towing CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2008 2.G Owner's Manual

C. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-56.
D. Hazard Warning Flasher Button. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-8.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-37.
F. Shift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on
page 2-28. Tow/Haul Selector Button (If Equipped).
SeeTow/Haul Mode on page 2-34. Range Selection
Mode (Allison Transmission and Hydra-Matic
®
6-Speed Button (If Equipped). SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-28.
G. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-84.
H. Instrument Panel Storage Area. SeeInstrument
Panel Storage on page 2-78.
I. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped).
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-55.
J. Exterior Lamp Controls. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-17.
K. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-13.
L. Parking Brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-50.
M. Dome Lamp Override Button. SeeDome Lamp
Override on page 3-21. Dome Lamp Knob.
SeeDome Lamps on page 3-21. Fog Lamp Button
(If Equipped). SeeFog Lamps on page 3-20.
N. Cruise Control Buttons. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-13.O. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-8.
P. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-8.
Q. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-132.
R. Automatic Transfer Case Control (If Equipped).
SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 2-36.
S. Ashtray (If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-24.
T. StabiliTrak
®Button (If Equipped). SeeStabiliTrak®
System on page 4-6. Ultrasonic Rear Park Assist
Disable Button (If Equipped). SeeUltrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) on page 2-64. Pedal
Adjust Button (If Equipped). SeeAdjustable Throttle
and Brake Pedal on page 2-26. Heated Windshield
Washer Fluid Button (If Equipped).Windshield
Washer on page 3-12.
U. Accessory Power Outlet. SeeAccessory Power
Outlet(s) on page 3-23.
V. Climate Control System. SeeClimate Control System
(With Air Conditioning ) on page 3-25orClimate
Control System (Heater Only) on page 3-28andDual
Automatic Climate Control System on page 3-29.
W. Power Take Off (PTO) Control (If Equipped).
See Power Take Off (PTO) in the Duramax Diesel
Supplement Index.
X. Passenger Airbag Off Control (If Equipped).
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-78.
Y. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-78.
3-5

E. Shift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 2-28.
F. Tow/Haul Selector Button (If Equipped).
SeeTow/Haul Mode on page 2-34.
G. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-56.
H. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-84.
I. Exterior Lamps Control. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-17.
J. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped).
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-55.
K. Dome Lamp Override Button. SeeDome Lamp
Override on page 3-21. Dome Lamp Knob.
SeeDome Lamps on page 3-21.
L. Automatic Transfer Case Control. (If Equipped).
SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 2-36.
M. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-13.
N. Parking Brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-50.
O. Cruise Control Buttons. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-13.
P. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-8.
Q. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-8.R. Audio Steering Wheel Controls. SeeAudio Steering
Wheel Controls on page 3-132.
S. Climate Controls. SeeClimate Control System
(With Air Conditioning ) on page 3-25orClimate
Control System (Heater Only) on page 3-28or
Dual Automatic Climate Controls (If Equipped).
SeeDual Automatic Climate Control System
on page 3-29.
T. Accessory Power Outlets. SeeAccessory Power
Outlet(s) on page 3-23. Cigarette Lighter
(If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
on page 3-24.
U. StabiliTrak
®Button (If Equipped). SeeStabiliTrak®
System on page 4-6. Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). SeeAdjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal on page 2-26. Rear Park Assist Disable Button
(If Equipped). SeeUltrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) on page 2-64. Heated Windshield Washer
Fluid Button (If Equipped). SeeWindshield Washer
on page 3-12.
V. Passenger Airbag Off Control (If Equipped).
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-78.
W. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-78.
3-7

This light should come on briey when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push or may go closer to the oor. It may take
longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-50.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with the
Antilock Brake System
(ABS), this light comes on
briey when the engine
is started.
That is normal. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the ignition off. If the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the ABS light still
stays on, or comes on again while you are driving, your
vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning light is not on, your vehicle still has brakes, but
not antilock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, your vehicle does not have antilock
brakes and there is a problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-46.
For vehicles with a Driver Information Center (DIC),
seeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-66for all
brake related DIC messages.
3-47

Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-4.
This light comes on, as a check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned ON/RUN but the engine is not
running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired.
This light also comes on during a malfunction in
one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and could damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the ignition off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-10.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.
3-50

Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the vehicle information button until
TRAILER GAIN and OUTPUT display.
TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer gain setting. This
setting can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either a
trailer connected or disconnected. To adjust this setting,
see “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
OUTPUT shows the power output to the trailer anytime
a trailer with electric brakes is connected. Output is
displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes may appear in
the OUTPUT display. See “Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing a Trailer on page 4-55
for more information.
Engine Hours
Press the vehicle information button until ENGINE
HOURS displays. This display shows the total number
of hours the engine has run.
Relearn Remote Key
This display allows you to match Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitters to your vehicle. To match an RKE
transmitter to your vehicle:
1. Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO RELEARN REMOTE KEY displays.
2. Press the set/reset button until REMOTE KEY
LEARNING ACTIVE is displayed.
3. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on the rst
transmitter at the same time for about 15 seconds.
On vehicles with memory recall seats, the rst
transmitter learned will match driver 1 and
the second will match driver 2.
A chime will sound indicating that the transmitter
is matched.
4. To match additional transmitters at this time,
repeat Step 3.
Each vehicle can have a maximum of
eight transmitters matched to it.
5. To exit the programming mode, you must cycle the
key to LOCK/OFF.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
3-62

