on
page 149for transfer case mode selection.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see.
Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer uid
reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield,
or when strips of rubber start to separate from
the inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car wash, apply the brake pedal
lightly until the brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to
slow down before you hit them.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can
build up under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if
your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure
in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water
is standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through
deep puddles or standing water, water can
come in through the engine’s air intake
and badly damage the engine. Never drive
through water that is slightly lower than the
underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot
avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is
the amount of traffic on them. You will want to
watch out for what the other drivers are doing and
pay attention to traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city
driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip
into an unknown part of the city just as you
would for a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and
energy. SeeFreeway Driving on page 415.
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light is there because the corner
is busy enough to need it. When a light turns
green, and just before you start to move,
check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.
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Before changing lanes, check your mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly
over your shoulder to make sure there is not
another vehicle in your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make
certain you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After
driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may
tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are.Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested.
If you must start when you are not fresh — such as
after a day’s work — do not plan to make too
many miles that rst part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily
drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out.
Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts in GM dealerships all across
North America. They will be ready and willing to
help if you need it.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 552.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 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.
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 will have a lot less traction, or grip,
and will need to be very careful.
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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.
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Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy parts
of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting
the transmission back and forth, you can
destroy the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 578.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift
into Four-Wheel High. If your vehicle has
StabiliTrak
®, you should turn the system off.
SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 384.Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R)
and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to be
towed out. You can use the recovery hooks, if
your vehicle has them. If your vehicle does need
to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 441.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed
limit restrictions, having to do with trailering.
Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where
you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information can be state
or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. See “Hitches”
later in this section.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the rst
500 miles (800 km) your new vehicle is driven.
Your engine, axle or other parts could be
damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (800 km) that
you tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other parts of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to
shift the transmission to THIRD (3), or
FOURTH (4) with the Allison or Hydra-matic
6-speed transmissions, or if necessary, a lower
gear selection if the transmission shifts too
often, such as under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions. SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on
page 268.
Three important considerations have to do with
weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
The weight on your vehicle’s tires
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Tow/Haul Mode
Press this button at the
end of the shift lever to
enable/disable the
tow/haul mode.
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load. See
Tow/Haul Mode on page 146for more information.
Tow/Haul is designed to be most effective when
the vehicle and trailer combined weight is at
least 75 percent of the vehicle’s Gross Combined
Weight Rating (GCWR). See “Weight of the
Trailer” later in the section.Tow/Haul is most useful under the following
driving conditions:
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load through rolling terrain.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load in stop and go traffic.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load in busy parking lots where
improved low speed control of the vehicle
is desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul when lightly
loaded or with no trailer at all will not cause
damage. However, there is no benet to the
selection of Tow/Haul when the vehicle is
unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded may
result in unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics and reduced fuel economy.
Tow/Haul is recommended only when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load.
449

If you use a step-bumper hitch, the bumper could
be damaged in sharp turns. Make sure there is
ample room when turning to avoid contact between
the trailer and the bumper.
If you will 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.
Always use a sway control if the trailer will weigh
more than these limits. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Trailering
Fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers can be used
with many pickup models. These trailers place a
larger percentage of the weight (kingpin weight)
on the tow vehicle than conventional trailers.
Make sure this weight does not cause the vehicle
to exceed GAWR or GVWR.
Fifth wheel or gooseneck kingpin weight should be
15 to 25 percent of the trailer weight up to the
maximum amount specied in the trailering chart
for your vehicle. See “Weight of the Trailer” in
this section for more information.
The hitch should be located in the pickup bed so
that it’s centerline is over or slightly in front of the
rear axle. Take care that it is not so far forward that
it will contact the back of the cab in sharp turns.
This is especially important for short box pickups.
Trailer pin box extensions and sliding fth wheel
hitch assemblies can help this condition. There
should be at least six inches of clearance between
the top of the pickup box and the bottom of the
trailer shelf that extends over the box.
Make sure the hitch is attached to the tow vehicle
frame rails. Do not use the pickup box for support.
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