oil reset CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
1-28 In Brief
Navigation System
The vehicle's navigation system
(if equipped) provides detailed maps
of most major freeways and roads
throughout the United States and
Canada. After a destination has
been set, the system provides
turn-by-turn instructions for reaching
the destination. In addition, the
system can help locate a variety
of points of interest (POI), such
as banks, airports, restaurants,
and more.
See the Navigation System manual
for more information.
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of
many vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on
the instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel.
Some vehicles do not have the
buttons shown, however some of
the menus can be viewed by using
the trip odometer reset stem.
3: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 air temperature will also be shown
in the display. The temperature will
be shown in °C or °F depending on
the units selected.
T:
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: Press this button to customize
the feature settings on the vehicle.
See Vehicle Personalization (with
DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑53for
more information.
V: Press this button to set or reset
certain functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC)
on
page 5‑34.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
1-34 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and, on most vehicles, displays a
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
To reset the Engine Oil Life System
on most vehicles:
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAININGon the DIC. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the
vehicle must be in P (Park)
to access this display.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the DIC, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, for more than
five seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%. On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the display shows
100%, the system is reset.
See Engine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑9.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
on
page 9‑86. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑84.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.

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 (38,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-38 Instruments and Controls
An Active Fuel Management
indicator displays on the right
side of the DIC, while INST ECON
displays on the left side. Active
Fuel Management allows the engine
to operate on either four or eight
cylinders, depending on driving
demands. When Active Fuel
Management is active, V4 will
display on the DIC. When Active
Fuel Management is inactive,
V8 will display. SeeActive Fuel
Management™
on page 9‑41for more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items (with DIC Buttons)
T(Vehicle Information): Press
this button to scroll through the
following menu items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information
button until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining useful
life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on
a schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” under
Engine Oil Messages
on
page 5‑47. You should change
the oil as soon as you can.
See Engine Oil
on page 10‑7.
In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2for more information.
Remember, you must reset the
OIL LIFE display after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑9.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-42 Instruments and Controls
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 last
turned 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 trip odometer
reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display
the number of kilometers (km)
or miles (mi) 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.Transmission Temperature
Press the trip odometer reset
stem until TRANS TEMP displays.
This display shows the temperature
of the automatic transmission fluid
in either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F) .
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the trip odometer
reset stem until TRAILER GAIN
and OUTPUT display.
TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer
gain setting. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either
a trailer connected or disconnected.
OUTPUT shows the power output
to the trailer any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes
may appear in the OUTPUT display.
To adjust trailer gain see
“Integrated
Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing Equipment
on page 9‑111for
more information.
Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. See Compass
on
page 5‑6for more information.
Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See Compass
on
page 5‑6for more information.
Oil Life
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-43
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages
on
page 5‑47. You should change
the oil as soon as you can.
See Engine Oil
on page 10‑7.
In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑2for more information.
Remember, you must reset the
OIL LIFE display after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑9.
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle
or some action may be needed
to correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not
require immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V(Set/Reset) or the trip
odometer reset stem.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE
When the vehicle’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes
will sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues
to discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-47
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil,
be sure to reset the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message.
SeeEngine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑9for information on how
to reset the message. See Engine
Oil
on page 10‑7and Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 11‑2for
more information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
on page 5‑19.
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure
is low, severe engine damage
may occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop
the vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil
on
page 10‑7for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a
chime may sound when the cooling
system temperature gets too hot
and the engine further enters the
engine coolant protection mode.
See Engine Overheating
on
page 10‑24for more information.
This message also displays when
the vehicle's engine power is
reduced. Reduced engine power
can affect the vehicle's ability
to accelerate. If this message
is on, but there is no reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven
at a reduced speed while this
message is on, but acceleration and
speed may be reduced. Anytime
this message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-9
Cold Temperature Operation
If in an area of extreme cold,
where the temperature falls below
−29°C (−20°F), use either an
SAE 5W-30 synthetic oil or an
SAE 0W-30 engine oil. Both provide
easier cold starting for the engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Always use an oil that meets the
required specification, GM6094M.
See“What Kind of Engine Oil to
Use” for more information.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil.
The recommended oils with the
starburst symbol that meet GM
Standard GM6094M are all that is
needed for good performance and
engine protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on engine revolutions and engine
temperature, and not on mileage.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably.
For the oil life system to work
properly, the system must be reset
every time the oil is changed.
On some vehicles, when the system
has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, a CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on
to indicate that an oil change
is necessary. See Engine Oil
Messages
on page 5‑47. Change
the oil as soon as possible within
the next 1 000 km (600 miles). It is
possible that, if driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
might not indicate that an oil change
is necessary for over a year.
However, the engine oil and
filter must be changed at least
once a year and at this time
the system must be reset.
For vehicles without the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message, an
oil change is needed when the OIL
LIFE REMAINING percentage is
near 0%. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work using genuine parts and reset
the system. It is also important to
check the oil regularly and keep it
at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 miles)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-10 Vehicle Care
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
The Engine Oil Life System
calculates when to change the
engine oil and filter based on
vehicle use. Whenever the oil is
changed, reset the system so it
can calculate when the next oil
change is required. If a situation
occurs where the oil is changed
prior to a CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message coming on, reset
the system.
Always reset the engine oil life to
100% after every oil change. It will
not reset itself. To reset the Engine
Oil Life System on most vehicles:
1. Display the OIL LIFEREMAINING on the DIC.
If the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) to access this
display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑34. 2. Press and hold the SET/RESET
button on the DIC, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, for more than
five seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%.
On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display the OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the
display shows 100%, the system
is reset. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑34.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message
and it comes back on when the
vehicle is started and/or the OIL
LIFE REMAINING is near 0%, the
Engine Oil Life System has not
reset. Repeat the procedure.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of
water. Recycle it by taking it to a
place that collects used oil.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-26 Vehicle Care
If the temperature overheat gauge
is no longer in the overheat zone
or an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull
over, stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle
the engine for five minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see“Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition
exists and the ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED message displays, an
overheat protection mode which
alternates firing groups of cylinders
helps to prevent engine damage.
In this mode, a loss in power and
engine performance will be noticed.
This operating mode allows the
vehicle to be driven to a safe place
in an emergency. Driving extended
miles (km) and/or towing a trailer in
the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
Notice: After driving in the
overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool
before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely
degraded. Repair the cause of
coolant loss, change the oil and
reset the oil life system. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has a clutched
engine cooling fan, when the
clutch is engaged, the fan spins
faster to provide more air to cool the
engine. In most everyday driving
conditions, the fan is spinning
slower and the clutch is not fully
engaged. This improves fuel
economy and reduces fan noise.
Under heavy vehicle loading,
trailer towing, and/or high outside
temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more fully
engages, so an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and should not be mistaken as the
transmission slipping or making
extra shifts. It is merely the cooling
system functioning properly. The fan
will slow down when additional
cooling is not required and the
clutch disengages.
This fan noise may also be heard
when starting the engine. It will go
away as the fan clutch partially
disengages.