To use the retro-active reset feature, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display the number of miles (mi)
or kilometers (km) driven since the ignition was last
turned on and the vehicle was moving. Once the vehicle
begins moving, the trip odometer will accumulate
mileage. For example, if the vehicle was driven
5 miles (8 km) before it is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is activated, the display
will show 5 miles (8 km). As the vehicle begins moving,
the display will then increase to 5.1 miles (8.2 km),
5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip odometer reset stem until TRANS TEMP
displays. This display shows the temperature of the
automatic transmission uid in either degrees
Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake display appears in the
DIC. Press the trip odometer reset stem until TRAILER
GAIN and OUTPUT display.TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer gain setting. This
setting can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either a
trailer connected or disconnected. To adjust this setting,
see “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
OUTPUT shows the power output to the trailer anytime
a trailer with electric brakes is connected. Output is
displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes may appear in
the OUTPUT display. See “Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing a Trailer on page 4-55
for more information.
Oil Life
To access this display, the vehicle must be in PARK (P).
Press the trip odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an estimate
of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will appear on the
display. See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-66.
3-64

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.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on page 5-18for information
on how to reset the message. SeeEngine Oil (Gasoline
Engine) on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance
(Gasoline Engine) on page 6-4for more information.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the pressure in one
or more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked. This
message also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRONT,
LEFT REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which tire
needs to be checked. You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To read the other messages
that may have been sent at the same time, press the
set/reset button or the trip odometer reset stem. If a tire
pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as soon as
you can. Have the tire pressures checked and set to
those shown on the Tire Loading Information label.
SeeTires on page 5-68,Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-36, andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-76.
The DIC also shows the tire pressure values. See “DIC
Operation and Displays (With DIC Buttons)” earlier in this
section. If the tire pressure is low, the low tire pressure
warning light comes on. SeeTire Pressure Light on
page 3-49.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, this message may display and a chime
may sound when one of the following conditions exists:
A trailer with electric brakes becomes disconnected
from the vehicle.
If the disconnect occurs while the vehicle is
stopped, this message clears itself after a
short time.
If the disconnect occurs while the vehicle is
moving, this message stays on until the
ignition is turned off.
There is a short in the wiring to the electric
trailer brakes.
When this message displays, power is no longer
available to the trailer brakes.
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. This message clears if the trailer is
reconnected. This message also clears if you
acknowledge it. If this message still displays,
either your vehicle or the trailer needs service.
See your dealer/retailer.
See “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
3-67

SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, this message displays and a chime
sounds when there is a problem with the ITBC system.
When this message displays, power is no longer
available to the trailer brakes.
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/retailer.
See “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message displays
when you turn off StabiliTrak®, or when the stability
control has been automatically disabled. To limit
wheel spin and realize the full benets of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak
®on. However, you should turn StabiliTrak®
off if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or
snow and you want to rock your vehicle to attempt to
free it, or if you are driving in extreme off-road conditionsand require more wheel spin. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-34.
To turn the StabiliTrak
®system on or off, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 4-6.
There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear.
One condition is overheating, which could occur if
StabiliTrak®activates continuously for an extended
period of time.
The message also displays if the brake system
warning light is on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-46.
The message could display if the stability system
takes longer than usual to complete its diagnostic
checks due to driving conditions.
The message displays if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected and the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer/retailer.
The message also displays if the vehicle is shifted
into 4LO.
The message turns off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
3-73

TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along with the check engine
light on the instrument panel cluster if the vehicle’s
fuel cap is not tightened properly. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-49. Reinstall the fuel cap fully.
SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-10. 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.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the system
is re-learning the tire positions on your vehicle.
See “DIC Operation and Displays (Without DIC Buttons)”
earlier in this section for more information. The tire
positions must be re-learned after rotating the tires or
after replacing a tire or sensor. SeeTire Inspection and
Rotation on page 5-83,Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 5-78, andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-76
for more information.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message displays
when the Traction Control System (TCS) is turned
off. Adjust your driving accordingly. SeeStabiliTrak
®
System on page 4-6for more information.
TRAILER CONNECTED
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, this message displays briey when
a trailer with electric brakes is rst connected to
the vehicle.
This message clears itself after several seconds.
This message also clears if you acknowledge it.
After this message clears, the TRAILER GAIN/OUTPUT
display appears in the DIC.
See “TRAILER GAIN/OUTPUT” underDIC Operation
and Displays (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-57or
DIC Operation and Displays (Without DIC Buttons)
on page 3-63and “Integrated Trailer Brake Control
System” underTowing a Trailer on page 4-55for
more information.
3-74

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Locking Rear Axle..........................................4-5
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-6
Steering........................................................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-10
Passing.......................................................4-11
Loss of Control.............................................4-11
Off-Road Driving...........................................4-12
Driving at Night............................................4-27
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-28
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-29Highway Hypnosis........................................4-29
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-30
Winter Driving..............................................4-31
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-34
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-34
Recovery Hooks...........................................4-35
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-36
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-43
Truck-Camper Loading Information..................4-47
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab..................4-50
Towing..........................................................4-50
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-50
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-50
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-55
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-93
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1