CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-57
Shifting In or Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
Notice:Shifting the transfer
case into Four-Wheel-Drive Low
while moving at speeds faster
than 5 km/h (3 mph) may cause
premature wear to the transfer
case, and may cause the gears
to grind. To avoid causing
premature wear, and grinding the
gears, do not shift the transfer
case into Four-Wheel-Drive Low
while the vehicle is moving faster
than 5 km/h (3 mph).
.Shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low should be done, if possible,
with the vehicle at a slight roll,
5 km/h (3 mph) or less.
.Shift the transmission into
N (Neutral).
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission
is in P (Park). You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake
on page 9‑68.
.Shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low with the vehicle at a stop
may be more difficult. You may
be unable to complete the shift
to Four-Wheel Drive Low, and
the transfer case will end up in
N (Neutral). This is normal, and
is a function of the gear teeth
aligning in the transfer case.
When this happens, make
sure the engine is on, shift
the transmission momentarily
to D (Drive) and back to
N (Neutral), and then complete
the transfer case shift.
.Shift the transfer case shift lever
in one continuous motion into
the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position.
.When in Four-Wheel Drive
Low do not drive faster than
72 km/h (45 mph). This will
reduce wear and extend the
life of your transfer case.
Shifting In or Out of Neutral
1. With the vehicle running and the engine at an idle, set the parking
brake.
2. Place the transmission into N (Neutral).
Shift the transfer case in one
continuous motion into or out
of the N (Neutral) position.

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-58 Driving and Operating
Electronic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.
Use the dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m 4m4n N
Normal YES Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*See Recreational Vehicle Towing
on page 10‑101orTowing the Vehicleon
page 10‑101.
You can choose among four driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the dial
show which setting you are in.
The indicator lights will come on
briefly when you turn on the ignition
and one will stay on. If the lights do
not come on, you should take the vehicle to your dealer for service.
An indicator light flashes while
shifting the transfer case and
remains illuminated when the
shift is complete. If for some reason
the transfer case cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting.

Black plate (59,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-59
2m(Two-Wheel Drive High):This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
Two-Wheel Drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when extra traction is needed, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels. You might choose Four-Wheel
Drive Low while driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak,
®
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See
StabiliTrak®
System on page 9‑70.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission
is in P (Park). You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case
in N (Neutral). See Parking Brake
on page 9‑68. N (Neutral):
Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral)
only when towing the vehicle.
See Recreational Vehicle Towing
on
page 10‑101or Towing the Vehicleon
page 10‑101for more information.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer
for service. See “SERVICE
4 WHEEL DRIVE message”
under Transmission Messages
on
page 5‑52.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
Drive High position. This can be
done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See “Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low” for more information.

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-60 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Four-Wheel
Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Drive Low is
engaged, vehicle speed should
be kept below 72 km/h (45 mph).
Extended high-speed operation in
Four-Wheel Drive Low may damage
or shorten the life of the drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position, the ignition must be
in ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 5 km/h
(3 mph) with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn the
knob to the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator
light to stop flashing and remain
on before shifting the transmission
in gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
It is typical for the vehicle to
exhibit significant engagement
noise and bump when shifting
between Four-Wheel Drive Low
and Four-Wheel Drive High ranges
or from transfer case N (Neutral)
with the engine running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive Low position
when the vehicle is in gear and/or
moving, the Four-Wheel Drive
Low indicator light will flash for
30 seconds and not complete the
shift unless the vehicle is moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral).
After 30 seconds the transfer case
will shift to Four-Wheel Drive
High mode.
Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Drive
Low to Four-Wheel Drive High,
or Two-Wheel Drive High, the
vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in N (Neutral)
and the ignition in ON/RUN.
The preferred method for shifting
out of Four-Wheel Drive Low
is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn the
knob to the Four-Wheel Drive High
or Two-Wheel Drive High position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel
Drive High or Two-Wheel Drive High
indicator light to stop flashing and
remain on before shifting the
transmission into gear.

Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-61
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always
wait for the mode indicator lights
to stop flashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
It is typical for the vehicle to exhibit
significant engagement noise
and bump when shifting between
Four-Wheel Drive Low and
Four-Wheel Drive High ranges
or from transfer case N (Neutral)
with the engine running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving, the Four-Wheel
Drive High, or Two-Wheel Drive
High indicator light will flash for
30 seconds but will not complete the
shift unless your vehicle is moving
less than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral). Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked
so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and press and hold the regular brake
pedal. See Parking Brake
on
page 9‑68for more information.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until
it stops and hold it there until
the Neutral light starts blinking. This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the four low position.
The N (Neutral) light will come
on when the transfer case shift
to N (Neutral) is complete.
7. If the engine is running, verify that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse)
for one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY, which will turn
the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-62 Driving and Operating
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and applythe regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).
3. Turn the transfer case dial to Two-Wheel Drive High.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle. Notice:
Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always
wait for the mode indicator lights
to stop flashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the
transmission to the desired
position.
Excessively shifting the transfer
case into or out of the different
modes may cause the transfer case
to enter the shift protection mode.
This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only
allow the transfer case to respond
to one shift per 10 seconds. The
transfer case may stay in this mode
for up to three minutes.Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.
Use the dial to shift into and out of
Four-Wheel Drive.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-63
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the dial
show which setting you are in.
The indicator lights will come on
briefly when you turn on the ignition
and one will stay on. If the lights do
not come on, you should take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
An indicator light will flash while
shifting the transfer case. It will
remain illuminated when the shift
is complete. If for some reason
the transfer case cannot make
a requested shift, it will return to
the last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
This setting is used for driving in
most street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
Two-Wheel Drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When driving the vehicle in AUTO,
the front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is sent only to the
front and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. Driving
in this mode results in slightly lower
fuel economy than Two-Wheel
Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when extra traction is needed, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills. If the vehicle has StabiliTrak,
®
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See
StabiliTrak®
System on page 9‑70.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission
is in P (Park). You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake
on page 9‑68.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral)
only when towing the vehicle.
See Recreational Vehicle Towing
on
page 10‑101or Towing the Vehicleon
page 10‑101for more information.

Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-64 Driving and Operating
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer
for service. See“SERVICE
4 WHEEL DRIVE message”
under Transmission Messages
on
page 5‑52.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive
High or AUTO (Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
Drive High or AUTO position. This
can be done at any speed, except
when shifting from Four-Wheel
Drive Low. The indicator light will
flash while shifting. It will remain
on when the shift is completed.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
Drive High position. This can be
done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed. Shifting Into Four-Wheel
Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Drive Low is
engaged, vehicle speed should
be kept below 72 km/h (45 mph).
Extended high-speed operation in
Four-Wheel Drive Low may damage
or shorten the life of the drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position, the ignition must be
in ON/RUN and the vehicle must
be stopped or moving less than
5 km/h (3 mph) with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn the
knob to the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light
to stop flashing and remain on
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
Notice:
Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always
wait for the mode indicator lights
to stop flashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
It is typical for the vehicle to exhibit
significant engagement noise
and bump when shifting between
Four-Wheel Drive Low and
Four-Wheel Drive High ranges
or from N (Neutral) with the
engine running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive Low position
when the vehicle is in gear and/or
moving, the Four-Wheel Drive
Low indicator light will flash for
30 seconds and not complete the
shift unless the vehicle is moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral).
After 30 seconds the transfer
case will shift to Four-Wheel
Drive High mode.

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-65
Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Drive
Low to Four-Wheel Drive High,
AUTO or Two-Wheel Drive High,
the vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in N (Neutral)
and the ignition in ON/RUN. The
preferred method for shifting out of
Four-Wheel Drive Low is to have
the vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the knob to
the Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO
or Two-Wheel Drive High position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light to stop
flashing and remain on before
shifting the transmission into gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always
wait for the mode indicator lights
to stop flashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
It is typical for the vehicle to
exhibit significant engagement
noise and bump when shifting
between Four-Wheel Drive Low
and Four-Wheel Drive High ranges
or from N (Neutral) with the engine
running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving, the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds but will not complete
the shift unless the vehicle is
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
and the transmission is in
N (Neutral).
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked
so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
See Parking Brake
on
page 9‑68for more information.
3. Shifting the transfer case into N (Neutral) can be done with
or without the engine running.
Shifting without the engine
running should be done with
the ignition in ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.

Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-66 Driving and Operating
6. Turn the transfer case dialclockwise to N (Neutral) until
it stops and hold it there until
the N (Neutral) light starts
blinking. This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the four low position.
The N (Neutral) light will come
on when the transfer case shift
to N (Neutral) is complete.
7. If the engine is running, make sure that the transfer case is
in N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse)
for one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY, which will turn
the engine off. 9. Place the transmission shift
lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift out of N (Neutral) do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).
3. Turn the transfer case dial to Two-Wheel Drive High,
Four-Wheel Drive High,
or AUTO.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out. 4. Release the parking brake prior
to moving the vehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always
wait for the mode indicator lights
to stop flashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired
position.