steering CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2012 2.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
While listening to a CD/DVD, press
and hold
¨to quickly move forward
through the tracks. Release to stop
on the desired track.
+
e: Press to increase volume.
−
e: Press to decrease volume.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center
pad on the steering wheel.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The front wiper control is located on
the turn and lane‐change lever.
The windshield wipers are controlled
by turning the band with
zon it.
8(Mist): For a single wipe,
turn to
8, then release. For several
wipes, hold the band on
8longer.
9(Off): Turns the windshield
wipers off.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
6(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
?(High Speed): Fast wipes.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See Wiper
Blade Replacement on page 10‑39.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down.
Windshield Washer
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the
washer fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
L(Washer Fluid): Push the
paddle marked with the windshield
washer symbol at the top of the
multifunction lever, to spray washer
fluid on the windshield. The wipers
clear the window and then either
stop or return to the preset speed.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment.
For the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is connected
to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system
determines that critical
emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down.The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
With the ignition on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. If the
vehicle is driven with the parking
brake engaged, a chime sounds
when the vehicle speed is greater
than 8 km/h (5 mph).

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The vehicle has a Driver Information
Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information about
this vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected.
All messages will appear in the
DIC display located below the
tachometer in the instrument panel
cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the trip
odometer reset stem can be used to
access some of the menu items.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
The DIC also allows some features
to be customized. See
Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑52 for more information.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax
®diesel
supplement for more information.
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.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
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) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
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.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
headlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor detects a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is bright
enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster
may not be as bright as usual.
Make sure the instrument panel
brightness control is in the full bright
position. SeeInstrument Panel
Illumination Control on page 6‑8.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off,
turn the control to the off position. The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle.
This feature can be programmed
using the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑52.
If the vehicle is not equipped
with DIC buttons, exit lighting is
automatic. When it is dark enough
outside, the exterior lamps remain
on for 30 seconds after the ignition
is moved from ON/RUN to
LOCK/OFF.
For vehicles without a radio, the
instrument panel light remains on
for 30 seconds with the driver door
closed. For vehicles with a radio,
the instrument panel light remains
on for 10 minutes with the driver
door closed. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑32.
The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button located on top of
the steering column, to make the
front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. This warns
others that you are having trouble.
Press again to turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less
than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash
three times. It will flash six times
if Tow/Haul Mode is active.Holding the turn signal lever for
more than one second will cause
the turn signals to flash until you
release the lever.
The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb could
be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑47.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime
sounds at each flash of the turn
signal, if the vehicle has a radio.
The message TURN SIGNAL ON
will also appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). To turn
the chime and message off, move
the turn signal lever to the off
position.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
control is located next to the exterior
lamps control on the instrument
panel, to the left of the steering
column.
The ignition must be in the
ON/RUN position for the fog lamps
to come on.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-9
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line.
When information is not available,
“NO INFO”displays.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM™, if equipped.
f(Tune): Turn to manually select
radio stations.
©SEEK: Press to seek the
previous radio station. Press and
hold for a few seconds until a
beep sounds to scan for radio
stations in descending order; press
the
©SEEK button again to stop
scanning radio stations. The radio
only seeks and scans stations
with a strong signal that are in the
selected band.
For the AM-FM Radio, press and
hold the
©SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds to scan
the preset stations. The station
frequency flashes while the radio is
in the scan mode.
¨SEEK: Press to seek the next
radio station. Press and hold for a
few seconds until a beep sounds to
scan for radio stations in ascending
order; press the
¨SEEK button
again to stop scanning radio
stations. The radio only seeks and
scans stations with a strong signal
that are in the selected band.
For the AM-FM Radio, press and
hold the
¨SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds to scan
the preset stations. The station
frequency flashes while the radio is
in the scan mode.
sREV: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in descending order.
\FWD: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in ascending order.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorites pages for stored
radio stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store the
radio station while the vehicle is
parked; see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑3. 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.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
7-12 Infotainment System
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 belowthe 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 9‑3. 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.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-53
When to Speak:A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 for more information.
b/g(Mute/Push To Talk):
Press to answer incoming calls,
confirm system information, and
start speech recognition.
c/x(End): Press to end a call,
reject a call, or cancel an operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
the 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 equipped. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1 for more
information. Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.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.

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