2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO towing

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle is Stuck on page 9‑22.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. Also, use N (Neutral) when
the vehicle is being towed.{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive):
This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts
down to the next gear and has
more power.
D (Drive) can be used when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
driving on steep hills, or for off-road
driving. You might want to shift
the transmission to a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts
too often.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-46 Driving and Operating
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See“Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9‑6.
The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid
upshifts and downshifts. This shift
stabilization feature is designed
to determine, before making an
upshift, if the engine is able to
maintain vehicle speed by analyzing
things such as vehicle speed,
throttle position, and vehicle load.
If the shift stabilization feature
determines that a current vehicle
speed cannot be maintained, the
transmission does not upshift and
instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear
to be a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally. The transmission uses adaptive
shift controls. Adaptive shift
controls continually compares
key shift parameters to
pre-programmed ideal shifts
stored in the transmissions
computer. The transmission
constantly makes adjustments
to improve vehicle performance
according to how the vehicle is
being used, such as with a heavy
load or when temperature changes.
During this adaptive shift control
process, shifting might feel different
as the transmission determines the
best settings.
When temperatures are very cold,
the Allison Transmission and
Hydra-Matic 6-Speed transmission's
gear shifting could be delayed
providing more stable shifts until
the engine warms up. Shifts could
be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in
shifting is normal.M (Manual Mode):
This position
is available on vehicles with the
Allison Transmission or Hydra-Matic
6-Speed transmission. It lets
drivers select the range of gears
appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this
feature, see “Range Selection
Mode” underManual Mode
on
page 9‑47.
3 (Third): This position is also used
for normal driving. It reduces vehicle
speed more than D (Drive) without
using the brakes. You might choose
3 (Third) instead of D (Drive) when
driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less
shifting between gears and when
going down a steep hill.
2 (Second): This position reduces
vehicle speed even more than
3 (Third) without using the brakes.
You can use 2 (Second) on hills.
It can help control vehicle speed as
you go down steep mountain roads,
but then you would also want to use
the brakes off and on.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
If you manually select 2 (Second)
in an automatic transmission, the
transmission will start in second
gear. You can use this feature for
reducing the speed of the rear
wheels when you are trying to start
the vehicle from a stop on slippery
road surfaces.
1 (First):For the Hydra-Matic
4-Speed transmission this position
reduces vehicle speed even more
than 2 (Second) without using the
brakes. You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in 1 (First) while
the vehicle is moving forward, the
transmission does not shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
For an Allison Transmission or
Hydra-Matic 6-Speed transmission,
this position reduces vehicle speed without using the brakes. You can
use it for major/severe downgrades
and off-road driving where the
vehicle would otherwise accelerate
due to steepness of grade. When
you shift to 1 (First) it provides the
lowest gear appropriate to current
road speed and continues to
downshift as the vehicle slows,
eventually downshifting to
1 (First) gear.
Notice:
Spinning the tires
or holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
(Allison®Transmission or
Hydra-Matic®6-Speed
Transmission)
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control the
vehicle's transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or
towing a trailer by letting you select
a desired range of gears.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-49
Tow/Haul Mode
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission have a Tow/Haul
Mode. The Tow/Haul Mode adjuststhe 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 Mode on and off by
pressing the button. When the tow/
haul is on, a light on the instrument
panel cluster will come on.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light
on
page 5‑31for more information.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment
on page 9‑111for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode
(Allison Transmission
or Hydra-Matic 6-Speed
Automatic Transmission)
Vehicles with an Allison
Transmission or Hydra-Matic
6-Speed Automatic Transmission
have a Tow/Haul Mode.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-50 Driving and Operating
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.
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 5‑31for more information.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment
on page 9‑111for 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 Manual Mode
on
page 9‑47for 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 the vehicle. 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.
This feature is active when
the exhaust brake is enabled
(if equipped).
Also see
Towing Equipment
on
page 9‑111for more information.

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-54 Driving and Operating
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 5‑31.
Some delay between shifting and
when the indicator light comes on is
normal.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving Conditions Transfer Case Settings
2m 4m4n N
Normal YES Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*See Recreational Vehicle Towing
on page 10‑101orTowing the Vehicleon
page 10‑101.
Notice: 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.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-55
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak®,
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See StabiliTrak®
System on page 9‑70.
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).
{WARNING
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 9‑68.
N (Neutral): Shift to this setting
only when the vehicle needs to be
towed. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing
on page 10‑101or Towing the
Vehicle on page 10‑101.
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.

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
9-58 Driving and Operating
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
2m 4m4n N
Normal YES Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*See Recreational Vehicle Towing
on page 10‑101orTowing the Vehicleon
page 10‑101.
You can choose among four driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the dial
show which setting you are in.
The indicator lights will come on
briefly 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 for service.
An indicator light flashes 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.