CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (127,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-127
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab
We are aware that some vehicle
owners might consider having
the pickup box removed and a
commercial or recreational body
installed. Owners should be aware
that, as manufactured, there are
differences between a chassis cab
and a pickup with the box removed
which could affect vehicle safety.
The components necessary to adapt
a pickup to permit its safe use with
a specialized body should be
installed by the body builder.

Black plate (128,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-128 Driving and Operating
2NOTES

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission Fluid (4-Speed Transmission) . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Manual Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-18
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-24
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-27
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Noise Control System . . . . . . 10-36
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-37
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-39
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-40
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Headlamps (Silverado) . . . . . 10-43
Pick-Up Box Identification
and Fender Marker
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Taillamps (Chassis Cab Models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-46
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-46

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Electrical System
Electrical SystemOverload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-56
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65 Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-80
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-95
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-101
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-106
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-111
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-114

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-3
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained
in remote keyless transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories
to the vehicle can affect vehicle
performance and safety, including
such things as airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling,
emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems
like antilock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. Some of these
accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-4 Vehicle Care
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from the installation or use
of non‐GM certified parts, including
control module modifications, is not
covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories.
When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories, you
will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine
GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on
page 3‑48.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
the hybrid supplement for more
information.
{WARNING
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience,
the proper replacement
parts, and tools before
attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.
.Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts
can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on
page 13‑14.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check on page 3‑50.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed.
See Maintenance Records
on
page 11‑12.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-5
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbolon it. It is located inside the
vehicle to the left of the brake
pedal.
2. Go to the front of the vehicleand locate the secondary hood
release. This is located under
the hood, near the center of the
grille. 3. Push the secondary hood
release to the right.
4. Lift the hood. Before closing the hood, be sure
all the filler caps are on properly.
Then bring the hood from full
open to within 152 mm (6 in)
from the closed position, pause,
and push the front center of the
hood with a swift, firm motion to
fully close the hood.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-6 Vehicle Care
Engine Compartment Overview
5.3 L V8 Engine Shown (4.3 L V6 Engine, 4.8 L V6 Engine, 6.0 L V8 Engine, and 6.2 L V8 Engine Similar)

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-7
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 10‑18.
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 10‑19.
C. Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump
Starting on page 10‑96.
D. Battery on page 10‑32.
E. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (Out of View). See Jump
Starting on page 10‑96.
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View). See
“Checking the Fluid Level”
under Automatic Transmission
Fluid (4-Speed Transmission)
on page 10‑11or Automatic
Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) on page 10‑14.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2. H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2.
I. Engine Cooling Fan. See Cooling System on page 10‑19.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid
on
page 10‑27.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
on
page 10‑30.
L. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑48.
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
on
page 10‑28.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine
and/or an Allison Transmission, see
the Duramax
®Diesel Supplement.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax Diesel
Supplement.
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle
must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle
is a yellow loop. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for the location
of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If this is not
done, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth,
then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-8 Vehicle Care
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick,
add at least one quart/liter of the
recommended oil. This section
explains what kind of oil to use.
For engine oil crankcase capacity,
seeCapacities and Specifications
on page 12‑2.
Notice: Do not add too much oil.
If the engine has so much oil
that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows
the proper operating range, the
engine could be damaged. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6for the location of the
engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Look for three things:
.GM6094M
Use only an oil that meets GM
Standard GM6094M.
.SAE 5W-30
SAE 5W-30 is best for the
vehicle. These numbers on
an oil container show its
viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use other viscosity
oils such as SAE 20W-50.
.American Petroleum Institute
(API) starburst symbol
Oils meeting these requirements
should have the starburst
symbol on the container. This
symbol indicates that the oil has
been certified by the American
Petroleum Institute (API).
Notice: Use only engine oil
identified as meeting GM
Standard GM6094M and showing
the American Petroleum Institute
Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use
the recommended oil can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.