2006 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE trailer

Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also ash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g.,
under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
You may also want to activate the tow/haul mode if the
transmission shifts too often. See “Tow/Haul Mode”
earlier in this section.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant at or near
sea level will boil at a lower temperature than at higher
altitudes. If you turn your engine off immediately
after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, your
vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably
on level ground) with the automatic transmission in
PARK (P) for a few minutes before turning the engine
off. If you do get the overheat warning, seeEngine
Overheating on page 5-30.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
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5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear and not in
NEUTRAL (N).
6. Release the regular brakes.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle
can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow.
Always put the shift lever fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake rmly set.
If the transfer case on four-wheel-drive vehicles
is in NEUTRAL, your vehicle will be free to roll,
even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive gear — not
in NEUTRAL.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission uid (don’t overll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you nd them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these sections
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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Trailer Wiring Harness
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Package
Your vehicle is equipped with the eight-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness with a seven-pin universal
heavy-duty trailer connector is attached to a bracket
on the hitch platform.
The Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) wire is
tied next to the trailer wiring harness for use with a
trailer.The eight-wire harness contains the following trailer
circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Taillamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Light Blue: CHMSL
Red: Battery Feed**
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
**If you are charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery,
turn on the headlamps to boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the battery.
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Instrument Panel Jumper Wiring Harness
This harness may be included with your vehicle as part
of the heavy-duty trailer wiring package.
This harness is for an electric brake controller and
includes a trailer battery feed fuse. It should be installed
by your dealer or a qualied service center.
Auxiliary Battery
The auxiliary battery provision, if equipped, can be used
to supply electrical power to additional equipment that
you may choose to add.
If your vehicle has this
provision, this relay will be
located on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle, next
to the auxiliary battery.
When using this provision, connection should only be
made to the upper stud (A) of the relay. Do not
make connections to the lower stud (B) of the relay.
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The auxiliary battery circuit is protected by a megafuse
located behind the auxiliary battery.
Be sure to follow the proper installation instructions that
are included with any electrical equipment that you
install.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain the battery. Always turn
off electrical equipment when not in use and do
not use equipment that exceeds the maximum
amperage rating for the auxiliary battery provision.Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch loads from the Cargo
Weight Rating (CWR). CWR is the maximum weight of
the load your vehicle can carry. It doesn’t include
the weight of the people inside, but you can gure about
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each seat. The total cargo load
must not be more than your vehicles CWR.
Weigh your vehicle with your trailer attached, so that
you won’t go over the GVWR or GAWR. If you are using
a weight-distributing hitch, weigh the vehicle without
the spring bars in place.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread out the
weight of your load the right way, and if you choose the
correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-62.
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{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps to
stop ames if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
lter off.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transmission Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transmission uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change the uid and lter at the intervals listed in
Additional Required Services on page 6-6, and be sure
to use the transmission uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage
your transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the uid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a re.
Too little uid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic — especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
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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 5-32for
information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
The ENGINE COOLANT HOT message, 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 4-62.
If you get the ENGINE COOLANT HOT message with
no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner 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. If you are in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving — DRIVE (D).
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, park, and fast
idle 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 engine 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.
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