2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO spare tire

Your vehicle has one
double-sided key for the
ignition and all door
locks as well as the spare
tire hoist lock, if equipped.
If you ever lose your keys, your dealer will be able to
assist you with obtaining replacements.Notice:If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle,
you may have to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
If you ever do get locked out of your vehicle, call the
GM Roadside Assistance Center. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program on page 7-6. If your vehicle is
equipped with the OnStar
®system with an active
subscription and you lock your keys inside the vehicle,
OnStar
®may be able to send a command to unlock
your vehicle. SeeOnStar®System on page 2-68
for more information.
2-4

To reinstall the lower air dam, do the following:
1. Line up each push-pin
with its intended
retainer and push the
washer portion of
the push-pin toward
the retainer until it locks
into place.
2. Push the at end of the
push-pin toward the
retainer until it
locks into place,
making sure each is
secure.Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out.
For example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance
and service work done. Check to make sure all
underbody shields (if equipped) are properly attached.
Be sure you read all the information about your
four-wheel-drive vehicle in this manual. Is there enough
fuel? Is the spare tire fully inated? Are the uid
levels up where they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where you will be driving?
If you do not know, you should check with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you be on
someone’s private land? If so, be sure to get the
necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load oor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain does not toss things around.
4-22

Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, extended cab and crew cab pickups have an
eight-wire trailer towing harness.
For vehicles not equipped with heavy duty trailering, the
harness is clipped to the vehicle’s frame behind the
spare tire mount. The harness requires the installation
of a trailer connector, which is available through
your dealer.If your trailer is equipped with electric brakes, you can
get a jumper harness (electric trailer brake control)
with a trailer battery feed fuse from your dealer.
If you need to tow a light-duty trailer with a standard
four-way round pin connector, you can also get an
adapter from your dealer.
4-95

Bulb Replacement..........................................5-62
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-62
Headlamps..................................................5-63
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps.........................................5-64
Roof Marker Lamps......................................5-66
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
and Cargo Lamp.......................................5-68
Pickup Box Identication and Fender
Marker Lamps...........................................5-69
Taillamps.....................................................5-69
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-71
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-72
Tires..............................................................5-73
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-74
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-77
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-80
Dual Tire Operation.......................................5-81
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-82
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-84
Buying New Tires.........................................5-84
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-86
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-87Wheel Replacement......................................5-87
Tire Chains..................................................5-89
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-90
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-91
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-92
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-96
Secondary Latch System..............................5-105
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...........5-108
Spare Tire.................................................5-112
Appearance Care..........................................5-112
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle...............5-113
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-114
Leather......................................................5-115
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-115
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-116
Weatherstrips.............................................5-116
Washing Your Vehicle..................................5-116
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-117
Finish Care................................................5-117
Windshield and Wiper Blades.......................5-118
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-118
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Ination - Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Do not let anyone tell you that
under-ination or over-ination is all right. It is not.
If your tires do not have enough air (under-ination),
you can get the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Premature or irregular wear
Poor handling
Reduced fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (over-ination),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Poor handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazardsA Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the
vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar), below the driver’s
door lock post (striker). This label lists your vehicle’s
original equipment tires and their recommended cold
tire ination pressures. The recommended cold tire
ination pressure, shown on the label, is the minimum
amount of air pressure needed to support your vehicle’s
maximum load carrying capacity.
For additional information regarding how much weight
your vehicle can carry, and an example of the tire
and loading information label, seeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 4-50.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Do not forget to
check the spare tire. For additional information regarding
the spare tire, seeSpare Tire on page 5-112.
5-80

How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You cannot tell if your tires are properly inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly
inated even when they’re underinated. Check the tire’s
ination pressure when the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem.
Press the tire gage rmly onto the valve to get a
pressure measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure
matches the recommended pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no further adjustment is
necessary. If the ination pressure is low, add air until
you reach the recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Dual Tire Operation
When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel bolt
or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque after
100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and 10 000 km)
of driving. For proper torque and wheel nut tightening
information, seeRemoving the Spare Tire and Tools on
page 5-92.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically,
seeTire Inspection and Rotation on page 5-82. Also see
Scheduled Maintenance (Gasoline Engine) on page 6-4.
{CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underinated, the tire can overheat.
An overheated tire can lose air suddenly or
catch re. You or others could be injured.
Be sure all tires (including the spare) are
properly inated.
SeeInation - Tire Pressure on page 5-80, for
information on proper tire ination.
5-81

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. SeeWhen It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-84andWheel Replacement
on page 5-87for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench/hoist shaft to tighten the cable.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-91.
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels, also seeDual Tire
Operation on page 5-81.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst rotation
is the most important. SeeScheduled Maintenance
(Gasoline Engine) on page 6-4.If your vehicle has single rear wheels and the tread
design for your front tires is the same as your rear tires,
use the rotation pattern shown here when rotating
your tires. If your vehicle is an SS model, the spare tire
is not designed to be used in the tire rotation.
5-82

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes,
brands or types (radial and bias-belted tires),
the vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes, brands or types may also cause damage
to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same size,
brand, and type tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a different
size spare than the road tires (those originally
installed on your vehicle). When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall diameter as
your vehicle’s road tires and wheels, so it is all
right to drive on it. Because this spare was
developed for use on your vehicle, it will not
affect vehicle handling.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with the wheels on
your vehicle.
5-85