2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE overheating

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle may have two
accessory power outlets located on
the instrument panel and one inside
the center floor console.
The vehicle may also have an
outlet on the rear of the center floor
console above the cupholder door.
Remove the cover to access
and replace when not in use.
The accessory power outlet is
operational at all times.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain power accessory plugs
may not be compatible with the
accessory power outlets and could
overload vehicle and adapter fuses.
If a problem is experienced, see
your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑93.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the cigarette lighter, if the
vehicle has one, push it in all the
way, and let go. When it is ready for
use, it will pop back out by itself.
Do not use the lighter to plug in
accessory devices. Use the power
outlets provided.
Notice: Holding a cigarette lighter
in while it is heating does not let
the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be
blown. Do not hold a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how
hard the vehicle is working. During a
majority of the operation, the gauge
will read 100°C (210°F) or less. If the vehicle is pulling a load or
going up hills, it is normal for the
temperature to fluctuate and
approach the 122°C (250°F) mark.
If the gauge reaches the 125°C
(260°F) mark, it indicates that the
cooling system is working beyond
its capacity.
See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-39
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver side rear door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the front passenger door
is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the passenger side rear
door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).Stop and turn off the vehicle, check
the door for obstructions, and close
the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
ENGINE HOT A/C
(Air Conditioning)
TURNED OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑15. To avoid
added strain on a hot engine,
the air conditioning compressor
automatically turns off. When the
coolant temperature returns to
normal, the air conditioning
compressor turns back on. You can
continue to drive your vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED
IDLE 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 when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑15.
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10‑24 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.

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 (43,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-43
conditions and require more wheel
spin. SeeIf the Vehicle is Stuck on
page 9‑22. To turn the StabiliTrak
system on or off, see StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑54.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear.
.One condition is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.The message also displays if the
brake system warning light is on.
SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 5‑23.
.The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.The message displays if an
engine or vehicle related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service.
See your dealer.
.The message also displays if
the vehicle is shifted into
4LO (Two Speed Transfer
Case Only).
The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this
message displays when the Traction
Control System (TCS) is turned off.
Adjust your driving accordingly. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑54
for more information.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Have your dealer inspect the
system for problems. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑18 and
Airbag System on page 3‑28 for
more information.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine. See Immobilizer
Operation on page 2‑18 for more
information.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-45
Transmission Messages
SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
This message displays if a problem
occurs with the four-wheel-drive
system. If this message appears,
stop as soon as possible and turn
off the vehicle. Make sure the key is
in the LOCK/OFF position for at
least one minute and then restart
the vehicle and check for the
message on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed or
appears again when you begin
driving, the four-wheel-drive system
needs service. See your dealer.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead to
costly repairs that would not
be covered by the warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission fluid or
while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays along with a
sound if the transmission fluid in the
vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool.
This message clears and the chime
stops when the fluid temperature
reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
CHECK TRAILER WIRING
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
this message may display and a
chime may sound when one of the
following conditions exists:
.A trailer with electric brakes
becomes disconnected from the
vehicle.
‐ If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is stopped, this
message clears itself after a
short time.
‐ If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is moving, this
message stays on until the
ignition is turned off.
.There is a short in the wiring to
the electric trailer brakes.
When this message displays, power
is no longer available to the trailer
brakes.

Black plate (77,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-77
Passing
More passing distance is
needed when towing a trailer.
The combination will not accelerate
as quickly and is longer so it is
necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
panel will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear beforestarting down a
long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if
the transmission shifts too often.
See Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5‑24.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades,
the vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating.

Black plate (78,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
9-78 Driving and Operating
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the automatic
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine
off. If the overheat warning comes
on, seeEngine Overheating on
page 10‑22.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface. If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do
not shift into P (Park) yet.
Turn the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. If the vehicle is four-wheel-drive and has a two-speed transfer
case, be sure the transfer case
is in a drive gear and not in
N (Neutral).
6. Release the brake pedal.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle
can roll.
If the engine has been left
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when on fairly
level ground, use the steps
that follow.
Always put the shift lever fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If the transfer case on a
four-wheel-drive vehicle is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). Be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).