2005 CHEVROLET TAHOE heater

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........................................2-13
Liftgate........................................................2-14
Windows........................................................2-15
Manual Windows..........................................2-15
Power Windows............................................2-16
Sun Visors...................................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-17
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-17
Passlock
®....................................................2-19Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle...............................................2-19
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-19
Ignition Positions..........................................2-20
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-21
Starting the Engine.......................................2-21
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-22
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-23
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-24
Tow/Haul Mode............................................2-27
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-28
All-Wheel Drive with StabiliTrak
®.....................2-32
Parking Brake..............................................2-35
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-36
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-38
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-38
Engine Exhaust............................................2-39
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-40
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine coolant
heater.
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You will get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required. Your vehicle may also have
an internal thermostat in the plug end of the cord.
This will prevent operation of the engine coolant heater
when the temperature is at or above 0°F (−18°C) as
noted on the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is located on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment, near the power steering uid
reservoir.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord
will not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you will be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
2-23

DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying
a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for off-road
driving. You may want to shift the transmission to
THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
however it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.If you manually select SECOND (2) in a light duty
automatic transmission, the transmission will drive in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing the
speed of the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle
is moving forward, the transmission will not shift into rst
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle
in one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you
are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
On cold days, approximately 32°F (0°C) or colder, your
transmission is designed to shift differently until the
engine reaches normal operating temperature. This is
intended to improve heater performance.
2-26

Outlet Adjustment
Use the air outlets located in the center and on the side
of your instrument panel to direct the airow.
Operation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan knob all the way to the right for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts
of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your window.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air deectors, may affect the
performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
Rear Air Conditioning System
If your vehicle has the optional rear air conditioner, it
has two rear air conditioning fan speed selectors.
One fan speed selector is located in the overhead
console and the other is located in the headliner above
the second row seats.
To increase and decrease the ow of cooled air to the
rear vents, turn the knob to the fan speed you want.
The knob has three speed positions. To increase
the ow of cooled air, turn the knob clockwise. To
decrease the ow of cooled air, turn it counterclockwise.
To turn the fan off, turn the knob to the off position.Front Control
3-30

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-49

General Motors encourages the use of E-85 in vehicles
that are designed to use it. The ethanol in E-85 is a
“renewable” fuel, meaning it is made from renewable
sources such as corn and other crops.
Many service stations will not have an 85% ethanol
fuel (E-85) pump available. The U. S. Department
of Energy has an alternative fuels website
(http://www.afdc.doe.gov/refueling_mapsite.shtml) that
can help you nd E-85 fuel. Those stations that do have
E-85 should have a label indicating ethanol content.
Do not use the fuel if the ethanol content isgreaterthan
85%. Your vehicle may not operate properly if the
ethanol content is greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E-85 should meet
ASTM Specication D 5798.
To ensure quick starts in the wintertime, the E-85 fuel
must be formulated properly for your climate according
to ASTM specication D 5798. If you have trouble
starting on E-85, it may be because your E-85 fuel is
not properly formulated for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding gasoline to your fuel
tank may improve starting. Your vehicle is designed to
accommodate a mixture of gasoline and E-85 fuel.For good starting and heater efficiency below 32°F
(0°C), the fuel mix in the fuel tank should contain no
more than 70% ethanol.
E-85 has less energy per gallon than gasoline, so you
will need to rell your fuel tank more often when
using E-85 than when you are using gasoline. Regular
unleaded gasoline is recommended when pulling a
trailer. For payload capacity with ethanol fuel, see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-52.
Notice:Some additives are not compatible with
E-85 fuel and may harm your fuel system. Damage
caused by additives would not be covered by
your new vehicle warranty. Do not use additives
with E-85 fuel.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
5-7

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
5-26

Notice:If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. SeeOverheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on page 5-30for
information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant condition,
can indicate a serious problem.
If you get an engine overheat warning, but see or hear
no steam, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-67.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try
this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle is
equipped with an engine-driven cooling fan, push down
the accelerator until the engine speed is about twice
as fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes
while you are parked.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle is
equipped with an electric cooling fan, idle the engine for
three minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off the engine and get
everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down. Also,
see “Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-29