power steering CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2010 10.G Owners Manual

Section 1 In Brief
Instrument Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19 Vehicle Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
1-1

A.Outlet Adjustment on page 4‑26.
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 4‑4.
C. Instrument Panel Cluster on page 4‑30.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers
on page 4‑3.
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3‑32.
F. Tow/Haul Mode
on page 3‑38(If Equipped).
G. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 4‑47.
H. Audio System(s) on page 4‑80.
I. Exterior Lamps on page 4‑11.
J. Dome Lamp Override
on page 4‑15.Instrument
Panel Brightnesson page 4‑14. Fog Lampson
page 4‑13(If Equipped).
K. Hood Release on page 6‑14.
L. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped). Towing a Trailer on page 5‑47.
M. Automatic Transfer Case Control. (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed Automatic
Transfer Case)
on page 3‑39or Four-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic Transfer Case)on
page 3‑44. N.
Cruise Control on page 4‑8.
O. Tilt Wheel on page 4‑3.
P. Horn on page 4‑3.
Q. Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 4‑136.
R. Climate Control System
on page 4‑18orDual
Automatic Climate Control Systemon page 4‑20(If Equipped).
S. Accessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 4‑16.
Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s) and
Cigarette Lighter
on page 4‑17.
T. StabiliTrak®Systemon page 5‑6(If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button (If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
on page 3‑30. Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA)on page 3‑56(If Equipped). Heated Windshield Washer Fluid
Button (If Equipped). See Windshield Washeron
page 4‑6. Power Assist Stepson page 3‑17(If Equipped).
U. Glove Box on page 3‑73.
1-3

SeeClimate Control Systemon page 4‑18andDual
Automatic Climate Control Systemon page 4‑20. For
vehicles with rear heating and air conditioning controls,
see Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System
on
page 4‑26and Rear Air Conditioning and Heating
System and Electronic Climate Controls on page 4‑28.
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
Base trim shown (uplevel similar)
The Range Selection Mode switch is located on the
shift lever. To enable the Range Selection feature,
move the column shift lever to the M (Manual) position. The current range will appear next to the M. This is the
highest attainable range with all lower gears accessible.
As an example, when 4 (Fourth) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are available.
Press the plus/minus buttons, located on the steering
column shift lever, to select the desired range of
gears for current driving conditions. See
Automatic
Transmission Operation on page 3‑32.
While using Range Selection Mode, cruise control and
the Tow/Haul mode can be used.
Grade Braking is not available when Range Selection
Mode is active. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3‑38.
Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive, you can send the
engine's driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
1-19

Automatic Transfer Case
Two Speed Transfer CaseSingle Speed
Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located next to the steering
column. Use this knob to shift into and out of the
different Four-Wheel Drive modes.
2
m(Two-Wheel-Drive High): This setting is used for
driving in most street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive): This setting is
ideal for use when road surface traction conditions are
variable. 4
m(Four-Wheel High):
Use the Four-Wheel-Drive High
position when extra traction is needed, such as on
snowy or icy roads or in most off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel-Drive Low): Vehicles with a
two speed transfer case have a Four-Wheel-Drive
Low position. This setting sends maximum power to all
four wheels. You might choose Four-Wheel-Drive Low if
you are driving off-road in deep sand, deep mud, deep
snow, and while climbing or descending steep hills.
N (Neutral): Vehicles with a two speed transfer case
have a N (Neutral) position. Shift the transfer case
to N (Neutral) only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing
on page 5‑40or Towing
Your Vehicle on page 5‑40.
See Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed Automatic
Transfer Case)
on page 3‑39or Four-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic Transfer Case) on page 3‑44.
1-20

The OnStar system can record and transmit vehicle
information. This information is automatically sent to an
OnStar call center when
Qis pressed,]is pressed,
or if the airbags or ACR system deploy. This information
usually includes the vehicle's GPS location and, in the
event of a crash, additional information regarding the
crash that the vehicle was involved in (e.g. the direction
from which the vehicle was hit). When the virtual
advisor feature of OnStar hands-free calling is used, the
vehicle also sends OnStar the vehicle's GPS location
so they can provide services where it is located.
Location information about the vehicle is only available
if the GPS satellite signals are unobstructed and
available.
The vehicle must have a working electrical system,
including adequate battery power, for the OnStar
equipment to operate. There are other problems OnStar
cannot control that may prevent OnStar from providing
OnStar service at any particular time or place. Some
examples are damage to important parts of the vehicle
in a crash, hills, tall buildings, tunnels, weather or
wireless phone network congestion.
OnStar Steering Wheel Controls
This vehicle may have a Talk/Mute button that can be
used to interact with OnStar hands-free calling. See
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 4‑136for more
information.
On some vehicles, the mute button can be used to dial
numbers into voice mail systems, or to dial phone
extensions. See the OnStar Owner's Guide for more
information.
Your Responsibility
Increase the volume of the radio if the OnStar advisor
cannot be heard.
If the light next to the OnStar buttons is red, the system
may not be functioning properly. Press
Qand request a
vehicle diagnostic. If the light appears clear (no light is
appearing), your OnStar subscription has expired and
all services have been deactivated. Press
Qto confirm
that the OnStar equipment is active.
1-31

