2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO transmission

Shifting In or Out of 4LO
Notice:Shifting the transfer case into 4LO while
moving at speeds faster than 3 mph (5 km/h)
may cause premature wear to the transfer case, and
may cause the gears to grind. To avoid causing
premature wear, and grinding the gears, do not shift
the transfer case into 4LO while the vehicle is
moving faster than 3 mph (5 km/h).
Shifts into 4LO can be made with the vehicle at a stop,
or while slowly rolling about 1 to 3 mph (2 to 5 km/h).
Shift the automatic transmission into
NEUTRAL (N), or with a manual transmission,
press the clutch pedal, or shift into NEUTRAL.
Shift the transfer case shift lever in one continuous
motion into the 4LO position.
When in 4LO do not drive faster than 45 mph.
This will reduce wear and extend the life of
your transfer case.
Shifting In or Out of NEUTRAL
1. With the vehicle running and the engine at an idle
set the parking brake.
2. Place the transmission into NEUTRAL (N).
Shift the transfer case in one continuous motion into or
out of the NEUTRAL (N) position.
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case
buttons are located to the
left of the instrument
panel cluster.
Use these switches to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Transfer Case Settings
Driving
Conditions2HIAUTO
4WD4HI 4LO N
Normal YES
Variable YES
Severe YES
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Recommended Transfer Case Settings
(cont’d)
Transfer Case Settings
Driving
Conditions2HIAUTO
4WD4HI 4LO N
Extreme YES
Vehicle in
Tow*YES
*See “Recreational Vehicle Towing” in the Index for
further information.
You can choose among four driving settings:
AUTO 4WD:This setting is ideal for use when road
conditions are variable. When driving your vehicle
in AUTO 4WD, the front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle’s power is sent to the rear wheels. When the
vehicle senses a loss of traction, the system will
automatically engage four-wheel drive. Driving in this
mode results in slightly lower fuel economy than 2HI.
h(2HI):This setting is used for driving in most street
and highway situations. Your front axle is not engaged
in two-wheel drive. This setting also provides the
best fuel economy.
G(4HI):Use 4HI when you need extra traction, such
a on snowy or icy roads or in most off-road situations.This setting also engages your front axle to help drive
your vehicle. This is the best setting to use when
plowing snow.
g(4LO):This setting also engages your front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may never need 4LO.
It sends maximum power to all four wheels. You might
choose 4LO if you are driving off-road in deep sand,
deep mud, deep snow and climbing or descending
steep hills.
{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. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-48.
NEUTRAL:Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-53orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-52for more information.
2-41

Indicator lights in the switches show which setting your
transfer case is in. The indicator lights will come on
briey 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
ash while the transfer case is being shifted. 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 message stays on, you should
take your vehicle to your dealer for service. See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-64for
further information.
Shifting into 4HI or AUTO 4WD
Press and release the 4HI or AUTO 4WD switch. This
can be done at any speed (except when shifting
from 4LO), and the indicator light will ash while shifting.
It will remain illuminated when the shift is completed.
Shifting into 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed (except when shifting from 4LO).
Shifting into 4LO
To shift to 4LO, the ignition must be in RUN 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 ashing and remain
illuminated before shifting your transmission in gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the 4LO indicator light has stopped ashing
could damage the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging your vehicle, always wait for the 4LO
indicator light to stop ashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
It is typical for your vehicle to exhibit signicant
engagement noise and bump when shifting between
4LO and 4HI ranges or from NEUTRAL with the
engine running.
If the 4LO switch is pressed when your vehicle is in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will ash 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 shift to 4HI mode.
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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 ignition in
RUN. 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 ashing and remain illuminated before
shifting your transmission into gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the 4LO indicator light has stopped ashing
could damage the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging your vehicle, always wait for the 4LO
indicator light to stop ashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
It is typical for your vehicle to exhibit signicant
engagement noise and bump when shifting between
4LO and 4HI ranges or from NEUTRAL with the
engine running.
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 ash 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 into NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked so that it
will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
4. Connect the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
5. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
6. Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
7. Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and 4LO
buttons for 10 seconds. The red NEUTRAL light
will come on when the transfer case shift to
NEUTRAL is complete.
8. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D)
for one second, or FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped
with a manual transmission.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
10. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or
FIRST (1) for vehicles with a manual transmission.
11. Release the parking brake prior to towing.
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Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular
brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. You may 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.
Electronic Transfer Case
If your four-wheel-drive
vehicle has the electronic
transfer case, the
transfer case switches are
located to the left of the
instrument panel cluster.
Use these switches to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive. You can choose among three driving settings:
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Transfer Case Settings
Driving Conditions 2HI 4HI 4LO N
Normal YES
Severe YES
2-44

Recommended Transfer Case Settings
(cont’d)
Transfer Case Settings
Driving Conditions 2HI 4HI 4LO N
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-53or
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-52for further
information.
h(2HI):This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situations. Your front axle is not engaged
in two-wheel drive.
G(4HI):This setting engages your front axle to help
drive your vehicle. Use 4HI when you need extra
traction, such as on snowy or icy roads, or in most
off-road situations.
g(4LO):This setting also engages your front axle to
give you extra traction. You may never need 4LO. It
sends the maximum power to all four wheels. You might
choose 4LO if you were driving off-road in sand, mud
or deep snow and climbing or descending steep hills.Indicator lights in the switches show you which setting
you are in. The indicator lights will come on briey when
you turn on the ignition and the last chosen setting will
stay on. If the lights do not come on, you should take your
vehicle in for service. An indicator light will ash while
shifting. It will remain illuminated when the shift is
completed. If for some reason the transfer cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the last chosen setting.
{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. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-48.
NEUTRAL:Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-53orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-52for more information.
2-45

Shifting from 2HI to 4HI
Press and release the 4HI switch. This can be done at
any speed, and the front axle will lock automatically
with some delay.
Shifting from 4HI to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed, and the front axle will unlock automatically
with some delay.
Shifting from 2HI or 4HI to 4LO
To shift from 2HI or 4HI to 4LO, 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
ashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the 4LO indicator light has stopped ashing
could damage the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging your vehicle, always wait for the 4LO
indicator light to stop ashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.If the 4LO switch is pressed when your vehicle is in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will ash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift unless your
vehicle is moving slower than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL (N). The transfer case
will shift to 4HI while waiting to complete the shift.
Shifting from 4LO to 4HI or 2HI
To shift from 4LO to 4HI or 2HI, your 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 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
switch. You must wait for the 4HI indicator light to
stop ashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the 4HI switch is pressed when your vehicle is in gear
and/or moving, the 4HI indicator light will ash for
30 seconds but will not complete the shift unless the
vehicle is moving slower than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL (N).
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Shifting into NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL, rst make sure
the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
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 red 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 DRIVE (D)
for one second, for FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped
with a manual transmission.
8. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or
FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped with a
manual transmission.
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. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. You may 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.
2-47