2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE parking brake

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

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission
and features an electronic shift position indicator
within the instrument panel cluster. This display must be
powered anytime the shift lever is capable of being
moved out of PARK (P).
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It’s the
best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily.{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not 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 will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 2-39. If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-65.
2-26

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

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

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.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
10. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
11. 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, 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.
2-34

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

Shifting Out of 4LO
To shift from 4LO to All-Wheel Drive 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 All-Wheel Drive
button. You must wait for the AWD indicator light to
stop ashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the All-Wheel Drive button is pressed when your
vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the All-Wheel Drive
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 All-Wheel Drive.
7. Simultaneously press and hold the Stabilitrak
®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.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
10. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
11. Release the parking brake prior to towing.
2-37

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 (All-Wheel Drive 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.
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.
A chime will activate and the warning light will ash when
the parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at
least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds.To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located
above the parking brake pedal, with the parking
brake symbol, 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
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-65.
2-38