2005 CHEVROLET TAHOE automatic transmission

A. Dome Lamp Override Button. SeeDome Lamp
Override on page 3-19.
B. Headlamp Controls. SeeHeadlamps on page 3-14.
C. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-30.
D. Automatic Transfer Case Buttons. SeeFour-Wheel
Drive on page 2-28.
E. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-37.
G. Gearshift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-24.
H. Tow/Haul Selector Button (If Equipped).
SeeTow/Haul Mode on page 2-27.
I. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-78.
J. Dual Climate Control System. SeeDual Climate
Control System on page 3-22.Dual Automatic
Climate Control System on page 3-25.
K. Instrument Panel Fuse Block. SeeInstrument Panel
Fuse Block on page 5-108.L. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-11.
M. Steering Wheel Control Buttons (If Equipped).
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-56
andAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-135.
N. Center Instrument Panel Utility Block. SeeCenter
Instrument Panel Fuse Block on page 5-110.
O. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-6.
P. Parking Brake Release. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-35.
Q. Cigarette Lighter. SeeAshtrays and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-21. Accessory Power Outlets.
SeeAccessory Power Outlets on page 3-20.
R. Storage Area (If Equipped). SeeCenter Console
Storage Area on page 2-57.
S. Ashtray. SeeAshtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-21.
T. StabiliTrak
®or Traction Assist System (TAS)
Button (If Equipped). SeeStabiliTrak®System
on page 4-11orTraction Assist System (TAS) on
page 4-9.
U. Glovebox. SeeGlove Box on page 2-57.
3-5

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may want to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers nd this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal,
move the cruise control switch to off, or
shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
If your vehicle has the StabiliTrak®feature, cruise
control will turn off if road conditions cause
StabiliTrak
®to activate.
If the accelerator pedal is held for 60 seconds or
longer, cruise control will turn off.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Headlamps
The control on the driver’s side of your instrument panel
operates the headlamps.
Turn the control clockwise to operate the lamps.
The headlamp control has four positions:
9(Off):Turning the control to this position turns off
the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamps.
AUTO (Automatic):Turning the control to this position
puts the system into automatic headlamp mode.
3-14

;(Parking Lamps):Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps, together with
the following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Roof Marker Lamps (If Equipped)
5(Headlamps):Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low-beam
by pushing the turn signal/high-beam lever towards
the instrument panel.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have
an electrical overload, your headlamps will icker on and
off. Have your headlamp wiring checked right away if
this happens.
Headlamps on Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition is
off, in LOCK, ACCESSORY, or a door is open. To disable
the chime, turn the light off then back on.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day. DRL
can be helpful in many different driving conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO
The automatic transmission is not in PARK (P)
The light sensor determines it is daytime
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be
on. The instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the headlamps
will go off, and your DRL lamps will illuminate,
provided it is not dark outside.
Shifting the transmission into PARK (P) will allow you to
idle the vehicle with the DRL off. The DRL will stay
off until you shift the transmission out of PARK (P).
This procedure applies only to vehicles rst sold in the
United States.
3-15

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
Cruise Control on page 3-11.When the traction off light
is on, the TAS is off and
will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The traction off light will come on under the following
conditions:
The Traction Assist System is turned off, either by
pressing the TAS on/off button or turning off the
automatic engagement feature of the TAS.
The transmission is in FIRST (1); TAS will not
operate in this gear. This is normal.
The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road.
When the vehicle leaves the rough surface, slows
down or stops, the light will go off and TAS will
be on again. This is normal.
A Traction Assist System, Anti-Lock Brake System
or engine-related problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle has been driven with the TAS system
on for long periods of time, or if the vehicle has
gone through many high speed braking maneuvers
the system may be automatically disabled. The
system will automatically re-enable after
approximately two minutes of not using the brakes.
4-9

The Traction Assist System, as delivered from the
factory, will automatically come on whenever you start
your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should always leave the
system on. But you can turn the TAS off if you ever need
to. You should turn the TAS off if your vehicle ever
gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
on page 4-50.
To turn the system on or
off, press the TAS on/off
button located on the
instrument panel.
If you used the button to turn the system off, the traction
off light will come on and stay on. You can turn the
system back on at any time by pressing the button
again. The traction off light should go off.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.
4-10

If the brake traction-control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high speed
braking, brake traction-control will be disabled and the
TRACTION SYS LIMITED message will be displayed. In
the limited mode, the traction-control system will only
use engine traction-control and is limited in it’s ability to
provide optimal performance since the system will
not utilize brake traction-control to control slip on the
drive wheels. The system will return to normal operation
after the brakes have cooled. This can take up to
two minutes or longer depending on brake usage.
Notice:If you have All-Wheel Drive with
StabiliTrak
®and allow the wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the traction off, ABS and
brake warning lights and the SERVICE STABILITY
message are displayed, you could damage the
transfer case. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
this message are displayed.The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, you may
notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise
or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message will
appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC), and the
cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use cruise again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-11.
StabiliTrak®may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
4-13

{CAUTION:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle’s transfer
case into NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to
roll even if the transmission is in PARK (P).
You or others could be injured. Make sure the
parking brake is rmly set before you shift the
transfer case to NEUTRAL.
6. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28orAll-Wheel Drive
with StabiliTrak
®on page 2-32for the proper
procedure to select the NEUTRAL position for
your vehicle.
7. Release the parking brake only after the
vehicle being towed is rmly attached to the
towing vehicle.
8. Turn the ignition off and lock the steering column.
Level Control
Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear suspension is available
on C/K 1500 vehicles and comes as a part of the
Autoride
®suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully automatic and will
provide a better leveled riding position as well as better
handling under a variety of passenger and loading
conditions. An air compressor connected to the rear
shocks will raise or lower the rear of the vehicle
to maintain proper vehicle height. The system is
activated when the ignition key is turned to RUN and
will automatically adjust vehicle height thereafter.
The system may exhaust (lower vehicle height) for up to
ten minutes after the ignition key has been turned off.
You may hear the air compressor operating when
the height is being adjusted.
If a self-equalizing hitch is being used, it is
recommended to allow the shocks to inate, thereby
leveling the vehicle prior to adjusting the hitch.
4-65

Tow/Haul Mode
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load. The purpose of the
Tow/Haul mode is to:
Reduce the frequency and improve the predictability
of transmission shifts when pulling a heavy trailer or
a large or heavy load.
Provide the same solid shift feel when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load as when
the vehicle is unloaded.
Improve control of vehicle speed while requiring
less throttle pedal activity when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a button at the end
of the shift lever which, when pressed, enables
tow/haul. Your vehicle may be equipped with Autoride
®
which further improves your vehicle’s ride while
towing. SeeAutoride®on page 4-66for more
information. When the button is pressed, a light on the
instrument panel will illuminate to indicate that
Tow/Haul has been selected. Tow/Haul may be turned
off by pressing the button again, at which time the
indicator light on the instrument panel will turn off. The
vehicle will automatically turn off Tow/Haul every
time it is started.Tow/Haul is designed to be most effective when the
vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least 75 percent
of the vehicle’s Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).
See Weight of the Trailer later in this section. Tow/Haul is
most useful under the following driving conditions:
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy load
through rolling terrain.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy load
in stop and go traffic.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy load
in busy parking lots where improved low speed
control of the vehicle is desired.
Operating the vehicle in tow/haul when lightly loaded or
with no trailer at all will not cause damage. However,
there is no benet to the selection of Tow/Haul when the
vehicle is unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded
may result in unpleasant engine and transmission driving
characteristics and reduced fuel economy. Tow/Haul
is recommended only when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load.
4-69