
Black plate (77,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-77
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.Securing Child Restraints
(Center Front Seat
Position)
{WARNING
A child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never
secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint in
a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the
center front seat position.
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat
Position)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑63.
In addition, the vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑49 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑20 for more information,
including important safety
information.

Black plate (80,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
3-80 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the vehicle is equipped with the
passenger sensing system, and
when the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑20. If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the
On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑49 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
4-2 Storage
Rear Storage
For vehicles with a rear storage
area, it is located in the rear cargo
area of the vehicle on the
driver side.
Turn the knobs and pull the storage
door to access. The door can be
removed.
Center Console Storage
For vehicles with a console
compartment, it is located between
the bucket seats.
Press the button and lift the lid to
access the console compartment.
A cupholder located in the rear of
the console, swings down for the
rear seat passenger to use.
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover
{WARNING
An improperly stored cargo cover
could be thrown about the vehicle
during a collision or sudden
maneuver. Someone could be
injured. If the cover is removed,
always store it in the proper
storage location. When it is
replaced, always be sure that it is
securely reattached.
To use the cargo cover, if equipped:
1. Pull the cover handle toward the rear of the vehicle.
2. Latch the cover posts into the retaining sockets on the cargo
area trim panels. To return the cover to the retracted
position:
1. Pull up on the cover handle to
release the cover posts from the
retaining sockets.
2. Let the cover move forward to the full retracted position.
To remove the cover from a regular
wheelbase model:
1. Let the cover go all the way into the holder.
2. Then, grasping the driver side cover end cap, push the cover
end cap toward the passenger
side of the vehicle.
3. Swing the cover rearward and take it out of the vehicle.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban 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
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-18
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-19
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-21
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-26
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-26
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-27
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-28
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-28
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-39
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-41
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-42
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-42
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-43
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-45
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-47
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-48

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emissions system malfunction:
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑75. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Make sure the electrical system
is not wet. The system could be
wet if the vehicle was driven
through a deep puddle of water.
The condition is usually
corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑72.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
This light can also come on due to
low brake fluid. SeeBrake Fluid on
page 10‑27 for more information.
MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to ON/RUN.
If it does not come on then, have it
fixed so it is ready to warn if there is
a problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push
or might go closer to the floor. It can
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑93.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
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 ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
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 5‑24.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Brake
System Messages on page 5‑39 for
all brake related DIC messages.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for 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 9‑44.
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. The light flashes if the system is
active and is working to assist the
driver with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
See
StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑55 for more information.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire Pressure
Monitor System, this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
It provides information about tire
pressures and the Tire Pressure
Monitor System.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
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. SeeTire
Pressure on page 10‑57 andTire
Messages on page 5‑46 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.
To adjust this setting, see
“Integrated Trailer Brake Control
System”
underTowing Equipment
on page 9‑87 for more information.
OUTPUT shows the power output to
the trailer anytime a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes
may appear in the OUTPUT display.
See “Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑87 for more
information.
Engine Hours
Press the vehicle information button
until ENGINE HOURS displays. This
display shows the total number of
hours the engine has run.
Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. See Compass on
page 5‑7 Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See
Compass on
page 5‑7
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Trip Odometer Reset Stem
Menu Items (With DIC Buttons)
Use the trip odometer reset stem to
view the odometer and trip
odometer. The Language selection
and Engine Hours display can also
be accessed with the trip odometer
reset stem.
Odometer
Press the trip odometer reset stem
until ODOMETER displays. This
display shows the distance the
vehicle has been driven in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi).