steering CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2012 2.G User Guide

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-29
3:Press to display the
odometer, trip odometer, fuel range,
average economy, fuel used, timer,
instantaneous economy and Active
Fuel Management™ indicator,
and transmission temperature.
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 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 to customize the
feature settings on your vehicle.
See Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑52
for more information.
V: Press 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 5‑32.
Vehicle Customization
Some vehicle features can be
programmed by using the DIC
buttons next to the steering wheel.
These features include:
.Language
.Door Lock and Unlock Settings
.RKE Lock and Unlock Feedback
.Lighting
.Chime Volume
.Memory Features
See Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑52.
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
If available, the RVC displays a
view of the area behind the vehicle
when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse). This is displayed on
the inside rearview mirror or the
navigation screen, if equipped.
To clean the camera lens, located in
the bezel of the tailgate handle,
rinse it with water and wipe it with a
soft cloth.
For more information, see Rear
Vision Camera (RVC) on page 9‑70.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-23
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
.A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the person
seated directly behind the right
front passenger. All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the right front passenger.
With seat‐mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG will
appear on the side of the seatback
closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job. Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt
—even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑26.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-25
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver airbag is in the middle of
the steering wheel.
The right front passenger airbag is
in the instrument panel on the
passenger side.Driver Side Shown,
Passenger Side Similar
If the vehicle has seat‐mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
right front passenger, they are in the
side of the seatbacks closest to
the door.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
3-26 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown,
Passenger Side Similar
If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags
for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard
passengers, they are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver's or right
front passenger's head and chest.
However, they are only designed to
inflate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inflate and help restrain
the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on
how fast your vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly your vehicle slows down.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Roof-rail airbags are not
intended to inflate in rear impacts.
A seat‐mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of
the vehicle that is struck. Both
roof-rail airbags will deploy when
either side of the vehicle is struck,
or if the sensing system predicts
that the vehicle is about to roll over,
or in a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
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.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
3-30 Seats and Restraints
You can lock the doors, turn off the
interior lamps and hazard warning
flashers by using the controls for
those features.
{WARNING
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑19 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑20.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Airbag On-Off Switch
If one of the switches pictured in the
following illustrations is located in
the glove box, the vehicle has an
airbag on-off switch that you can
use to manually turn on or off the
right front passenger airbag.
United States

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-39
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change your vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar garnish
trim, overhead console, front
sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system. In addition, the vehicle may have
a passenger sensing system
for the right front passenger's
position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger's
seat. The passenger sensing
system may not operate properly
if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or
device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of
the passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system
from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing
System on page 3‑34.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16 Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . 5-17
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-19
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-20
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-23
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . 5-28
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-28
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-28
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-29
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-30
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-30
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-31
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Battery Voltage andCharging Messages . . . . . . . . 5-42
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-42
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-45
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-46
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-46
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-46
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-48
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Starting the VehicleMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-50
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-51
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC Buttons) . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . 5-60
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-65
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The tilt lever is located on the lower
left side of the steering column. To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Hold the steering wheel and
pull the lever.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-3
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
w(Next) :Press to go to the
next favorite radio station, track on
a CD, or folder on an iPod
®or
USB device.
c/x(Previous/End): Press to
go to the previous favorite radio
station, track on a CD, or folder on
an iPod
®or USB device. Press to
reject an incoming call, or end a
current call. Radio
To select preset or favorite radio
stations:
Press and release
worc/x
to go to the next or previous radio
station stored as a preset or
favorite.
CD/DVD
To select tracks on a CD/DVD:
Press and release
worc/x
to go to the next or previous track.
Selecting Tracks on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System)
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list, then
press and hold
w, or press¨to
play the highlighted track. Navigating Folders on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System):
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and hold
c/xto go
back to the previous folder list.
3. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list.
.To select a folder,
press and hold
w, or
press
¨when the folder
is highlighted.
.To go back further in the
folder list, press and
hold
c/x.