2010 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

If the vehicle is equipped with an ITBC, the blunt cuts
exist, but are not connected further in the harness. If an
aftermarket trailer brake controller is installed, the ITBC
must be disconnected. Do not power both ITBC and
aftermarket controllers to control the trailer brakes at the
same time.
Trailer Recommendations
Subtract the hitch loads from the Cargo Weight Rating
(CWR). CWR is the maximum weight of the load the
vehicle can carry. It does not include the weight of the
people inside, but you can figure about 150 lbs. (68 kg)
for each passenger. The total cargo load must not be
more than the vehicles CWR.Weigh the vehicle with the trailer attached, so the
GVWR or GAWR are not exceeded. If using a
weight-distributing hitch, weigh the vehicle without
the spring bars in place.
The best performance is obtained by correctly
spreading out the weight of the load and choosing
the correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information see
Towing a Traileron
page 5‑47.
5-67

2NOTES
5-68

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17 Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid (4-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-40
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-51
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
6-1

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Headlamp Aiming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-59
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-63
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-69
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-73
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-79
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-80
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-82
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-82
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-84
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-84 Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-86
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-87
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-88
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Secondary Latch System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . 6-104
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-109
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades . . . . 6-113
6-2

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheelsand Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-116 Electrical System
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-117
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-117
Windshield Wiper Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-117
Power Windows and Other Power Options . . . 6-117
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-118
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-118
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 6-120
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-121
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-125
6-3

Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer. You will
receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modifications
When non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories are added to
the vehicle, they can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems like
antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control.
Some of these accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting from the
installation or use of non‐GM certified parts, including
control module modifications, is not covered under the
terms of the vehicle warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the vehicle using genuine GM
Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer and ask
for GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will perform the work
using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 2‑99.
6-4

California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems, many
fluids, and some component wear by-products contain
and/or emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications, such as
airbag initiators, seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in remote keyless transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials. Special handling
may be necessary. For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Doing Your Own Service Work
If this vehicle is a Two‐mode Hybrid, see the Two‐mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
{WARNING:
You can be injured and the vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.
.Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric fasteners
can be easily confused. If the wrong fasteners
are used, parts can later break or fall off. You
could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service work, use the proper
service manual. It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 8‑16.
6-5

This vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 2‑99.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list the
mileage and the date of any service work performed.
See Maintenance Record on page 7‑16.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
the Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the vehicle can affect
the airflow around it. This can cause wind noise and
can affect fuel economy and windshield washer
performance. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of the vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part
of the proper maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to ensure
gasoline meets enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list of marketers
providing TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline can be found
at www.toptiergas.com.The 8th digit of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identifies the
vehicle's engine. The VIN is at the top left of the
instrument panel. See Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) on page 6‑116.
6-6