fuel CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G User Guide

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per minute
(rpm). For a description of how
Grade Braking affects vehicle
speed while the Tow/Haul Mode is
activated, seeTow/Haul Mode
on
page 9‑49for more information.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
the hybrid supplement for more
information.
Fuel Gauge
Metric
English When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
is left in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle
the fuel door is on.
The gauge will first indicate empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel,
but the vehicle's fuel tank should
be filled soon.
When the fuel tank is low the
FUEL LEVEL LOW message
appears. See
Fuel System
Messages
on page 5‑48for
more information.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-18 Instruments and Controls
Here are some situations owners
can experience with the fuel gauge.
None of these indicate a problem
with the fuel gauge.
.At the gas station, the fuel pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the fuel gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the fuel tank's capacity to
fill it.
.The gauge goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel supplement
for more information.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
the hybrid supplement for more
information.
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge
Metric
English
For vehicles with an engine oil
pressure gauge, it shows the engine
oil pressure in kPa (kilopascals)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
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 reads 100°C (210°F) or
less. If pulling a load or going up
hills, it is normal for the temperature
to fluctuate and go over the 113°C
(235°F) mark. If the gauge reaches
the 125°C (260°F) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system is working
beyond its capacity. See
Engine Overheating
on
page 10‑24.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Voltmeter Gauge
For vehicles with a voltmeter gauge,
this gauge indicates the battery
voltage when the ignition is
turned on. When the ignition is on, this gauge
indicates the battery voltage.
When the engine is running, this
gauge shows the condition of the
charging system. The gauge can
transition from a higher to lower
or a lower to higher reading. This is
normal. If the vehicle is operating
outside the normal operating range,
the charging system light comes on.
See
Charging System Light
on
page 5‑26for more information.
The voltmeter gauge may also read
lower when in fuel economy mode.
This is normal.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this
light on, after a while, the
emission controls might not
work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Notice:
Modifications made
to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of the vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to
pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. An emission system malfunction
might be corrected:
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling the Tankon
page 9‑88. 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
the light off.
.If the vehicle has been driven
through a deep puddle of water,
the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition
is usually corrected when the
electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn
the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel
on
page 9‑84.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer
has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-33
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally the indicator light then
goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
the hybrid supplement for more
information.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, under the fuel gauge,
comes on briefly while the engine
is being started.This light and a chime, if the vehicle
is equipped with a radio, comes on
when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
The Driver Information Center also
displays a
“FUEL LEVEL LOW”
message. See Fuel System
Messages
on page 5‑48for more
information. When fuel is added
this light and message should go
off. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see Anti-Theft Alarm System
on
page 2‑12.
High-Beam on Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
on page 6‑3for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
For vehicles equipped with fog
lamps, this light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. SeeFog
Lamps
on page 6‑6for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
For vehicles equipped with
cruise control, this light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control
on page 9‑73for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The vehicle has a Driver Information
Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information about
this vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected.
All messages will appear in
the DIC display located below the
tachometer in the instrument panel
cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off. The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the trip
odometer reset stem can be used
to access some of the menu items.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
The DIC also allows some features
to be customized. See
Vehicle
Personalization (with DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑53for more information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-35
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and
set/reset buttons. The button
functions are detailed in the
following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this
button to display the odometer,
trip odometer, fuel range, average
economy, fuel used, timer,
transmission temperature, and
instantaneous economy and Active
Fuel Management™ indicator.The compass and outside
temperature will also be shown in
the display. The temperature will
be shown in °C or °F depending
on the units selected.
T(Vehicle Information):
Press
this button to display the oil life,
units, tire pressure readings for
vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), trailer
brake gain and output information
for vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
engine hours, compass zone
setting, and compass recalibration.
U(Customization): Press this
button to customize the feature
settings on the vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization (with DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑53for more information.
V(Set/Reset): Press this button to
set or reset certain functions and to
turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
(with DIC Buttons)
3(Trip/Fuel): Press this button
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles. Pressing the trip odometer
reset stem will also display the
odometer.
To switch between metric and
English measurements, see “Units”
later in this section.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles since the
last reset for the trip odometer.
Pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will also display the trip
odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset
to zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. You can also reset the
trip odometer while it is displayed
by pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retro-active reset. This
can be used to set the trip odometer
to the number of miles (kilometers)
driven since the ignition was lastturned on. This can be used if the
trip odometer is not reset at the
beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature,
press and hold the set/reset button
for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number
of kilometers (km) or miles 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 8 km (5 miles) before
it is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is
activated, the display will show
8 km (5 miles). As the vehicle
begins moving, the display will
then increase to 8.2 km (5.1 miles),
8.4 km (5.2 miles), etc.
Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL RANGE displays. This display
shows the approximate number of
remaining kilometers (km) or miles
the vehicle can be driven without
refueling. The display will show
LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based
on an average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining
in the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving.
Fuel range cannot be reset.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until
AVG ECONOMY displays.
This display shows the approximate
average liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km) or miles per gallon
(mpg). This number is calculated
based on the number of L/100 km
(mpg) recorded since the last time
this menu item was reset. To reset
AVG ECONOMY, press and hold the
set/reset button.
Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL USED displays. This display
shows the number of liters (L) or
gallons (gal) of fuel used since the
last reset of this menu item. To reset
the fuel used information, press
and hold the set/reset button while
FUEL USED is displayed.Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until
TIMER displays. This display
can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the
set/reset button while TIMER is
displayed. The display will show
the amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset, not
including time the ignition is off.
Time will continue to be counted
as long as the ignition is on, even
if another display is being shown
on the DIC. The timer will record
up to 99 hours, 59 minutes, and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which
the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset
button briefly while TIMER is
displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press
and hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed.Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature
of the automatic transmission fluid
in either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Instantaneous Economy and
Active Fuel Management™
Indicator
If the vehicle has this display,
press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECON V8 displays. This display
shows the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or
miles per gallon (mpg). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.