2007 CHEVROLET SILVERADO light

Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy parts
of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting
the transmission back and forth, you can
destroy the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 578.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front wheels.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift
into Four-Wheel High. If your vehicle has
StabiliTrak
®, you should turn the system off.
SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 384.Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R)
and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to be
towed out. You can use the recovery hooks, if
your vehicle has them. If your vehicle does need
to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 441.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed
limit restrictions, having to do with trailering.
Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where
you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information can be state
or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. See “Hitches”
later in this section.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the rst
500 miles (800 km) your new vehicle is driven.
Your engine, axle or other parts could be
damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (800 km) that
you tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other parts of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to
shift the transmission to THIRD (3), or
FOURTH (4) with the Allison or Hydra-matic
6-speed transmissions, or if necessary, a lower
gear selection if the transmission shifts too
often, such as under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions. SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on
page 268.
Three important considerations have to do with
weight:
The weight of the trailer
The weight of the trailer tongue
The weight on your vehicle’s tires
448

Tow/Haul Mode
Press this button at the
end of the shift lever to
enable/disable the
tow/haul mode.
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load. See
Tow/Haul Mode on page 146for more information.
Tow/Haul is designed to be most effective when
the vehicle and trailer combined weight is at
least 75 percent of the vehicle’s Gross Combined
Weight Rating (GCWR). See “Weight of the
Trailer” later in the section.Tow/Haul is most useful under the following
driving conditions:
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load through rolling terrain.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load in stop and go traffic.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load in busy parking lots where
improved low speed control of the vehicle
is desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul when lightly
loaded or with no trailer at all will not cause
damage. However, there is no benet to the
selection of Tow/Haul when the vehicle is
unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded may
result in unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics and reduced fuel economy.
Tow/Haul is recommended only when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load.
449

If you use a step-bumper hitch, the bumper could
be damaged in sharp turns. Make sure there is
ample room when turning to avoid contact between
the trailer and the bumper.
If you will be pulling a trailer that, when loaded,
will weigh more than 5,000 lbs (2 270 kg) be sure
to use a properly mounted weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper size.
This equipment is very important for proper
vehicle loading and good handling when driving.
Always use a sway control if the trailer will weigh
more than these limits. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.Fifth Wheel and Gooseneck Trailering
Fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers can be used
with many pickup models. These trailers place a
larger percentage of the weight (kingpin weight)
on the tow vehicle than conventional trailers.
Make sure this weight does not cause the vehicle
to exceed GAWR or GVWR.
Fifth wheel or gooseneck kingpin weight should be
15 to 25 percent of the trailer weight up to the
maximum amount specied in the trailering chart
for your vehicle. See “Weight of the Trailer” in
this section for more information.
The hitch should be located in the pickup bed so
that it’s centerline is over or slightly in front of the
rear axle. Take care that it is not so far forward that
it will contact the back of the cab in sharp turns.
This is especially important for short box pickups.
Trailer pin box extensions and sliding fth wheel
hitch assemblies can help this condition. There
should be at least six inches of clearance between
the top of the pickup box and the bottom of the
trailer shelf that extends over the box.
Make sure the hitch is attached to the tow vehicle
frame rails. Do not use the pickup box for support.
465

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 gearbefore
you 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 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 268.
When towing at high elevation on steep uphill
grades, consider the following: Engine coolant at
higher elevations will boil at a lower temperature
than at or near sea level. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high
elevation 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 transmission
in PARK (P) at least ve minutes before turning the
engine off. If you do get the overheat warning,
seeEngine Overheating on page 517.
477

Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you’re pulling a trailer. SeeScheduled
Maintenance (Gasoline Engine) on page 627for
more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic
transmission uid (don’t overll), engine oil, axle
lubricant, belt, 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.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle is equipped with one of the following
wiring harnesses for towing a trailer or hauling
a slide-in camper.
Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, extended cab and crew cab pickups
have a seven-wire trailer towing harness.
For vehicles not equipped with heavy duty
trailering, the harness is clipped to the vehicle’s
frame behind the spare tire mount. The harness
requires the installation of a trailer connector,
which is available through 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.
480

Heavy-DutyTrailer Wiring Harness
Package
For vehicles equipped with heavy duty trailering,
the harness is connected to a bracket on the hitch
platform. The seven-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
Red: Battery Feed*
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake**The fuses for these two circuits are installed in
the underhood electrical center, but the wires
are not connected. They should be connected by
your dealer or a qualied service center. The
fuse and wire for the ITBC is factory installed and
connected if the vehicle is equipped with an
ITBC. The fuse for the battery feed is not required
if your vehicle has an auxiliary battery. If your
vehicle does not have an auxiliary battery, have
your dealer or authorized service center install the
required fuse.
If you are charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery,
press the tow/haul mode button located at the
end of the shift lever. This will boost the vehicle
system voltage and properly charge the battery. If
the trailer is too light for tow/haul mode, you
can turn on the headlamps as a second way to
boost the vehicle system and charge the battery.
481

Camper/Fifth-Wheel Trailer Wiring Package
The seven-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 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
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 is
located at the rear of the vehicle and is tied to the
vehicle’s frame.
482