2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE four wheel drive

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-26
Child Restraints
.......................................1-48
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-74
Restraint System Check
............................1-89
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-45
OnStar
®System
......................................2-56
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-58
Storage Areas
.........................................2-63
Sunroof
..................................................2-66
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-67
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-22
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-39
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-56
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-76Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-55
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-50
Rear Axle
...............................................5-51
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-52
Front Axle
...............................................5-53
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-60
Tires
......................................................5-61
Appearance Care
...................................5-100
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-109
Electrical System
....................................5-110
Capacities and Specications
...................5-118
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner ManualM

Air Bag Systems
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal air bags, ination is determined by the angle
of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
air bags, ination is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under
a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Off-Road
Driving with Your Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle in the
Index for tips on off-road driving.
What Makes an Air Bag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the air bag. The inator, the air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules.
Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with side
impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the
seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right front
passenger’s door.
1-81

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-5
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-6
Doors and Locks.............................................2-8
Door Locks....................................................2-8
Power Door Locks..........................................2-9
Delayed Locking...........................................2-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks..............2-11
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-13
Lockout Protection........................................2-14
Liftgate........................................................2-14
Windows........................................................2-16
Manual Windows..........................................2-16
Power Windows............................................2-17
Sun Visors...................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-18
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-18
Passlock
®....................................................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-21
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-21
Ignition Positions..........................................2-22
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-23
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-24
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-24Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-26
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-30
All-Wheel Drive with Stabilitrak
®......................2-35
Parking Brake..............................................2-38
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-39
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-41
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-42
Engine Exhaust............................................2-43
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-44
Mirrors...........................................................2-45
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-45
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
®, Compass and Temperature
Display....................................................2-45
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Compass and Temperature Display..............2-49
Outside Manual Mirrors..................................2-51
Outside Camper-Type Mirrors.........................2-52
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-52
Outside Power Camper-Type Mirror.................2-53
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors.....................2-53
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror..................2-54
Outside Curb View Assist Mirrors....................2-54
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-55
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-55
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

{CAUTION:
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. 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. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 2-39
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
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,
seeIf You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-52.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 two-wheel drive vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
2-27

Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power to all four wheels for extra traction.
To get the most satisfaction out of four-wheel drive, you
must be familiar with its operation. Read the part that
follows before using four-wheel drive. See the
appropriate text for the transfer case in your vehicle.
Notice:Driving on pavement in four-wheel drive for
an extended period of time may cause premature
wear on your vehicle’s powertrain. Do not drive
in four-wheel drive on pavement for extended
periods of time.
Front Axle Locking Feature
The front axle locks and unlocks automatically when
you shift the transfer case. Some delay for the axle to
lock or unlock is normal.
Automatic Transfer Case
{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 2-38.
2-30

The transfer case buttons
are located to the left of the
instrument panel cluster.
Use these buttons to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
You can choose among four driving settings:
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.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 only 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.
G(4HI):Use the 4HI position when you need extra
traction, such as 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.
2-31

5(4LO):This setting also engages your front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may never need this
setting. 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 2-38.
NEUTRAL (N):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-55orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-55for more information.Indicator lights in the button show which setting you are
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
shifting the transfer case. 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″Service
4WD message″underDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-56.
Shifting into 4HI or AUTO 4WD
Press and release the 4HI or AUTO 4WD button. 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 button. This can be done at
any speed (except when shifting from 4LO).
2-32

All-Wheel Drive with Stabilitrak®
With this feature, engine power is sent to all four wheels
all the time.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle. It
is fully automatic, and adjust itself as needed for
road conditions.
The transfer case buttons
are located to the left of
the instrument panel
cluster.
Use these buttons to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.You can choose among three driving settings:d(Stabilitrak®):This button is used with the
Stabilitrak®system and is also used to shift the transfer
case into Neutral (N). For more information on using
Stabilitrak
®seeStabilitrak®System on page 4-12.
f(All-Wheel Drive):This setting delivers power to
all four wheels as needed depending on road and driving
conditions.
g(4LO):This setting delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. 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 2-38.
2-35