tow CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G User Guide

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-11
Tailgate
{WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride
on the tailgate, even when the
vehicle is operated at low speeds.
People riding on the tailgate
can easily lose their balance
and fall in response to vehicle
maneuvers. Falling from a moving
vehicle may result in serious
injuries or death. Do not allow
people to ride on the tailgate.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle
is in a seat and using a safety
belt properly.
On vehicles with a lock on the
tailgate, use the key to lock or
unlock the tailgate. Open the tailgate by lifting up on
its handle while pulling the tailgate
toward you.
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it
upward until it latches.
After you put the tailgate back up,
pull it back towards you to be sure it
latches securely.
Tailgate Removal
The tailgate can be removed to
allow for different loading situations.
Someone may need to assist with
removal to avoid damage to the
vehicle.
On vehicles with a Rear Vision
Camera, it must be disconnected
before removing the tailgate. See
Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
on
page 9‑78for more information. To remove the tailgate:
1. Raise the tailgate slightly and
release both retaining cable
clips. To release the retaining
cable clips, lift the cable so it
points straight out. Lift the clip
over the bolt, and push the cable
forward then rotate down.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
2-16 Keys, Doors and Windows
Manual Mirrors
Adjust the outside mirrors for a
clearer view.
Using hood-mounted air deflectors
and add-on convex mirror
attachments could decrease
mirror performance.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer.
The lower portion of the mirror is
convex. A convex mirror's surface is
curved to see more from the driver
seat. The convex mirror can be
adjusted manually to the driver
preferred position for better vision.
The mirror may have a turn signal
arrow that flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Power Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls located on the
driver door.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
2-18 Keys, Doors and Windows
Fold and unfold the mirrors one
time using the mirror controls to
reset them to their normal position.
A popping noise may be heard
during the resetting of the power
foldaway mirrors. This sound is
normal after a manual folding
operation.
Manual Foldaway
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward,
to return to its original position.
Automatic Dimming
If equipped with an automatic
dimming mirror. The driver
outside mirror adjusts for the
glare of the headlamps behind you.
SeeAutomatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑19.
Turn Signal Indicator
The vehicle may also have a
turn signal indicator on the mirror.
An arrow on the mirror flashes in the
direction of the turn or lane change.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
<(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors. If the
vehicle has a towing mirror, only the
upper glass of the mirror is heated.
The lower convex part of the towing
mirror is not heated.
Depending on the vehicle's features,
see “Rear Window Defogger”
under Climate Control Systems
(with Air Conditioning)
on
page 8‑1or Climate Control
Systems (with Heater Only)on
page 8‑4or Dual Automatic
Climate Control Systemon
page 8‑5for more information.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-19
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the passenger and/or
driver mirror tilts to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This feature lets the
driver view the curb when parallel
parking. The mirror(s) return to the
original position when the vehicle
is shifted out of R (Reverse),
or the ignition is turned off or to
OFF/LOCK.
Turn this feature on or off through
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeVehicle Personalization (with
DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑53for
more information.
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Adjust manual rearview mirrors to
see clearly behind the vehicle. Hold
the mirror in the center to adjust it.
To reduce headlamp glare during
night use, pull the tab forward.
Push the tab back for daytime use.
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature comes on and the indicator
light illuminates each time the
ignition is turned to start.
O(On/Off): Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off. The vehicle may also have a Rear
Vision Camera (RVC). See
Rear
Vision Camera (RVC)
on page 9‑78for more information.
If the vehicle has RVC,
the
Obutton for turning the
dimming feature on or off will
not be available.
Vehicles with OnStar have three
additional control buttons for the
OnStar system. See your dealer
for more information about OnStar
and how to subscribe to it. See the
OnStar Owner Guide for more
information about the services
OnStar provides.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-12 Seats and Restraints
I(Heated Seatback):Press to
turn on the heated seatback.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback):
Press to turn on the heated seat
and seatback.
Repeatedly press and release
the button to cycle through the
temperature settings: high, medium,
and low, and to turn the heat to
the seat off. Indicator lights next
to the button show the selected
setting: three for high, two for
medium, and one for low.
The heated seats will be canceled
10 seconds after the ignition is
turned off. To use the heated seat
feature after restarting the vehicle,
press the heated seat or seatback
button again.
Rear Seats
Rear Seats (Extended
Cab Full Bench)
Folding the Rear Seat
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
To fold the seat up:
1. Pull up on the front of the seat cushion while pulling down on
the release strap, located under
the seat cushion.
2. Pull the seat cushion up until it latches with the seatback.
3. After latching the seat cushion up, pull forward on it to make
sure it is locked.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-13
To fold the seat down:
1. Push the seat cushion rearwardwhile pulling the release strap,
located under the seat cushion.
Pull the seat cushion down until
it latches.
2. After latching the seat cushion, pull up on it to make sure it is
locked.
Make sure the safety belts are
not twisted or caught in the seat
cushion.Rear Seats (All Split
Bench and Hybrid Full
Bench)
Folding Rear Seat
On a vehicle with a second row
60/40 split seat, either side of the
rear seat may be folded for added
cargo space.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat. Make sure that nothing is on
the seat.
To fold the seat, slowly pull the seat
cushion up.
To return the seat to the normal
seating position, slowly pull the seat
cushion down.
Make sure the safety belts are
not twisted or caught in the seat
cushion.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-25
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
right front passenger.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow
to Wear Safety Belts Properly
on
page 3‑17.
Regular and Crew Cab
To move the adjuster down for the
regular and crew cabs, squeeze
the buttons (A) on the sides of the
height adjuster and move the height
adjuster to the desired position.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk
of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 3‑34for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑36.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be
warm, but not too hot to touch.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-47
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers
and braking, which helps the
passenger sensing system maintain
the passenger airbag status.
See“Safety Belts” and“Child
Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
If the shoulder portion of the belt
is pulled out all the way, the child
restraint locking feature will be
engaged. This may unintentionally
cause the passenger sensing
system to turn the airbag off for some adult size occupants. If this
happens, let the belt go back all the
way and start again.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such
as seat covers, seat heaters, and
seat massagers can affect how
well the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that
you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on
page 3‑48for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.

Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-64 Seats and Restraints
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured
or killed. Install a LATCH-type
child restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle's
safety belts to secure the
restraint, following the instructions
that came with the child restraint
and the instructions in this
manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one
child restraint to a single anchor,
except for the center top tether
anchors in the crew and extended
cabs. Attaching more than one
child restraint to a single anchor
could cause the anchor or
attachment to come loose or even
break during a crash. A child or
others could be injured. To reduce
the risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.