brake CHEVROLET TAHOE 2011 3.G User Guide

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below−18°C (0°F). Vehicles
with an engine heater should be
plugged in at least four hours before
starting. An internal thermostat in
the plug-end of the cord may exist
which will prevent engine coolant
heater operation at temperatures
above −18°C (0°F).
Using the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The cord is
secured to a wiring harness
between the engine and the
Hybrid Auxiliary Underhood
Fuse Block with a clip. Carefully
remove the wire tie which
secures the electrical cord. Do
not cut the electrical cord. 3. Plug the cord into a normal,
grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
If you do not, it could be
damaged. The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. With four-wheel drive,
if the transfer case is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive
(Continued)

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
WARNING (Continued)
gear—not in N (Neutral). If you
are pulling a trailer, see “Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips”
in the owner manual.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
See “Parking Brake” in the
owner manual.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case (if equipped) is in a drive
gear —not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If parking on a hill and the
transmission not shifted into
P (Park) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see
Shifting
Into Park on page 9‑4.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, then you will be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).Engine Exhaust
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Exiting the vehicle, without first
shifting into P (Park), may cause
the vehicle to move, and you or
others can be seriously injured.
Because the vehicle has the
Automatic Engine Start/Stop
feature, the vehicle’s engine
might seem to be shut off when
you come to a complete stop.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
However, once the brake pedal is
released, the vehicle can move.
The vehicle’s engine can also
restart at any time.
Shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF, before
exiting the vehicle.
Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑4.
If pulling a trailer, see “Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips” in
the owner manual.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-7
Automatic
Transmission
The vehicle has an electronic shift
position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
See“Range Selection Mode” in this
section.
P (Park): This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position to
use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily. When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you may notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑4.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the 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 the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See
Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑4. If you are pulling a
trailer, see “Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips”
in the owner manual.
{WARNING
If you have Four-Wheel Drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll —even
if the shift lever is in P (Park) —if
the transfer case is in Neutral. So,
be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, Two-Wheel Drive High
or Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low —not in
Neutral. See Shifting Into Park
on page 9‑4.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see “If
the Vehicle is Stuck” in the owner
manual.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine and transmission are not
connected with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the vehicle
is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive):
This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
D (Drive) or M (Manual Mode) 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 a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts
too often.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See “Loss of Control” in
the owner manual.
When temperatures are very cold,
the transmission's gear shifting may
be delayed, providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9
Shifts may be more noticeable with
a cold transmission. This difference
in shifting is normal.
M (Manual Mode):This position
lets drivers select the range of gears
appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this
feature, see Manual Mode on
page 9‑9.
Notice: Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions to reduce rapid upshifts
and downshifts. If the shift
stabilization feature determines that
a current vehicle speed cannot be
maintained, the transmission does not upshift. In some cases, this may
appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is
operating normally.
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode controls
the vehicle's transmission.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to the
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button to upshift or downshift selecting the
desired range of gears.
A number displays next to the M,
indicating the current gear that has
been selected. The number
displayed in the gear indicator is the
highest gear that can be used. The
vehicle can automatically shift to
lower gears as it adjusts to driving
conditions. When 3 (Third) is
selected, 1 (First) through 3 (Third)
gears are automatically shifted by
the vehicle, but 4 (Fourth) cannot be
used until it is selected.
The Range Selection Mode controls
the vehicle and engine speed while
driving down a hill or towing a trailer,
by allowing you to select a desired
range of gears.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-12 Driving and Operating
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See“StabiliTrak System” in the
owner manual.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See “Parking Brake”
in the owner manual for more
information.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” or
“Towing Your Vehicle” in the owner
manual. If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service. See
Transmission
Messages on page 5‑13.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive
High or AUTO (Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
High or AUTO position. This can be
done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
High position. This can be done at
any speed, except when shifting
from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See “Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low” in this section for more
information. Shifting Into Four-Wheel
Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Low is engaged,
vehicle speed should be kept below
64 km/h (40 mph). Extended
high-speed operation in 4L may
damage or shorten the life of the
drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position, the ignition must be in
ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 5 km/h
(3 mph) with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn
the knob to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light
to stop flashing and remain on
before shifting the transmission
into gear.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-14 Driving and Operating
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case into
N (Neutral):
1. Make sure the vehicle is parkedso that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal. See
“Parking Brake” in the owner
manual.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
N (Neutral) light starts blinking.
This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the Four‐Wheel Drive
Low position. The N (Neutral)
light will come on when the
transfer case shift to N (Neutral)
is complete. 7. If the engine is running, verify
that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse) for
one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY, which will turn the
engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral):
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral). 3. Turn the transfer case dial to the
desired transfer case shift
position (Two-Wheel Drive High,
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO).
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
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.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-15
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.Brakes
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking is a hybrid
technology that enables the electric
drive motor to operate as a
generator when coasting or braking.
Energy from the moving vehicle
recharges the hybrid battery.
The hydraulic disc brakes work with
the regenerative braking to insure
effective braking, such as when a
high braking demand is requested.The braking system is computer
controlled and blends the
regenerative braking with the
conventional hydraulic disc brakes
to meet any requirements for
deceleration. The controller
interprets the braking request and
uses regenerative braking,
conventional hydraulic braking or a
combination of both as necessary.
Because the controller applies the
hydraulic brakes through its high
pressure accumulator, you may
occasionally hear the motor driven
pump when it recharges the system.
This is normal.
In the event of a controller problem,
the brake pedal may be harder to
push and the stopping distance may
be longer.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-17
VehicleAxle Ratio Maximum Trailer Weight GCWR*
2WD 6.0L V8 —Tahoe/Yukon 3.082 812 kg (6,200 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
2WD 6.0L V8 —Yukon Denali 3.082 722 kg (6,000 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
4WD 6.0L V8 —Tahoe/Yukon 3.082 676 kg (5,900 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
4WD 6.0L V8 —Yukon Denali 3.082 586 kg (5,700 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
*The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversions. The GCWR for the vehicle should not be
exceeded.
Towing Equipment
Trailer Brakes
If a trailer is being towed that has
trailer brakes and the trailer brakes
are manually applied while driving
slower than 40 km/h (25 mph), the
vehicle may go into auto stop mode
even if the brakes are not being
pressed. Using the trailer brake
system manually can make the
hybrid vehicle perform as if the
brake pedal in the vehicle is being
pressed. The trailer brake operation
check will still work. If the trailer brakes are manually applied for an
extended period of time, the
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
message comes on in the Driver
Information Center. The message
goes off after the trailer brakes have
been released. No other action is
necessary. For more information,
see
“Towing Equipment” in the
owner manual.