2009 CHEVROLET SILVERADO towing

Tow/Haul Mode
Vehicles with an automatic transmission have a tow/haul
mode. The tow/haul mode adjusts the transmission
shift pattern to reduce shift cycling, providing increased
performance, vehicle control, and transmission
cooling when towing or hauling heavy loads.
The selector button is located on the end of the shift
lever. Turn the tow/haul on and off by pressing the
button. When the tow/haul is on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster will come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on page 3-51for more
information.Also see Tow Haul Mode underTowing a Trailer on
page 4-51for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode (Allison Transmission®
or Hydra-Matic®6-Speed Automatic
Transmission)
Vehicles with an Allison or Hydra-Matic®6-speed
automatic transmission®have a tow/haul mode. The
tow/haul mode adjusts the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing increased performance,
vehicle control, and transmission cooling when towing or
hauling heavy loads.
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Turn the tow/haul mode on and off by pressing the
button, located on the end of the shift lever. When the
tow/haul is on, a light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on page 3-51for more
information.
Also see “Tow Haul Mode” underTowing a Trailer on
page 4-51for more information.
Grade Braking (Allison Transmission®
or Hydra-Matic®6-Speed Automatic
Transmission)
The Grade Braking shift modes can be activated by
pressing the button on the end of the shift control lever.
While in Range Selection Mode, Grade Braking is
deactivated allowing the driver to select a desired range
of gears.
Grade Braking is only active while the Tow/Haul Mode
is selected and you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See “Tow/Haul Mode listed previously and
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-28for
more information on the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that utilizes the engine
and transmission to slow the vehicle. This reduces wear
on the braking system and increases control of thevehicle. Grade Braking monitors vehicle speed,
acceleration, engine torque and brake pedal usage.
Using this information, it detects when the truck is on a
downhill grade and the driver desires to slow the
vehicle by pressing the brake.
Also seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-51for more
information.
Cruise Grade Braking (Allison
Transmission®or Hydra-Matic®
6-Speed Automatic Transmission)
Cruise Grade Braking assists when driving on a downhill
grade. It maintains vehicle speed by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that uses the engine and
the transmission to slow the vehicle. Cruise Grade
Braking operates while Cruise Control is engaged in
Tow/Haul mode to assist in maintaining vehicle speed
under loaded vehicle conditions. It utilizes vehicle
acceleration and deviation from desired speed to
determine the correct gear for the operating condition. If
vehicle speed is above the desired speed the
transmission will downshift to slow the vehicle. If vehicle
speed is near or below desired speed the trans will
upshift, allowing vehicle speed to increase.
While in the Range Select Mode (RSM) mode, cruise
grade braking is not available.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-28.
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A Four-Wheel Drive
indicator light comes on
when you shift into
four-wheel drive and the
front axle engages.
SeeFour-Wheel-Drive
Light on page 3-51.
Some delay between shifting and when the indicator
light comes on is normal.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES
Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-46
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-45Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time can
cause premature wear on the vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel
Drive for extended periods of time.
4
n(Four-Wheel-Drive Low):This setting also
engages the front axle and delivers extra torque. You
may never need Four-Wheel-Drive Low. 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.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®, shifting into
Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-6.
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A parking brake symbol is
located next to the
N (Neutral) symbol as a
reminder to set the parking
brake before shifting the
transfer case into
N (Neutral).
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to Neutral can cause the
vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in
P (Park). 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 2-50.N (Neutral):Shift to this setting only when the vehicle
needs to be towed. SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing
on page 4-46orTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-45.
2
m(Two-Wheel-Drive High):This setting is used for
driving in most street and highway situations. The
front axle is not engaged in two-wheel drive. This setting
also provides the best fuel economy.
4
m(Four-Wheel-Drive High):Use this setting when
you need extra traction, such as on snowy or icy
roads or in most off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive your vehicle. This is
the best setting to use when plowing snow.
You can shift from Two-Wheel-Drive High to
Four-Wheel-Drive High or Four-Wheel-Drive High to
Two-Wheel-Drive High while the vehicle is moving. In
extremely cold weather, it may be necessary to stop or
slow the vehicle to shift into Four-Wheel-Drive High.
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Electronic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is
located next to the
steering column.
Use the dial to shift into and out of four-wheel drive.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES
Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-46
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-45
You can choose among four driving settings:
Indicator lights in the dial show which setting you are in.
The indicator lights will come on briey when you turn
on the ignition and one will stay on. If the lights do
not come on, you should take the vehicle to your
dealer/retailer for service. An indicator light ashes while
shifting the transfer case and remains illuminated
when the shift is complete. 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. The
front axle is not engaged in Two-Wheel Drive. This
setting also provides the best fuel economy.
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4m(Four-Wheel-Drive High):Use the
Four-Wheel-Drive High position when extra traction is
needed, such as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also engages the front
axle to help drive the vehicle. This is the best setting to
use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel-Drive Low):This setting also
engages the 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 while driving off-road in deep sand, deep mud, deep
snow, and while climbing or descending steep hills.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®, shifting into
Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. SeeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-6.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral) can cause
the vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in
P (Park). You or someone else could be seriously
injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before
placing the transfer case in N (Neutral). See
Parking Brake on page 2-50.
N (Neutral):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
N (Neutral) only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-46orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-45for more information.
If the SERVICE 4–Wheel Drive message stays on, you
should take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for
service. See “Service 4–Wheel Drive message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-66.
2-42

{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral) can cause
the vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in
P (Park). You or someone else could be seriously
injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before
placing the transfer case in N (Neutral). See
Parking Brake on page 2-50.
N (Neutral):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
N (Neutral) only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-46orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-45for more information.
If the SERVICE 4–Wheel Drive message stays on, you
should take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for
service. See “Service 4–Wheel Drive message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-66.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel-Drive High or
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel-Drive 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-Drive High 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 Four-Wheel-Drive Low
When Four-Wheel-Drive Low is engaged, vehicle speed
should be kept below 45 mph. Extended high-speed
operation in Four-Wheel-Drive Low 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.
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Parking Brake
For vehicles with a release handle, set the parking
brake by holding the regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-42.A chime sounds and the warning light ashes when the
parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at
least 5 mph (8 km/h).
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then pull the bottom edge of the lever with
the parking brake symbol, located above the parking
brake pedal.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light goes off.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-51.
2-50