2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE oil pressure

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-29
The compass and outside air
temperature will also be shown in
the display. The temperature will be
shown in °C or °F depending on the
units selected.
T(Vehicle Information):Press
to display the oil life, units, tire
pressure readings for vehicles with
the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), trailer brake gain
and output information for vehicles
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, engine
hours, compass zone setting, and
compass recalibration.
U(Customization): Press to
customize the feature settings on
your vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑47 for more information.
V(Set/Reset):Press to set or
reset certain functions and to turn
off or acknowledge messages on
the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
(with DIC Buttons)
3(Trip/Fuel): Press to scroll
through the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles (mi). Pressing the trip
odometer reset stem will also
display the odometer.
To switch between English and
metric measurements, see “Units”
later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
Pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will also display the trip
odometer. The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. You can also reset the
trip odometer while it is displayed by
pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retro-active reset. This
can be used to set the trip odometer
to the number of kilometers (miles)
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 set/reset button
for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) driven
since the ignition was last turned on
and the vehicle was moving. Once
the vehicle begins moving, the trip
odometer will accumulate mileage.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
5-32 Instruments and Controls
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11. Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the
set/reset button to select between
METRIC or ENGLISH units. All of
the vehicle information will then be
displayed in the unit of
measurement selected.
Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either kilopascals (kPa) or
pounds per square inch (psi). Press
the vehicle information button until
the DIC displays FRONT
TIRES kPa (PSI) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##. Press the vehicle
information button again until the
DIC displays REAR TIRES kPa
(PSI) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add pressure in a specific tire will
appear in the display. See
Tire
Pressure on page 10‑58 andTire
Messages on page 5‑44 for more
information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with your vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer for service.
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the vehicle
information button 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.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. SeeCompass on
page 5‑6 for more information.
Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See Compass on
page 5‑6 for more information.
Oil Life
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions. When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See Hood
on page 10‑5 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11. Relearn Tire Positions
Your vehicle may have this display.
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). If your vehicle
has the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), after rotating the
tires or after replacing a tire or
sensor, the system must re-learn the
tire positions. To re-learn the tire
positions, see
Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑59. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑64, Tire
Rotation on page 10‑64 andTire
Messages on page 5‑44 for more
information.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
5-40 Instruments and Controls
ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22 for more information.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so
to avoid severe damage. This
message clears when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating
temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See
Engine
Oil Life System on page 10‑11 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑15.
OIL PRESSURE LOW
STOP ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not drive the vehicle until the cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See
Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑8.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating on page 10‑22
for further information.
This message also displays when
the vehicle's engine power is
reduced. Reduced engine power
can affect the vehicle's ability to

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-16
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-22 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-33
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-39
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-7
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑16.
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 10‑18.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑88.
D. Battery on page 10‑29.
E. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (Out of View). See Jump
Starting on page 10‑88. F. Automatic Transmission
Dipstick (Out of View). See
“Checking the Fluid Level”
under Automatic Transmission
Fluid on page 10‑12.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑8.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil on
page 10‑8.
I. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System on
page 10‑18. J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir.
See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑25.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
under Brake Fluid on
page 10‑28.
L. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑41.
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑26.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-55
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in psi (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascal).
Accessory Weight
:This
means the combined weight
of optional accessories.
Some examples of optional
accessories are, automatic
transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows,
power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between
the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials. Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑58.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and
optional equipment including the
maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo. DOT Markings
:A code molded
into the sidewall of a tire
signifying that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
(DOT) motor vehicle safety
standards. The DOT code
includes the Tire Identification
Number (TIN), an alphanumeric
designator which can also
identify the tire manufacturer,
production plant, brand, and
date of production.
GVWR
:Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑24.
GAWR FRT
:Gross Axle Weight
Rating for the front axle. See
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑24.
GAWR RR
:Gross Axle Weight
Rating for the rear axle. See
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑24.

Black plate (99,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-99
Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight. Use a car washing soap.
Do not use cleaning agents that are
petroleum based or that contain
acid or abrasives, as they can
damage the paint, metal or plastic
on the vehicle. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from your
dealer. Follow all manufacturers'
directions regarding correct product
usage, necessary safety
precautions and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and
water spotting.
High pressure car washes may
cause water to enter the vehicle.
Avoid using high pressure washes
closer than 30 cm (12 inches) to thesurface of the vehicle. Use of power
washers exceeding 8 274 kPa
(1,200 psi) can result in damage or
removal of paint and decals.
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/
Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a
soft cloth and a car washing soap to
clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under
“Washing
the Vehicle”.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing
of the vehicle by hand may be
necessary to remove residue from
the paint finish. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from
your dealer.
If the vehicle has a basecoat/
clearcoat paint finish, the clearcoat
gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat. Always use
waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish. Notice:
Machine compounding or
aggressive polishing on a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish
may damage it. Use only
non-abrasive waxes and polishes
that are made for a basecoat/
clearcoat paint finish on the
vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium
chloride and other salts, ice melting
agents, road oil and tar, tree sap,
bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they
remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive
cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are
subject to aging, weather and
chemical fallout that can take their
toll over a period of years. To help
keep the paint finish looking new,
keep the vehicle garaged or
covered whenever possible.