2009 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE window

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-2
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
..............................................1-13
Safety Belts
.............................................1-15
Child Restraints
.......................................1-37
Airbag System
.........................................1-62
Restraint System Check
............................1-78
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-25
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-28
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-32
Mirrors
....................................................2-55
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-58
OnStar
®System
......................................2-66
Universal Home Remote System
................2-69
Storage Areas
.........................................2-76
Sunroof
..................................................2-93Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-29
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-46
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-76
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-40
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Rear Axle
...............................................5-45
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-46
Front Axle
...............................................5-47
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-48
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-54
Tires
......................................................5-55
2009 Chevrolet Avalanche Owner ManualM

A forward-facing child
seat (B) provides restraint
for the child’s body
with the harness.
A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
1-46

Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts, but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy in every crash.
In some crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inate? on
page 1-67.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{CAUTION:
Airbags inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
roof-rail airbags.
1-63

If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag, and
do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle with
roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
1-66

Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inate in rear
impacts. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either
side of the vehicle is struck or if the sensing system
predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over, or in
a severe frontal impact.
Your vehicle has a seat position sensor which enables
the sensing system to monitor the position of the
driver’s seat. The seat position sensor provides
information that is used to determine if the airbags
should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and severity of
the side impact. In a rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the direction of the roll.What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends
an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
inator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the
steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles
with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the
ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows that
have occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
1-68

Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the rst and second rows.
The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inate? on page 1-67for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal airbags inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize an
airbag inated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after they deploy. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an Airbag Inate? on page 1-68.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not preventthe driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If
you have breathing problems but cannot get out of
the vehicle after an airbag inates, then get fresh
air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the
hazard warning ashers on when the airbags inate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and
turn the hazard warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features.
1-69

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-5
Remote Vehicle Start......................................2-7
Doors and Locks............................................2-10
Door Locks..................................................2-10
Power Door Locks........................................2-10
Delayed Locking...........................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks..............2-11
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-12
Lockout Protection........................................2-13
Midgate
®.....................................................2-13
Tailgate.......................................................2-23
Power Assist Steps.......................................2-24
Windows........................................................2-25
Power Windows............................................2-26
Sun Visors...................................................2-27
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-28
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-28
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer.............2-30
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation.................................................2-30Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-32
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-32
Ignition Positions..........................................2-32
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-34
Starting the Engine.......................................2-34
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-35
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-36
Active Fuel Management™.............................2-37
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-37
Tow/Haul Mode............................................2-41
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-43
Parking Brake..............................................2-48
Shifting Into Park..........................................2-50
Shifting Out of Park......................................2-52
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-52
Engine Exhaust............................................2-53
Running the Vehicle While Parked..................2-54
Mirrors...........................................................2-55
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-55
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror................2-55
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-56
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors.....................2-56
Park Tilt Mirrors............................................2-57
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-57
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-58
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

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 children
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, all door locks,
tailgate, and side storage boxes.
See your dealer/retailer if a replacement key or
additional key is needed.
Notice:If you ever lock your keys in the vehicle,
you may have to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
If you are locked out of your vehicle, contact roadside
assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on
page 7-7for more information.
2-3