wheel CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G Owner's Guide

Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-52 Instruments and Controls
Transmission Messages
SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
If the vehicle has four-wheel
drive, this message may display
if a problem occurs with the
four-wheel-drive system. If this
message appears, stop as soon
as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Make sure the key is in
the LOCK/OFF position for at least
one minute and then restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the
four-wheel-drive system needs
service. See your dealer.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead
to costly repairs that would
not be covered by the warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission fluid
or while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays and a chime
may sound if the transmission fluid
in the vehicle gets hot. Driving with
the transmission fluid temperature
high can cause damage to the
vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it
idle to allow the transmission to
cool. This message clears and
the chime stops when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
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.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-9
Battery Power Protection . . . . 6-10
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-9
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked; seeDefensive Driving
on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button store
radio stations as favorites. Up to
36 stations can be programmed
as favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency
tabs and by using the FAV button.
Press the FAV button to go through
up to six pages of favorites, each
having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites
can contain any combination of AM,
FM, or XM, if equipped, stations.
Radios that do not have a
FAV button store radio stations
as presets. Up to 18 stations
(6 FM1, 6 FM2, and 6 AM),
can be programmed on the
six numbered pushbuttons. Setting Preset Stations
To store presets:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press and hold one of the six
numbered pushbuttons for
three seconds until a beep
sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to store additional radio stations.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations. The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below
the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to
the original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin
the process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-11
3. To exit the category searchmode, press the FAV button
or BAND button to display the
favorites again.
Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category to add or remove.
4. Press the softkey located under the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store
XM channels while the vehicle is
parked; see Defensive Driving
on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using
the six softkeys below the radio
station frequency tabs and by using
the FAV button. Press the FAV
button to go through up to six pages
of favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations.
Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the six
softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return
to the original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin
the process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
7-50 Infotainment System
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system.
SeeSteering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑3for more information.
b g(Push To Talk): Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c x(Phone On Hook): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth cell phone must be
paired to the Bluetooth system and
then connected to the vehicle before
it can be used. See your cell phone
manufacturer's user guide for
Bluetooth functions before pairing
the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone
is not connected, calls will be made
using OnStar
®Hands‐Free Calling,
if available. Refer to the OnStar
Owner's Guide for more information. Pairing Information
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones
are within range of the system,
the system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To connect to a
different paired phone, see
“Connecting to a Different
Phone”
later in this section. Pairing a Phone
1. Press and hold
b
gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “Pair.”The system responds
with instructions and a four‐digit
Personal Identification Number
(PIN). The PIN is used in Step 5.
4. Start the pairing process on the cell phone that you want to pair.
For help with this process, see
your cell phone manufacturer's
user guide.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-11
Air Vents
Use the air outlets located in
the center and on the side of
the instrument panel to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels near
the air outlets to open or close off
the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.Use of non‐GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-22
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-32
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-37
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Active Fuel Management™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-43
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-51
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Brake Assist (Except With 4.3L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-70
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-76
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-83
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-84
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-85
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition
of the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes
might not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear
out much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See
Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3.
Steering
Power Steering
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering
can be more effective than braking.
For example, you come over a hill
and find a truck stopped in your
lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between parked cars and stops
right in front of you. These problems
can be avoided by braking—if you
can stop in time. But sometimes
you cannot stop in time because
there is no room. That is the time
for evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies like these. First,
apply the brakes. See Braking
on
page 9‑3. It is better to remove
as much speed as possible from
a collision. Then steer around
the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is
only slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
Ease off the accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that the vehicle straddles the
edge of the pavement. Turn the
steering wheel 8 to 13 cm (3 to
5 inches), about one-eighth turn,
until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving
to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.