1997 CHEVROLET TAHOE tow

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle now 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 have a 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.
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 “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I
I I
I
I NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (03): 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
(0) 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
(0).
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 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.
2-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine An indicator near the lever shows you the transfer
case settings:
2-Wheel High (2H): This setting is for driving in most
street and highway situations. Your front axle
is not
engaged in two-wheel drive.
4-Wheel High (4H): This setting engages your front
axle to help drive your vehicle. Use 4H when you need
extra traction, such as
on wet or icy roads, or in most
off-road situations.
Neutral (N): Shift to this setting only when your vehicle
needs to be towed or when using a power take-off.
4-Wheel Low (4L): This setting also engages your front
axle to give you extra power and a higher driveline ratio.
This position should be used only for off-road driving.
You can shift from 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) to 4-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or from 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) to
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) while the vehicle is moving.
Your front axle may engage faster if you take your foot
off of the accelerator for
a few seconds after you shift.
In extremely cold weather, it may be necessary to stop
or slow the vehicle to shift into 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H). To
shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L) or
N (NEUTRAL):
1. Slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1 to 3 mph
(2 to
5 km/h) and shift the transmission into
NEUTRAL (N).
2. Shift the transfer case shift lever in one quick,
continuous motion.
Don’t pause in N
(NEUTRAL) as you shift the transfer
case into 4-WHEEL LOW (4L), or the gears could clash.
Remember that driving in 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
4-WHEEL LOW (4L) may reduce fuel economy. Also,
driving in four-wheel drive on dry pavement could
cause your tires to wear faster and make your transfer
case harder to shift and run noisier.
When your headlamps or parking lamps are on, rotate
the thumb wheel next to the headlamp switch up
to
brighten, and down to dim your transfer case
indicator light.
2-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
2-25

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Into PARK (P)
r
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.
If’ you have four-wheel drive and
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 “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Steering Column Shift Lever
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:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever have to, here are some things to
know.
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
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
“Blizzard” in the Index.) 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).
If you have four-wheel drive and 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). Always
set your parking brake. Follow the proper steps to be
sure your vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
2-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Thrn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the
turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
Q
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the
turn
or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it. If
you move the lever all the way up or down and the
arrow flashes at twice the normal rate, a signal bulb may
be burned out and other drivers may not see your
turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a
turn, check for burned-out bulbs and a blown
fuse (see “Fuses” in the Index).
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the turn signal lever
all the way towards you.
Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
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