towing CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1999 8.G Owners Manual

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New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn't need an elaborate
ªbreak
-in.º But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:

Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the first 500 miles (805 km).

Don't drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don't make full
-throttle starts.

Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren't yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking
-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.

Don't tow a trailer during break
-in.
See ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index for
more information.
Ignition Positions
CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons. A child or
others could be injured or even killed. They could
operate power windows or other controls or even
make the vehicle move. Don't leave the keys in
the vehicle with children.
Use your key to start your vehicle. The key lets you turn
the ignition switch to five different positions.

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NOTICE:
Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
How to Start the Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery
to be drained much sooner. And the excessive
heat can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid
draining your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn't start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five more
seconds, unless it starts sooner.
3. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), wait 15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you don't,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See ªTowing
Your Vehicleº in the Index.

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Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
Your vehicle features an electronic shift position indicator
within the instrument cluster. This display must be
powered anytime the shift lever is capable of being moved
out of PARK (P). This means that if your key is in OFF,
rather than LOCK, there will be a small current drain on
your battery which could discharge your battery over a
period of time. If you need to leave your key in the
ignition in OFF for an extended period for any reason, it is
recommended that you disconnect the battery cable from
the battery to prevent discharging your battery.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It's the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can't move easily.
CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle
will be free to roll
-- even if your shift lever
is in PARK (P)
-- if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL (N). So, be sure the transfer case is in
a drive gear, two
-wheel high (2H) or four-wheel
high (4H) or four
-wheel low (4L) -- not in
NEUTRAL (N). See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in
the Index. If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing
a Trailerº in the Index.

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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you're:

Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.

Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
) can be used when
towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep
hills or for off
-road driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
).
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.If your vehicle is under 8600 lbs. GVWR, when you
manually select SECOND (2), the transmission will drive
in second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when you are trying to start your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won't shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transmission. Use
your brakes or shift into PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on a hill.

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CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK (P). You or someone else could be
seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking
brake before placing the transfer case in
NEUTRAL. See ªParking Brakeº in the Index.
NEUTRAL: Shift the vehicle's transfer case to neutral
only when towing your vehicle. See ªRecreational
Vehicle Towingº or ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index
for more information.
Indicator lights in the switches show which setting you are
in. The indicator lights will come on briefly when you turn
on the ignition and one will stay on. If the lights do not
come on, you should take your vehicle to your dealer for
service. An indicator light will flash while shifting the
transfer case. It will remain illuminated when the shift is
complete. If for some reason the transfer case cannot make
a requested shift, it will return to the last chosen setting.
If the SERVICE 4WD light stays on, you should take
your vehicle to your dealer for service. See ªService
4WDº in the Index for further information.Shifting to 4HI or AUTO 4WD
Press and release the 4HI or AUTO 4WD switch. This
can be done at any speed, and the indicator light will
flash while shifting. It will remain illuminated when the
shift is completed.
Shifting to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed.
Shifting to 4LO
To shift to 4LO, the vehicle's engine must be running
and the vehicle must be stopped or moving less
than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). The preferred method for shifting
into 4LO is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release the 4LO switch.
You must wait for the 4LO indicator light to stop
flashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the 4LO switch is pressed when your vehicle is in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds and not complete the shift unless your
vehicle is moving less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL (N). After 30 seconds the
transfer case will return to the setting last chosen.

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Shifting Out of 4LO
To shift from 4LO to 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI your
vehicle must be stopped or moving less than 3 mph
(4.8 km/h) with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N) and
the engine running. The preferred method for shifting
out of 4LO is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release the 4HI, AUTO
4WD or 2HI switch. You must wait for the 4HI, AUTO
4WD or 2HI indicator light to stop flashing and remain
illuminated before shifting your transmission into gear.
If the 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI switch is pressed when
your vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the 4HI, AUTO
4WD or 2HI indicator light will flash for 30 seconds but
will not complete the shift unless your vehicle is moving
less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the transmission is in
NEUTRAL (N).
Shifting to Neutral
To shift the transfer case to neutral, first make sure the
vehicle is parked so that it will not roll:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Connect the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).5. Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
6. Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and 4LO
buttons for 10 seconds. The NEUTRAL light will
come on when the transfer case shift to neutral
is complete.
7. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
for one second.
8. Turn the ignition to OFF.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
10. Release the parking brake prior to towing.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift out of neutral:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Start the vehicle with the transmission in PARK (P).
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Shift the transmission lever to the desired position.
After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL,
the light will go out.

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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking
brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
lever, located just above the
parking brake pedal,
marked BRAKE
RELEASE, to release the
parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

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Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won't move, even when
you're on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow. With four
-wheel drive if your transfer
case is in NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be free
to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear
-- not
in NEUTRAL (N). If you're pulling a trailer, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:

Pull the lever toward you.

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Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever you have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your
vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaustº).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
(See ªBlizzardº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the transfer case in
NEUTRAL (N) will allow the vehicle to roll, even if
your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N). Always
set your parking brake. Follow the proper steps to be
sure your vehicle won't move. See ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.

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1. To adjust the mirrors when hauling a slide-in camper
or towing a trailer, rotate the mirror by pushing the
mirror head toward the front of the vehicle.2. Rotate the mirror head, so that the mirror surface
faces the rear of the vehicle.