Grade Braking assists in maintaining desired
vehicle speeds when driving on downhill grades by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that utilizes
the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle. This
reduces wear on the braking system and increases
control of the vehicle. Grade Braking monitors vehicle
speed, acceleration, engine torque and brake pedal
usage. Using this information, it detects when the truck
is on a downhill grade and the driver desires to slow the
vehicle by pressing the brake.
Also seeTowing a Trailer
on page 5‑47for more
information.
Cruise Grade Braking (Hydra-Matic®
6-Speed Automatic Transmission)
Cruise Grade Braking assists when driving on a
downhill grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that uses
the engine and the transmission to slow the vehicle.
Cruise Grade Braking operates while Cruise Control is
engaged in Tow/Haul mode to assist in maintaining
vehicle speed under loaded vehicle conditions.
It utilizes vehicle acceleration and deviation from
desired speed to determine the correct gear for the
operating condition. If vehicle speed is above the
desired speed the transmission will downshift to slow
the vehicle. If vehicle speed is near or below desired
speed the trans will upshift, allowing vehicle speed to
increase. While in the Range Select Mode (RSM) mode, Cruise
Grade Braking is not available.
See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3‑32.
Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed
Automatic Transfer Case)
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send the
engine's driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before using four-wheel
drive.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive High or Four-Wheel Drive Low for
an extended period of time may cause premature
wear on your vehicle's powertrain. Do not drive on
clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low for extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement and during tight
turns, you may experience a vibration in the steering
system.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak
®. Shifting into
Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See StabiliTrak®System on page 5‑6.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and disengages automatically
when you shift the transfer case. Some delay for the
axle to engage or disengage is normal.
3-39

4. Release the parking brake prior to moving thevehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission into gear before
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage the transfer case.
To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always wait for
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light to stop
flashing before shifting the transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired position.
Excessively shifting the transfer case into or out of the
different modes may cause the transfer case to enter
the shift protection mode. This will protect the transfer
case from possible damage and will only allow the
transfer case to respond to one shift per 10 seconds.
The transfer case may stay in this mode for up to
three minutes.Four-Wheel Drive (Single Speed
Automatic Transfer Case)
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send the
engine's driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before using four-wheel
drive.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive High for an extended period of
time may cause premature wear on the vehicle's
powertrain. Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive High for extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement and during tight
turns, you may experience a vibration in the steering
system.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and disengages automatically
when you shift the transfer case. Some delay for the
axle to engage or disengage is normal.
3-44

Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp
If the vehicle has this feature, this button includes wiring
provisions for a dealer or a qualified service center to
install an auxiliary roof lamp.
This button is located on
the overhead console.
When the wiring is connected to an auxiliary roof
mounted lamp, pressing the bottom of the button will
activate the lamp and illuminate an indicator light at the
bottom of this button. Pressing the top of the button will
turn off the roof mounted lamp and indicator.
The emergency roof lamp circuit is fused at 30 amps,
so the total current draw of the attached lamps should
be less than this value. The attachment points for the
roof lamp circuits are two blunt cut wires located above
the overhead console, a dark green switched power
wire and a black ground wire.
For further information on roof mount emergency lamp
installation, please visit the GM Upfitter website at
www.gmupfitters.com or contact your dealer. If the vehicle has this button, the vehicle may have
the snow plow prep package. For further information
see
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment
on
page 5‑36.
Instrument Panel Brightness
D (Instrument Panel Brightness): This feature
controls the brightness of the instrument panel lights
and is located next to the exterior lamp control.
Push the knob to extend out and then it can be turned.
Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to brighten
or dim the instrument panel lights. Turning the knob to
the farthest clockwise position turns on the dome lamps.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any door is opened.
They turn off after all the doors are closed.
The dome lamps can also be turned on by turning the
instrument panel brightness knob, located on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering column,
clockwise to the farthest position. In this position, the
dome lamps remain on whether a door is opened or
closed.
4-14

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at both rear wheels.
ABS can change the brake pressure to each wheel, as
required, faster than any driver could. This can help the
driver steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time needed to
get a foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough time to apply the
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let antilock work. The brakes might
vibrate or some noise might be heard, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a Brake Assist feature designed to
assist the driver in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving conditions. This feature
uses the stability system hydraulic brake control module
to supplement the power brake system under conditions
where the driver has quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly stop or slow down
the vehicle. The stability system hydraulic brake control
module increases brake pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates. Minor brake pedal
pulsations or pedal movement during this time is normal
and the driver should continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates The Brake Assist
feature will automatically disengage when the brake
pedal is released or brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
5-5

In this mode, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can
cause the brake-traction control to activate constantly.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle is allowed to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak, ABS and brake
warning lights and any relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak light will flash and cruise
control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may
be reengaged when road conditions allow. See Cruise
Control on page 4‑8.
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, see your dealer for service.Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can give more traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when traction is low,
this feature will allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Steering
Power Steering
If the vehicle is a Two‐mode Hybrid, see the Two‐mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
If power steering assist is lost because the engine stops
or the system is not functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the condition of the tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is
banked, and vehicle speed. While in a curve, speed is
the one factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed, do it before entering
the curve, while the front wheels are straight.
5-8