2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE traction control

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-14
Interior Lamps..............................................3-17
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-19
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-20
Climate Controls............................................3-20
Climate Control System.................................3-20
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-21
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-25
Rear Air Conditioning System.........................3-31
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System.......3-32
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System and
Electronic Climate Controls.........................3-34
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-36
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-37
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-38
Tachometer.................................................3-38Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-38
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-39
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator.................3-39
Battery Warning Light....................................3-41
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-42
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-42
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-44
Traction Off Light..........................................3-44
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-45
Transmission Temperature Gage.....................3-46
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-47
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-50
Cruise Control Light......................................3-51
Four-Wheel-Drive Light..................................3-51
Tow/Haul Mode Light....................................3-52
Fuel Gage...................................................3-52
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-53
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-53
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-54
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-64
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

A. Dome Lamp Override Button. See ªDome Lampsº
underInterior Lamps on page 3-17.
B. Exterior Lamp Controls. See
Exterior Lamps on
page 3-14.
C. Air Outlets. See ªClimate Controlsº in Section 3.
D. Automatic Transfer Case/Stabilitrak
žMode Button
(AWD Vehicles)/Traction Assist System (TAS).
See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-29.
E. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-37.
G. Gearshift Lever. See
Automatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-26.
H. Tow/Haul Selector Button (If Equipped). See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
I. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-72.
J. Comfort Control System. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-20.K. Instrument Panel Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-109.
L. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-12.
M. Steering Wheel Control Buttons (If Equipped).
See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-53.
N. Center Instrument Panel Utility Block. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 5-109.
O. Tilt Wheel Lever. See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-7.
P. Parking Brake Release. See
Parking Brake on
page 2-38.
Q. Lighter and Accessory Power Outlets. See
Accessory Power Outlets on page 3-19.
R. Storage Area (If Equipped). See ªStorage Areasº in
Section 2.
S. Ashtray. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-20.
T. Glovebox. See
Glove Box on page 2-61.
3-5

{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can not drive safely at a steady speed.
So, do not use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on
slippery roads.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the set button at the end of the lever and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
The cruise light on the
instrument panel will
illuminate when the cruise
control is engaged.
3-11

TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that any
of the vehicle's wheels are spinning, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. For more information see
Traction Assist
System (TAS) on page 4-10
TRANSMISSION HOT
If the transmission ¯uid temperature becomes high, the
message center will display this message.
When the transmission enters the protection mode, you
may notice a change in the transmission shifting
patterns. When the transmission ¯uid temperature
returns to normal, the display will turn off and the
transmission shifting patterns will return to normal.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission TRANS FLUID HOT message
displayed, you can damage the transmission. This
could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered
under your warranty.
The following situations can cause the transmission to
operate at higher temperatures:
·Towing a trailer
·Hot outside air temperatures
·Hauling a large or heavy load
·Low transmission ¯uid level
·High transmission ¯uid level
·Restricted air ¯ow to the radiator and the auxiliary
transmission oil cooler.
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures
on a frequent basis, see
Scheduled Maintenance
on page 6-5for the proper transmission maintenance
intervals.
TRACTION SYS LIMITED
Text under development.
TURN SIGNAL ON
If a turn signal is left on for 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km), this
message will appear on the display and you will
hear a chime. Move the turn signal/multifunction lever to
the off position. Press the select button to acknowledge
the message and clear it from the DIC display.
3-71

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Assist System (TAS).........................4-10
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-12
Stabilitrak
žSystem.......................................4-12
Steering......................................................4-15
QUADRASTEERŸ........................................4-17
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-20
Passing.......................................................4-20
Loss of Control.............................................4-21
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel
Drive Vehicle............................................4-23
Driving at Night............................................4-40
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-42City Driving..................................................4-45
Freeway Driving...........................................4-46
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-47
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-48
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-49
Winter Driving..............................................4-51
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-56
Towing..........................................................4-59
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-59
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-59
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-62
Level Control...............................................4-64
AutorideŸ...................................................4-64
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-65
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-65
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also see
Traction Assist
System (TAS) on page 4-10.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that is
only an average. It might be less with one driver and as
long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age,
physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But
even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Assist System (TAS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
The traction control system is enabled every time your
vehicle is started. The system will activate if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction.
You may hear or feel the system working or notice a
lack of accelerator response, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn't mean there's a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
ªCruise Controlº under
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever on page 3-7.
When the traction off light
is on, the TAS is off and
will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
4-10

If desired, you can change the TAS automatic
engagement feature so that the system will not come on
automatically when the engine is started. To do so:
1. Park the vehicle with the ignition off and the
transmission in PARK (P).
2. Turn the ignition to RUN; do not start the engine.
3. Apply the brake pedal, shift into NEUTRAL (N),
press the accelerator pedal to the ¯oor and then
press the TAS on/off button and hold it down for at
least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
The next time you start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the TAS is
set to come on automatically or not, you can always turn
the system on or off by pressing the TAS on/off button.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
StabilitrakžSystem
Your vehicle is equipped with the Stabilitrakžwhich
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you ®rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 m.p.h.
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately two
miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed. If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking during the ®rst two miles after
starting your vehicle, the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message may appear. If this is the case, your
vehicle does not need servicing. Turn your vehicle off
and back on again to reset the system. If either message
appears on the Driver Information Center (DIC), and
your vehicle hasn't gone through hard acceleration
or braking in the ®rst two miles, your vehicle should be
taken in for service.
4-12