2009 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE automatic transmission

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.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel High position. This can
be done at any speed, except when shifting from
Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See shifting out of Four-Wheel Drive Low later in this
section for more information.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Low is engaged, vehicle speed
should be kept below 45 mph (72 km/h). Extended
high-speed operation in 4L may damage or shorten the
life of the drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive Low position, the
ignition must be in ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with
the transmission in N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low is to have
the vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn
the knob to the Four-Wheel Drive Low position.You must wait for the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator
light to stop ashing and remain on before shifting
the transmission into gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light has
stopped ashing could damage the transfer case.
To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always wait for
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light to stop
ashing before shifting the transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have signicant engagement noise
and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Drive Low
and Four-Wheel Drive High ranges or from N (Neutral)
while the engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position when the vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the
Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light will ash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift unless the vehicle
is moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the transmission
is in N (Neutral). After 30 seconds the transfer case
will shift to Four-Wheel Drive High mode.
2-45

Running the Vehicle While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed area with poor
ventilation is dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
Never run the engine in an enclosed area that has
no fresh air ventilation. For more information, see
Engine Exhaust on page 2-53.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
automatic transmission shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake rmly set. The
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
vehicle can roll. Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
{CAUTION:
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the transfer case
in N (Neutral) will allow the vehicle to roll, even
if the automatic transmission shift lever is in
P (Park). So, be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear — not in N (Neutral). Always set the
parking brake.
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. SeeShifting Into Park on page 2-50.
If pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-47.
2-54

The main components of the instrument panel are the following:
A.Outlet Adjustment on page 3-29.
B.Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
C.Instrument Panel Cluster on page 3-30.
D.Hazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
E. Shift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 2-37.
F.Tow/Haul Mode on page 2-41(If Equipped).
G.Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-46.
H.Audio System(s) on page 3-76.
I.Exterior Lamps on page 3-14.
J.Dome Lamp Override on page 3-18.Instrument
Panel Brightness on page 3-17.Fog Lamps
on page 3-16(If Equipped).
K. Automatic Transfer Case Control. (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-43.
L.Cruise Control on page 3-11.M.Tilt Wheel on page 3-6.
N.Horn on page 3-6.
O.Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-130.
P.Climate Control System on page 3-20orDual
Automatic Climate Control System on page 3-23
(If Equipped).
Q.Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 3-19. Cigarette
Lighter (If Equipped). SeeAshtray(s) and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-20.
R.StabiliTrak
®System on page 4-6. Pedal Adjust
Button (If Equipped). SeeAdjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal on page 2-35.Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) on page 2-58(If Equipped). Heated
Windshield Washer Fluid Button (If Equipped).
SeeWindshield Washer on page 3-10.Power Assist
Steps on page 2-24(If Equipped).
S.Glove Box on page 2-76.
3-5

When the headlamps are turned on while the vehicle is
on, the headlamps turn off automatically 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off, the headlamps will
stay on for 10 minutes before automatically turning off to
prevent the battery from being drained. Turn the
headlamp control to off and then back to the headlamp
on position to make the headlamps stay on for an
additional 10 minutes.
Push the turn signal/multifunction lever toward the
instrument panel to change the headlamps from low
beam to high beam.
Headlamps on Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime will sound when the
headlamps or parking lamps are manually turned on
and the key is out of the ignition. To turn off the chime,
turn the headlamp switch to off or AUTO and then
back on, or close and re-open the door. In the AUTO
mode, the headlamps turn off once the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF or may remain on until the headlamp
delay ends (if enabled in the DIC). See “Exit Lighting”
underDIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on
page 3-67.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. Fully functional daytime running lamps are required
on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO.
The transmission is not in P (Park).
The light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL are on, only the DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker, instrument panel lights,
and other lamps will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps.
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the exterior lamps
control to the OFF position and then release. For
vehicles rst sold in Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position, before the DRL lamps can
be turned off.
3-15

Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside and the headlamp switch
is in AUTO, the automatic headlamp system will turn on
the headlamps at the normal brightness along with other
lamps such as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps,
roof marker lamps, and the instrument panel lights. The
radio lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp system, turn the
exterior lamps switch to the off position and then
release. For vehicles rst sold in Canada, the
transmission must be in the P (Park) position, before
the automatic headlamp system can be turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor located on the top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover this sensor or the
system will come on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
the vehicle leaves the garage, it takes approximately
one minute for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position. SeeInstrument Panel
Brightness on page 3-17.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog lamps you can use them for
better vision in foggy or misty conditions. Your parking
lamps and/or low-beam headlamps must be on for
your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is located on the left side of your
instrument panel.
#(Fog Lamps):Press the button to turn the fog lamps
on. An indicator light will glow near the button when
the fog lamps are on. Press the button again to
turn them off.
Remember, fog lamps alone will not give off as much
light as your headlamps. Never use your fog lamps
in the dark without turning on the headlamps.
3-16

The fuel range estimate is based on an average of the
vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. This estimate
will change if driving conditions change. For example, if
driving in traffic and making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the vehicle is driven on a
freeway, the number may change even though the same
amount of fuel is in the fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different fuel economies.
Generally, freeway driving produces better fuel economy
than city driving. Fuel range cannot be reset.
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG ECONOMY displays.
This display shows the approximate average miles
per gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km).
This number is calculated based on the number of
mpg (L/100 km) recorded since the last time this menu
item was reset. To reset AVG ECONOMY, press
and hold the set/reset button.
Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL USED displays.
This display shows the number of gallons (gal) or
liters (L) of fuel used since the last reset of this menu
item. To reset the fuel used information, press and hold
the set/reset button while FUEL USED is displayed.
Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until TIMER displays. This
display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed. The display will show the amount
of time that has passed since the timer was last
reset, not including time the ignition is off. Time will
continue to be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being shown on the DIC.
The timer will record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after which the display will
return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset button briey while
TIMER is displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and hold the set/reset
button while TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until TRANS TEMP displays.
This display shows the temperature of the automatic
transmission uid in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or
degrees Celsius (°C).
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
3-49

Trip Odometer
Press the trip odometer reset stem until TRIP displays.
This display shows the current distance traveled in
either miles (mi) or kilometers (km) since the last reset
for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by pressing and
holding the trip odometer reset stem while the trip
odometer is displayed.
The trip odometer has a feature called the retro-active
reset. This can be used to set the trip odometer to
the number of miles (kilometers) driven since the ignition
was last turned on. This can be used if the trip
odometer is not reset at the beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display the number of miles (mi)
or kilometers (km) driven since the ignition was last
turned on and the vehicle was moving. Once the vehicle
begins moving, the trip odometer will accumulate
mileage. For example, if the vehicle was driven 5 miles
(8 km) before it is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is activated, the display will
show 5 miles (8 km). As the vehicle begins moving, the
display will then increase to 5.1 miles (8.2 km),
5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip odometer reset stem until TRANS TEMP
displays. This display shows the temperature of the
automatic transmission uid in either degrees
Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake display appears in the
DIC. Press the trip odometer reset stem until TRAILER
GAIN and OUTPUT display.
TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer gain setting. This
setting can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either a
trailer connected or disconnected. To adjust this setting,
see “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-47for more information.
OUTPUT shows the power output to the trailer anytime
a trailer with electric brakes is connected. Output is
displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes may appear in
the OUTPUT display. See “Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing a Trailer on page 4-47
for more information.
3-53

The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, a reduction
in acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration
may be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak light will ash and cruise
control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may
be reengaged when road conditions allow. See
Cruise Control on page 3-11
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it determines
that a problem exists with the system. If the problem does
not clear itself after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer/retailer for service.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can give more traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when traction is low,
this feature will allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost because the engine stops
or the system is not functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the condition of the tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is
banked, and vehicle speed. While in a curve, speed is
the one factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed, do it before entering
the curve, while the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can drive through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait
to accelerate until out of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
4-9