
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel (Base/UplevelVersion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Instrument Panel (Premium Version) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-27
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-27
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28 Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-30
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Universal Remote System . . . 1-31
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-33
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-34
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-34
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-34
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑11.
B. Turn and Lane-Change Signals
on page 6‑6.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
on
page 5‑5.
C. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑34.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers
on
page 6‑5.
E. Instrument Cluster
on
page 5‑13.
F. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission
on page 9‑43.
Tow/Haul Selector Button
(If Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑49.
Range Selection Mode (Allison
Transmission and Hydra-Matic
®
6‐Speed Button (If Equipped).
See Manual Modeon
page 9‑47. G.
AM-FM Radio on page 7‑8.
H. Instrument Panel Storage
on
page 4‑1.
I. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped).
See Trailer Towing
on
page 9‑94.
J. Exterior Lamp Controls
on
page 6‑1.
K. Data Link Connector (DLC). See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑27.
L. Hood on page 10‑5.
M. Parking Brake on page 9‑68.
N. Dome Lamps on page 6‑8.
Fog Lamps
on page 6‑6(If Equipped).
O. Cruise Control on page 9‑73. P.
Steering Wheel Adjustment
on
page 5‑2.
Q. Horn on page 5‑5.
R. Steering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑3(If Equipped).
S. Automatic Transfer Case Control (If Equipped).
See Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 10‑32.
T. Ashtray (If Equipped). See Ashtrays
on page 5‑12andCigarette Lighteron
page 5‑11.
U. StabiliTrak
®Systemon
page 9‑70(If Equipped).
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
on
page 9‑76(If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
on
page 9‑32.
Exhaust Brake (If Equipped).
See "Brakes" in the Duramax
Diesel Supplement.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-7
A.Air Vents on page 8‑11.
B. Turn and Lane-Change Signals
on page 6‑6.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
on
page 5‑5.
C. Instrument Cluster
on
page 5‑13.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers
on
page 6‑5.
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑43.
F. Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9‑49(If Equipped).
G. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑34.
H. AM-FM Radio on page 7‑8.
I. Exterior Lamp Controls
on
page 6‑1.
J. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped).
See Trailer Towing
on
page 9‑94. K.
Dome Lamps
on page 6‑8.
L. Automatic Transfer Case Control. (If Equipped).
See Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 10‑32.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC). See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑27.
N. Hood on page 10‑5.
O. Parking Brake on page 9‑68.
P. Cruise Control on page 9‑73.
Q. Steering Wheel Adjustment
on
page 5‑2.
R. Horn on page 5‑5.
S. Steering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑3.
T. Climate Control Systems (with
Air Conditioning)
on page 8‑1orClimate Control Systems
(with Heater Only)on
page 8‑4(If equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System
on page 8‑5(If Equipped). U.
Power Outlets on page 5‑10.
Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped).
See Ashtrays
on page 5‑12andCigarette Lighteron
page 5‑11.
V. StabiliTrak
®Systemon
page 9‑70(If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
on
page 9‑32.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
on
page 9‑76(If Equipped).
Exhaust Brake (If Equipped).
See "Brakes" in the Duramax
Diesel Supplement.
W. Passenger Airbag Off Control (If Equipped). See Airbag
On-Off Switch on page 3‑39.
X. Glove Box on page 4‑1.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-23
Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column shift
lever, to select the desired range of
gears for current driving conditions.
SeeManual Mode on page 9‑47.
While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul
mode can be used.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑49.
Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
Transfer Case Buttons
The vehicle will have one of
these three styles of transfer
case controls. Use these controls
to shift into and out of the different
Four-Wheel Drive modes.
Manual Transfer Case
This transfer case shift lever is on
the floor to the right of the driver. Electronic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
1-24 In Brief
Automatic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.Each transfer case design offers
different drive options. The list
below described the different drive
options that may be available.
2
m(Two-Wheel-Drive High):
This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable.
4
m(Four-Wheel 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. N (Neutral):
Shift the transfer case
to Neutral only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing
on page 10‑101or Trailer
Towing on page 9‑94.
4
n(Four-Wheel-Drive Low): This
setting 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.
See Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 9‑53.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-21
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-22
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-26
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . 5-31
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-31
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-31
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-32
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-33
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-33
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-44
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-47
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-47
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-48
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-48
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-50
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-52
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-53

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-31
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is
a problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 5‑29.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Brake
System Messages
on page 5‑44for all brake related DIC messages.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
the hybrid supplement for more
information.
Four-Wheel-Drive Light
For vehicles equipped with the
four-wheel-drive light, it comes on
when a vehicle with a manual transfer case is shifted into
four-wheel drive and the front
axle engages.
Some delay between the shifting
and the light coming on is normal.
See
Four-Wheel Drive
on
page 9‑53for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑49.
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
For vehicles with the StabiliTrak
system, this light comes on briefly
while starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the light comes on and stays
on while driving, there could be a
problem with the StabiliTrak system
and the vehicle might need service.
When this warning light is on, the
StabiliTrak system is off and does
not limit wheel spin.

Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
5-52 Instruments and Controls
Transmission Messages
SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
If the vehicle has four-wheel
drive, this message may display
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 and a chime
may 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.