2006 CHEVROLET SILVERADO brake light

Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply your
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
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 3-10.
When the traction off light is
on, the TAS is off and will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
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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, located on the
instrument panel, or by 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 turn
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 several 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.
SeeTraction Off Light on page 3-42.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 4-46andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow on page 4-46.
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.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-4for more information.
4-10

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want to
consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they will not have to do all the work. Descend
slowly, keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
Q:Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that is not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you do not drive
straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal pressed
down with a manual transmission. This is called
“free-wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
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The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if
your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic
signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and
even people walking.
It is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer uid reservoir lled
with washer uid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs of streaking or missing areas
on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you
hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
4-35

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.
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.
If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow in
DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the transmission
to 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. SeeTow/Haul Mode
Light on page 3-49.If you have a 5-speed manual transmission and you are
towing a trailer, it’s better not to use FIFTH (5) gear.
Just drive in FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need
to, a lower gear).
If you have a 6-speed manual transmission and you are
towing a trailer, it’s better not to use SIXTH (6) gear.
Drive in FIFTH (5) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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. For manual transmissions, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level ground, with the
transmission out of gear and the parking brake applied,
for a few minutes before turning the engine off.
If you do get the overheat warning, seeEngine
Overheating on page 5-37.
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If your trailer is equipped with electric brakes, you can
get a jumper harness (electric trailer brake control)
with a trailer battery feed fuse from your dealer.
If you need to tow a light-duty trailer with a standard
four-way round pin connector, you can also get an
adapter from your dealer.
Heavy-DutyTrailer Wiring Harness
Package
For vehicles equipped with heavy duty trailering, the
harness is connected to the trailer mounted to the hitch
platform. 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
*The Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) wire is
tied next to the trailer wiring harness for use with a
trailer, slide-in camper or cap.
**If you are charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery,
turn on the headlamps to boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the battery.
4-91

Camper/Fifth-Wheel Trailer Wiring Package
Notice:Pulling a fth-wheel trailer with a vehicle
that is equipped with the SS trim package could
damage the vehicle. Do not pull a fth-wheel trailer
with a vehicle equipped with the SS trim package.
The eight-wire camper harness is located under the front
edge of the pickup box on the driver’s side of the
vehicle, attached to the frame bracket. A connector will
have to be added to the wiring harness which
connects to the camper.
The eight-wire harness contains the following
camper/trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Taillamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Light Blue: Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL)
Red: Battery Feed
Dark Blue: Trailer BrakeIf your vehicle is equipped with the “Heavy-Duty
Trailering” option, please refer to “Heavy-Duty Trailer
Wiring Package” earlier in this section.
When the camper-wiring harness is ordered without the
heavy-duty trailering package, an eight-wire harness
with a seven-pin connector and separate CHMSL
connector are located at the rear of the vehicle and are
tied to the vehicle’s frame.
4-92

Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch loads from the CWR for
your vehicle. Weigh your vehicle with the 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 4-67.
Power Take-Off (PTO)
Before using a Power Take-Off (PTO), if equipped, refer
to the manufacturer’s or installer’s instructions.
To engage a PTO on a vehicle with a manual
transmission do the following:
1. Hold the clutch pedal down.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.4. Engage the PTO. Refer to the manufacturer’s
or installer’s for instructions on electrically
engaged PTOs.
5. For mobile operations, shift the transmission into
the gear you want, apply the regular brakes and
release the parking brake. For stationary operations,
leave the parking brake applied.
6. Release the clutch and regular brakes as you
normally would. When the clutch is released,
the PTO will start.
7. Turn the PTO rotary switch to ON.
To engage a PTO on a vehicle with an automatic
transmission do the following:
1. For stationary use shift the transmission into
PARK (P).
2. Turn the PTO rotary switch ON.
3. If the engine speed is below the PTO engage
speed limit, the PTO will start. The blinking LED
on the PTO control switch indicates PTO engage is
requested. When PTO engages the LED will
switch from blinking to a steady light.
4-95