Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
1-34 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and, on most vehicles, displays a
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
To reset the Engine Oil Life System
on most vehicles:
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAININGon the DIC. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the
vehicle must be in P (Park)
to access this display.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the DIC, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, for more than
five seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%. On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the display shows
100%, the system is reset.
See Engine Oil Life System
on
page 10‑9.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
on
page 9‑86. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑84.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-5
Notice:When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of
the circuitry on the transmitter.
Static from your body could
damage the transmitter.
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with a flat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.
.Carefully insert the tool into
the notch located along the
parting line of the transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.
.Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
The vehicle may have a remote
starting feature. This feature allows
you to start the engine from outside
of the vehicle. It may also start
up the vehicle's heating or air
conditioning systems and rear
window defogger. Normal operation
of the system will return after the
key is turned to the ON/RUN
position. If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures. If the
vehicle does not have an automatic
climate control system, the system
will turn on at the setting the vehicle
was set to when the vehicle was
last turned off.
During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and
will shut off when the key is turned
to ON/RUN. If the vehicle does
not have an automatic climate
control system, during remote
start, manually turn the heated
seats on and off. See
Heated
Front Seats
on page 3‑11for
additional information.
Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-19
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTireson
page 10‑55.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention
to your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find
a safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will
have to do all the work of slowing
down and they could get so hot
that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in
your own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert —
something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
Black plate (93,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-93
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 10‑24.
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, 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).
Black plate (69,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
.Replacement tires or wheels do
not match your vehicle's original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 10‑75.
.Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer for
service if the TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message comes on
and stays on.
TPMS Sensor Matching
Process
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. Any time you
rotate your vehicle's tires or replace
one or more of the TPMS sensors,
the identification codes will need to
be matched to the new tire/wheel
position. The sensors are matched
to the tire/wheel positions in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear
tire using a TPMS diagnostic tool.
See your dealer for service.
The TPMS sensors can also be
matched to each tire/wheel position
by increasing or decreasing the
tire's air pressure. If increasing the
tire's air pressure, do not exceed
the maximum inflation pressure
indicated on the tire's sidewall. To decrease air-pressure out of a
tire you can use the pointed end of
the valve cap, a pencil-style air
pressure gage, or a key.
You have two minutes to match
the first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all
four tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer than two minutes, to match
the first tire and wheel, or more than
five minutes to match all four tire
and wheel positions the matching
process stops and you need to
start over.
The TPMS sensor matching process
is outlined below:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition switch to ON/
RUN with the engine off.
Black plate (90,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
10-90 Vehicle Care
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if needed, to get all
the rust or dirt off. SeeIf a Tire
Goes Flat on page 10‑81.
8. Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel bolts, mounting surfaces,
and spare wheel.
9. Install the spare tire.
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle's wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.
10. Put the wheel nuts back on with the rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel. 11. Tighten each wheel nut by
hand. Then use the wheel
wrench to tighten the nuts
until the wheel is held against
the hub.
12. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the vehicle. Lower the jack
completely.
{WARNING
If wheel studs are damaged, they
can break. If all the studs on a
wheel broke, the wheel could
come off and cause a crash.
If any stud is damaged because
of a loose-running wheel, it could
be that all of the studs are
damaged. To be sure, replace all
studs on the wheel. If the stud
holes in a wheel have become
larger, the wheel could collapse in
operation. Replace any wheel if
its stud holes have become larger
or distorted in any way. Inspect
(Continued)
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
EngineAir Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-42
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 9-111
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-17
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Filter Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-5 Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-114
Fluid
AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . 10-11, 10-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-32, 9-53
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . 5-31
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Front Fog Lamps Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11