2007 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Owners Manual

Active Fuel Management™
Your vehicle’s V8 engine may have Active Fuel
Management™. This system allows the engine to
operate on either all or half of its cylinders,
depending on the driving conditions.
When less power is required, such as cruising at a
constant vehicle speed, the system will operate
in the half cylinder mode, allowing your vehicle to
achieve better fuel economy. When greater
power demands are required, such as accelerating
from a stop, passing, or merging onto a freeway,
the system will maintain full-cylinder operation.
Your vehicle has an Active Fuel Management™
indicator. For more information on using this
display seeDIC Operation and Displays (With DIC
Buttons) on page 261orDIC Operation and
Displays (Without DIC Buttons) on page 267.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for the
shift lever.
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission with
an electronic shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. This display will show the
position anytime the shift lever is moved out of
PARK (P).
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PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It
is the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is 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.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. 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, always set your parking brake
and move the shift lever to PARK (P). See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 157.Ifyou
are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 422.
{CAUTION:
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle
will be free to roll — even if your shift
lever is in PARK (P) — if your transfer
case is in NEUTRAL. So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear, two-wheel
high, four-wheel high or four-wheel
low — not in NEUTRAL. SeeShifting Into
Park (P) on page 157.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only
after your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of
snow, ice, or sand without damaging your
transmission, seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 404.
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NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your two-wheel
drive vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) with the engine running at high
speed may damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting your vehicle.DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. It
provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If
you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for
off-road driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower
gear selection if the transmission shifts too often.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 371
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
more than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes.
You can use THIRD (3) on hills. It can help control
your speed as you go down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use your
brakes off and on.
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SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
If you select SECOND (2) and the Tow/Haul has
not been selected, the transmission will drive
in SECOND (2) gear. You may use this feature for
reducing the speed of the rear wheels when
you are trying to start your vehicle from a stop on
slippery road surfaces.
If you select SECOND (2) and the Tow/Haul has
also been selected, the transmission operation will
be limited to FIRST (1) and SECOND (2) gears.
You may use this feature for reducing the speed of
the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. You can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in
FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward, the
transmission will not shift into rst gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the
transmission. The repair will not be covered by
your warranty. If you are stuck, do not spin
the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
When temperatures are very cold, the
Hydra-Matic
®Automatic Transmission’s gear
shifting may be delayed providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts may
be more noticeable with a cold transmission. This
difference in shifting is normal.
The transmission torque converter clutch operation
is restricted during cold operation. When the
startup transmission temperature is approximately
64°F (18°C) your torque converter clutch will
temporarily not operate. Once the transmission
temperature rises above 68°F (20°C), normal
operation will resume.
148

Tow/Haul Mode
Your vehicle has a Tow/Haul mode. The selector
button is located on the end of the column
shift lever. You can use this feature to assist when
towing or hauling a heavy load or if there is a
need to charge a battery installed in a trailer. See
Towing a Trailer on page 422for more
information.When Tow/Haul mode
is selected the Tow/Haul
indicator light will
come on.
The Tow/Haul mode works with the Autoride
®
feature, if the vehicle has this, to enhance the ride
when trailering or with a loaded vehicle. See
Autoride
®on page 422.
149

Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send
your engine’s driving power to all four wheels
for extra traction. Read the part that follows before
using four-wheel drive.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel-Drive High or Four-Wheel-Drive
Low for an extended period of time may cause
premature wear on your vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel-Drive High or Four-Wheel-Drive
Low for extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement and during
tight turns, you may experience a vibration in
the steering system.
Front Axle Locking Feature
The front axle locks and unlocks automatically
when you shift the transfer case. Some delay for
the axle to lock or unlock is normal.
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob
is located to the left of
the instrument panel
cluster.
Your vehicle has Four Wheel Drive with
StabiliTrak
®. For information on StabiliTrak®, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 363.
Use this dial to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive.
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You can choose among ve driving settings:
Indicator lights in the switches show you which
setting you are in. The indicator lights will come on
briey when you turn on the ignition and the last
chosen setting will stay on. If the lights do not
come on, you should take your vehicle in for
service. An indicator light will ash while shifting.
Fast ashing means the conditions were not
met to make the desired shift, typically the vehicle
was going too fast, the automatic transmission
was not in neutral, or the clutch pedal was not fully
pressed. Slow ashing means the shift is in
progress. It will stay on when the shift is
completed. If for some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):This setting is
used for driving in most street and highway
situations. Your front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also provides the best
fuel economy.AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive):This
setting is ideal for use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When driving your
vehicle in AUTO, the front axle is engaged, but
the vehicle’s power is primarily sent to the
rear wheels. When the vehicle’s software
determines a need for more traction, the system
will transfer more power to the front wheels.
Driving in this mode results in slightly lower fuel
economy than Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):Use the
four-wheel high position when you need extra
traction, such as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also engages
your front axle to help drive your vehicle. This is
the best setting to use when plowing snow.
151

4n(Four-Wheel Drive Low):This setting also
engages your front axle and delivers extra
torque. You may never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels. You might
choose Four-Wheel Drive Low if you are driving
off-road in deep sand, deep mud, deep snow, and
while climbing or descending steep hills.
StabiliTrak
®will not engage in this mode. See
StabiliTrak®System on page 363for more
information.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
can cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). You or
someone else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake before
placing the transfer case in NEUTRAL.
SeeParking Brake on page 156.NEUTRAL (N):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 418or
Towing Your Vehicle on page 417for more
information.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE message stays
on, you should take your vehicle to your dealer
for service. See “SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 270.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive High or
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel High or AUTO
position. This can be done at any speed,
except when shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The indicator light will ash while shifting. It will
remain on when the shift is completed.
152