2006 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE fuel

If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see
“If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-9.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.A loose or missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will rst indicate empty before you are out of
fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon as
possible.
When the fuel tank is low the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message will appear. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-53for more information.Here are some situations you may experience with your
fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity to ll the tank.
The gage goes back to empty when you turn off the
ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on briey when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFuel on
page 5-5. United States
Canada
3-48

Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) display is located
on the instrument panel cluster, below the speedometer.
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, they are located on
the steering wheel. The DIC can display information
such as the trip odometer, fuel economy, customization
features, and warning/status messages.
If your vehicle does not have DIC steering wheel
buttons, you will not have all of the features listed. Scroll
through the odometer, trip odometer, and engine
hours by pressing the trip odometer reset stem located
on the instrument panel cluster. Turn off, or
acknowledge, DIC messages by pressing the trip
odometer reset stem. SeeSpeedometer and Odometer
on page 3-33for information on features for vehicles
without DIC buttons.
3(Trip Information):Press this button to display
the odometer, trip odometers, tire pressure for vehicles
with a tire pressure monitor, timer, and engine hours.
t(Fuel Information):Press this button to display the
current range, fuel used, average fuel economy, and
engine oil life.
4(Customization):Press this button to access the
vehicle settings menu and customize the personal
settings on your vehicle.
r(Select):Press this button to reset certain DIC
functions and set your customization settings.
Pressing any of the four DIC buttons will acknowledge
DIC messages and clear them from the DIC display.
3-49

DIC Operation and Displays
The Driver Information Center (DIC) comes on when the
ignition is on. After a short delay, the DIC will display
the information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four DIC buttons located on the steering
wheel. These buttons are trip information, fuel
information, customization, and select. The button
functions are detailed in the following pages.
Trip Information Button
3
(Trip Information):Press the trip information
button to scroll through the ODOMETER, TRIP A,
TRIP B, TIRE PRESSURES, TIMER, and ENGINE
HOURS.
Odometer:Press the trip information button until
ODOMETER appears on the display. This mode shows
the total distance the vehicle has been driven in
either miles or kilometers. Pressing the reset stem
located on the instrument cluster with the vehicle off will
also display the odometer.Trip A:Press the trip information button until TRIP A
appears on the display. This mode shows the current
distance traveled since the last reset for TRIP A in either
miles or kilometers.
Trip B:Press the trip information button until TRIP B
appears on the display. This mode shows the current
distance traveled since the last reset for TRIP B in either
miles or kilometers.
To reset TRIP A or TRIP B information, press and hold
the select button for one second while in one of the
trip modes. This will reset the information for TRIP A or
TRIP B.
You can also reset TRIP A or TRIP B while they are
displayed by pressing the reset stem on the cluster. If
you press and hold the reset stem or the select
button for four seconds, the display will show the
distance traveled since the last ignition cycle for TRIP A
or TRIP B.
SeeTrip Odometer on page 3-33for more information.
3-50

Fuel Information Button
t
(Fuel Information):Press the fuel information
button to scroll through the range, fuel used, average
fuel economy, and the engine oil life system.
Fuel Range:Press the fuel information button until
RANGE appears on the display. This mode shows the
remaining distance you can drive without refueling.
It is based on fuel economy and the fuel remaining in
the fuel tank. The display will show LOW if the fuel
level is low.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range is
an average of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
Fuel range cannot be reset.
Fuel Used:Press the fuel information button until
FUEL USED appears on the display. This mode shows
the number of gallons or liters of fuel used since the
last reset of this menu item. To reset the fuel used
information, press and hold the select button for
one second while FUEL USED is displayed.Average Fuel Economy:Press the fuel information
button until AVG ECON appears on the display.
This mode shows how many miles per gallon (MPG) or
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) your vehicle is
getting based on current and past driving conditions.
Press and hold the select button for one second
while AVG ECON is displayed to reset the average fuel
economy. Average fuel economy will then be calculated
starting from that point. If the average fuel economy
is not reset, it will be continually updated each time
you drive.
Engine Oil Life System:Press the fuel information
button until ENGINE OIL LIFE appears on the display.
The engine oil life system shows an estimate of the
oil’s remaining useful life. It will show 100% when the
system is reset after an oil change. It will alert you
to change your oil on a schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
3-52

