brake CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2012 2.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-48 Instruments and Controls
TRACTION XX
STABILITRAK XX
This message displays when the
traction control and/or StabiliTrak
systems have been turned on or off.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize
the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should
normally leave StabiliTrak on.
However, you should turn
StabiliTrak off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow
and you want to rock the vehicle to
attempt to free it, or if you are
driving in extreme off-road
conditions and require more wheel
spin. SeeIf the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9‑16. To turn the StabiliTrak
system on or off, see StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑62.
STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled. There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear.
.One condition is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.The message also displays if the
brake system warning light is on.
See
Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑26.
.The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.The message displays if an
engine or vehicle related
problem has been detected
and the vehicle needs service.
See your dealer.
The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Have your dealer inspect the
system for problems. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑20 and
Airbag System on page 3‑23 for
more information.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine. See Immobilizer
Operation on page 2‑12 for more
information.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-50 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 the 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.

Black plate (51,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-51
When this message displays, power
is no longer available to the trailer
brakes.
As soon as it is safe to do so,
carefully pull the vehicle over to the
side of the road and turn the ignition
off. Check the wiring connection to
the trailer and turn the ignition back
on. This message clears if the trailer
is reconnected. This message also
clears if you acknowledge it. If this
message still displays, either the
vehicle or the trailer needs service.
See your dealer.
See“Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑102 for more
information.ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when ice
conditions are possible.
TRAILER CONNECTED
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
this message displays briefly when
a trailer with electric brakes is first
connected to the vehicle.
This message clears itself after
several seconds. This message also
clears if you acknowledge it. After
this message clears, the TRAILER
GAIN/OUTPUT display appears in
the DIC.
See “TRAILER GAIN/OUTPUT”
under Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5‑32 and“Integrated
Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑102
for more information.
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID
This message displays when the
windshield washer fluid is low.
Fill the windshield washer fluid
reservoir as soon as possible.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Also, see Washer Fluid on
page 10‑28 for more information.

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-58 Instruments and Controls
EASY EXIT SETUP
If the vehicle has this feature,
it allows you to select which areas
will recall with the automatic easy
exit seat feature. It also allows you
to turn off the automatic easy exit
feature. SeeMemory Seats on
page 3‑8 and EASY EXIT RECALL
earlier for more information.
Press the customization button until
EASY EXIT SETUP appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF: No automatic seat exit will
recall.
SEAT ONLY (default): The driver
seat will recall.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. MEMORY SEAT RECALL
If the vehicle has this feature, it
allows you to select your preference
for the remote memory seat recall
feature. See
Memory Seats on
page 3‑8 for more information.
Press the customization button
until MEMORY SEAT RECALL
appears on the DIC display.
Press the set/reset button once to
access the settings for this feature.
Then press the customization button
to scroll through the following
settings:
OFF (default): No remote memory
seat recall will occur.
ON: The driver seat and, on some
vehicles, the outside mirrors will
automatically move to the stored
driving position when the unlock
button on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter is pressed.
On some vehicles with the
adjustable throttle and brake pedal
feature, the pedals will also
automatically move. NO CHANGE:
No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE START
If your vehicle has this feature,
it allows you to turn the remote start
off or on. The remote start feature
allows you to start the engine from
outside of the vehicle using the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2‑5 for more
information.
Press the customization button until
REMOTE START appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF: The remote start feature will
be disabled.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-13
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-16
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-26
Adjustable Throttle andBrake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-36
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-38
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-44
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-62
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-68
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-76
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-76
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-77
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-77
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-77

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three‐fourths of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will 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.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑27.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but may required increased
effort. See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering
a curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can
drop off the edge of a road onto
the shoulder while driving.
Follow these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that
it straddles the edge of the
pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are
not rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions.
But skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. 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.
.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.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and
vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface.
To contact the tire manufacturer for
more information about the original
equipment tires, see the Limited
Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information manual. Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed.
{WARNING
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{WARNING
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position
for a manual transmission. This is
because the N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position
for a manual transmission.
Shift the transfer case to any
position but N (Neutral).Before driving on a hill, assess
the steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.
When driving on hills:.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{WARNING
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{WARNING
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
(Continued)

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
WARNING (Continued)
even if the transmission is in
P (Park). This is because the
N (Neutral) position on the
transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{WARNING
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill:
1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) for an automatic transmission or
1 (First) for a manual
transmission and then restart
the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down.
.Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
.If you cannot make it up
the hill, back straight down
the hill.
.Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake.
.The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
.If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.