Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-12
Safety Belts
.............................................1-29
Child Restraints
.......................................1-50
Airbag System
.........................................1-76
Restraint System Check
............................1-92
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-24
Mirrors
....................................................2-47
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-56
OnStar
®System
......................................2-59
Universal Home Remote System
................2-62
Storage Areas
.........................................2-70
Sunroof
..................................................2-73Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-22
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-34
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-51
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-75
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-45
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-14
Rear Axle
...............................................5-54
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-55
Front Axle
...............................................5-56
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-58
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-61
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-64
2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban Owner ManualM
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-50
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-54. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the oor in
front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you
would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
1-34
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
except for the center front passenger position, if your
vehicle has one, which has a lap belt. SeeLap Belt
on page 1-48for more information.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across
you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature
may affect the passenger sensing system.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-85.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-50.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
1-42
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for
the driver and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
To move it down, squeeze
the buttons (A) on the sides
of the height adjuster and
move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on
the shoulder belt guide.
After you move the adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without squeezing the buttons to
make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can
help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash
if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation
are met. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety
belts in a side crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-93.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
1-44
Do not secure a child restraint in a position without a
top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be attached, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. See
Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-59for additional
information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached
to anchors, the child restraint will not be able
to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or killed.
Install a LATCH-type child restraint properly
using the anchors, or use the vehicle’s safety
belts to secure the restraint, following the
instructions that came with the child restraint
and the instructions in this manual.
{CAUTION:
Do not attach more than one child restraint to
a single anchor. Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could cause the
anchor or attachment to come loose or even
break during a crash. A child or others could
be injured. To reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled
if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their
neck and the safety belt continues to tighten.
Buckle any unused safety belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has
one, after the child restraint has been installed.
1-66
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
1-74
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all
the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature. This may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag(s) off for some
adult size occupants. If this happens, just let the belt
go back all the way and start again.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. If this ever happens, have
the vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-37for more on this, including
important safety information.A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket
or cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment other than any that GM has
approved for your speci c vehicle. SeeAdding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-90for more information about modi cations
that can affect how the system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat
or between the passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-89
Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons, children
or others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power windows or
other controls or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the keys in the
ignition and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle
with children.
The key can be used for the ignition and all door locks.
The key has a bar-coded key tag that the dealer/retailer
or quali ed locksmith can use to make new keys.
Store this information in a safe place, not in your vehicle.
See your dealer/retailer if a replacement key or
additional key is needed.
2-3