ENGINE OVERHEATED
Notice:If you drive your vehicle while the engine is
overheating, severe engine damage may occur. If
an overheat warning appears on the instrument
panel cluster and/or DIC, stop the vehicle as soon
as possible. Do not increase the engine speed above
normal idling speed. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-30for more information.
If the engine cooling system reaches unsafe
temperatures for operation, this message will appear in
the DIC and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn off
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so to avoid severe
damage. This message will clear when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating temperature.
FUEL LEVEL LOW
If the fuel level is low, this message will appear on the
DIC and you will hear a chime. Refuel as soon as
possible. Pressing any of the four DIC buttons will clear
the message from the DIC display. If your vehicle
does not have the four DIC buttons, pressing the trip
odometer reset stem will clear the message from
the DIC display. It will also clear itself after 10 seconds
until the next ignition cycle. The low fuel light near
the fuel gage will still remain on in either case. SeeLow
Fuel Warning Light on page 3-48,Fuel Gage on
page 3-48, andFuel on page 5-5.
KEYFOB X BATTERY LOW
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low, this
message will appear on the DIC. The battery needs
to be replaced in the transmitter. See “Battery
Replacement” underRemote Keyless Entry System
Operation on page 2-5. Pressing any of the four
DIC buttons will clear the message from the DIC display.
If your vehicle does not have the four DIC buttons,
pressing the trip odometer reset stem will clear
the message from the DIC display.
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the driver’s side rear door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is in a drive gear, this message will appear
on the display and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for obstacles and
close the door again. Check to see if the message still
appears on the DIC. Pressing any of the four DIC
buttons will clear the message from the DIC display. If
your vehicle does not have the four DIC buttons,
pressing the trip odometer reset stem will clear the
message from the DIC display.
3-57

SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have your
GM dealer inspect the system for problems. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-34andAirbag System on
page 1-54for more information. Pressing any of the
four DIC buttons will clear the message from the
DIC display. If your vehicle does not have the four DIC
buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset stem will
clear the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If a problem occurs with the brake system, this message
will appear on the DIC. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake system needs service.
See your GM dealer. Pressing any of the four DIC
buttons will clear the message from the DIC display.
If your vehicle does not have the four DIC buttons,
pressing the trip odometer reset stem will clear
the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, if there is a problem with the battery
charging system, this message will appear on the
DIC. Under certain conditions, the charging system light
may also turn on in the instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on page 3-37. The battery
will not be charging at an optimal rate and the vehicle
will lose the ability to enter the fuel economy mode. The
vehicle is safe to drive, however you should have the
electrical system checked by your GM dealer. Pressing
any of the four DIC buttons will clear the message
from the DIC display. If your vehicle does not have the
four DIC buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will clear the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE STABILITY
If you ever see the SERVICE STABILITY message, it
means there may be a problem with your StabiliTrak®
system. If you see this message, try to reset the system.
Stop; turn off the engine; then start the engine again.
If the SERVICE STABILITY message still comes
on, it means there is a problem. You should see your
GM dealer for service. The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the benet of StabiliTrak
®,so
reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
For more information on the StabiliTrak
®system, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 4-9.
3-60

TIGHTEN FUEL CAP
If the vehicle’s fuel cap is not tightened properly this
message may appear along with the check engine light
on the instrument panel. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 3-43. Reinstall the fuel cap, making sure
to fully install the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 5-9. The diagnostic system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose
or missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light and message off.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that any
of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 4-9for
more information.
TRACTION SYS (System) LIMITED
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.
The system will return to normal operation after the
brakes have cooled. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-9for more information.
TRANS (Transmission) HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle while the
transmission uid is overheating and the
transmission temperature warning is displayed on
the instrument panel cluster and/or DIC, you
can damage the transmission. This could lead to
costly repairs that would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission uid or while the
transmission temperature warning is displayed.
If the transmission uid gets hot, this message
will appear on the DIC along with a continuous chime.
Driving with the transmission uid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle. Stop the vehicle and
let it idle to allow the transmission to cool. This
message will clear and the chime will stop when the
uid temperature reaches a safe level. See
Transmission Temperature Gage on page 3-41.
3-62