2006 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE steering wheel

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-30.
B. Exterior Lamps Control. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 3-14.
C. Cargo/Top-Box Lamps Button. SeeExterior Cargo
Lamps on page 3-19.
D. Automatic Transfer Case Buttons (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-35.
E. OnStar
®and Radio Steering Wheel Buttons (If
Equipped). SeeOnStar®System on page 2-57and
Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-112.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-32.
G. Shift Lever/Tow/Haul Selector Button. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-32andTow/Haul
Mode on page 2-35.
H. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-70.
I. Dome Override Button. SeeDome Lamp Override
on page 3-20.
J. Fog Lamps Button. SeeFog Lamps on page 3-17.K. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
L. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-12.
M. Tilt Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-6.
N. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-49.
O. Parking Brake Release. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-40.
P. Climate Control System. SeeDual Automatic
Climate Control System on page 3-24orDual
Climate Control System on page 3-22.
Q. Lighter (If Equipped) or Accessory Power Outlet
(If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
on page 3-21andAccessory Power Outlet(s) on
page 3-21.
R. Accessory Power Outlet (If Equipped). See
Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 3-21.
S. StabiliTrak
®Button. SeeStabiliTrak®System on
page 4-9.
T. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-63.
3-5

Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning ashers warn others. They also let
police know you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located on
top of the steering
column.
The hazard warning ashers work no matter what
ignition position the key is in, and even if the key is not
in the ignition.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center pad on the steering
wheel.
Tilt Wheel
The tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can raise it to the highest
level to give your legs more room when you enter
and exit the vehicle.
The tilt lever is located on the driver’s side of the
steering column under the turn signal lever.
3-6

To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable
level, then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
GTurn and Lane Change Signals. SeeTurn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.
53Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-9.
Flash-to-Pass. SeeFlash-to-Pass on page 3-9.
NWindshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers on
page 3-10.
LWindshield Washer. SeeWindshield Washer
on page 3-10.
ICruise Control. SeeCruise Control on
page 3-11.
For information on the exterior lamps, seeExterior
Lamps on page 3-14.
3-7

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

Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. To reset the engine oil life system, seeEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-21.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil
life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-18andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.
Customization Button
4
(Customization):Press the customization button to
access the VEHICLE SETTINGS menu and customize
the settings to your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-64for more information.
Select Button
r
(Select):Press the select button to reset certain
DIC functions and set your customization settings.
For example, this button will reset the trip odometers
and enables you to scroll through and select the
language in which the DIC information will appear.
DIC Warnings and Messages
Warning messages are displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) to notify the driver that the
status of the vehicle has changed and that some action
may be needed by the driver to correct the condition.
If there is more than one message that needs to
be displayed, they will appear one after another. Some
messages may not require immediate action, but
you should press any of the four DIC buttons on the
steering wheel to acknowledge that you received
the messages and clear them from the display. If your
vehicle does not have DIC buttons on the steering
wheel, press the trip odometer reset stem located on
the instrument panel cluster to acknowledge messages
and to clear them from the display. Some messages
cannot be cleared from the display because they
are more urgent. These messages require action before
they can be removed from the DIC display. You
should take any messages that appear on the display
seriously and remember that clearing the messages will
only make the messages disappear, not correct the
problem. The following are the possible messages that
can be displayed and some information about them.
3-53

Audio System(s)
Determine which radio your vehicle has and then read
the pages following to familiarize yourself with its
features.
Driving without distraction is a necessity for a safer
driving experience. SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
By taking a few moments to read this manual and
get familiar with your vehicle’s audio system, you can
use it with less effort, as well as take advantage of
its features. While your vehicle is parked, set up your
audio system by presetting your favorite radio stations,
setting the tone, and adjusting the speakers. Then,
when driving conditions permit, you can tune to
your favorite stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls if the vehicle has them.{CAUTION:
This system provides you with a far greater
access to audio stations and song listings.
Giving extended attention to entertainment
tasks while driving can cause a crash and you
or others can be injured or killed. Always keep
your eyes on the road and your mind on the
drive — avoid engaging in extended searching
while driving.
Keeping your mind on the drive is important for safe
driving. For more information, seeDefensive Driving on
page 4-2.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
While your vehicle is parked:
Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
Familiarize yourself with its operation.
Set up your audio system by presetting your favorite
radio stations, setting the tone, and adjusting the
speakers. Then, when driving conditions permit, you
can tune to your favorite radio stations using the
presets and steering wheel controls if the vehicle
has them.
3-70

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it
will not operate and LOCKED will appear on the display.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio will not operate
if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering
wheel. They include the following:
g(OnStar®/Mute):If your vehicle has OnStar, press
this button to interact with the OnStar system. See
theOnStar
®System on page 2-57in this manual for
more information.
If your vehicle does not have OnStar, press this button
to silence the system. Press it again, or any other
radio button, to turn on the sound.
3-112