2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO lock

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Locking Rear Axle..........................................4-5
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-6
Steering........................................................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-10
Passing.......................................................4-11
Loss of Control.............................................4-11
Off-Road Driving...........................................4-12
Driving at Night............................................4-27
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-28
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-29Highway Hypnosis........................................4-29
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-30
Winter Driving..............................................4-31
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-34
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-34
Recovery Hooks...........................................4-35
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-36
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-43
Truck-Camper Loading Information..................4-47
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab..................4-50
Towing..........................................................4-50
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-50
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-50
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-55
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-93
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. The brakes might not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster if you do
a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
engine stops, you will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-4.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS),
an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-lock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 3-47.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights come on
accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer/retailer
for service.
4-4

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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 the 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 antilock work for you. You might
feel the brakes vibrate or 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.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
4-5

StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may have the StabiliTrak®system which
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive away,
the system performs several diagnostic checks to ensure
there are no problems. You may hear or feel the system
working. This is normal and does not mean there is a
problem with your vehicle. The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h). In some
cases, it may take approximately two miles of driving
before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the StabiliTrak
®
light along with one of the following messages will be
displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC):
TRACTION CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL, STABILITRAK OFF, SERVICE
STABILITRAK. If these DIC messages appear, make
sure the StabiliTrak
®system has not been turned
off using the StabiliTrak®on/off button.Then turn the steering wheel clockwise from the nine
o’clock position to the three o’clock position. If this clears
the message(s), your vehicle does not need servicing. If
this does not clear the message(s), then turn the vehicle
off, wait 15 seconds, and then turn it back on again to
reset the system. If any of these messages still appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC), your vehicle should
be taken in for service. For more information on the DIC
messages, seeDriver Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-56.
The StabiliTrak
®light will
ash on the instrument
panel cluster when
the system is both on and
activated.
You may also feel or hear the system working; this is
normal.
4-6

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you
can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
Your right wheels can drop off the edge of a road onto
the shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
Turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
4-10

Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues —such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on
the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive. Also, seeBraking on page 4-3. If your vehicle
does not have four-wheel drive or is equipped with
20-inch tire/wheel assemblies, you should not drive
off-road unless you are on a level, solid surface.
The airbag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some denite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill, or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this guide. You
will nd many driving tips and suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
4-12

Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns. We recognize these concerns and urge every
off-roader to follow these basic rules for protecting
the environment:
Always use established trails, roads, and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment — shrubs, owers, trees, grasses — or
disturb wildlife. This includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees, or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground.
Always carry a litter bag — make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open res where permitted,
camp stoves, and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch re from the
heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your
route. You are much less likely to get bad surprises.
Get accurate maps of trails and terrain. Try to learn of
any blocked or closed roads.
It is also a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle. If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have a winch? If so, be sure to read
the winch instructions. In a remote area, a winch
can be handy if you get stuck. But you will want to know
how to use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an area that is safe
and close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
driving skills. Here is what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen
for unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms,
hands, feet, and body, you will need to respond to
vibrations and vehicle bounce.
4-15

Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it is one
of those hills that is just too steep to climb, descend, or
cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very small
hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant incline
with only a small change in elevation where you can
easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill, the incline
may get steeper as you near the top, but you may not see
this because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach
a hill.
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk
the hill if you do not know. It is the smart way to
nd out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
4-18