2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Owners Manual

Black plate (97,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-97
to an authorized GM dealer to have
the ITBC system diagnosed and
repaired.
If either the CHECK TRAILER
WIRING or SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message is
displayed while driving the vehicle,
power is no longer available to the
trailer brakes. When traffic
conditions allow, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of the road
and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and
turn the ignition back on. If either of
these messages continues, either
the vehicle or trailer needs service.
An authorized GM dealer may be
able to diagnose and repair
problems with the trailer. However,
any diagnosis and repair of the
trailer is not covered under the
vehicle warranty. Please contact
your trailer dealer for assistance
with trailer repairs and trailer
warranty information.Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
Notice:Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12‐volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑54 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑54.
Adding a Snow Plow or
Similar Equipment
Before installing a snow plow on
your vehicle, here are some things
you will need to know:
Notice: If your vehicle does not
have the snow plow prep
package, adding a plow can
damage your vehicle, and the
repairs would not be covered by
warranty. Unless your vehicle was
built to carry a snow plow, do not
add one to your vehicle. If your
vehicle has the snow plow prep
package, called RPO VYU, then
the payload your vehicle can
carry will be reduced when a
snow plow is installed. Your
vehicle can be damaged if either
the front or rear axle ratings or
the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
are exceeded.
Some vehicles are built with a
special snow plow prep package,
called RPO VYU. If your vehicle has
this option, you can add a plow to it,
provided certain weights, such as

Black plate (98,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
9-98 Driving and Operating
the weights on the vehicle's axles
and the Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW), are not exceeded.
The plow your vehicle can carry
depends on many things, such as:
.The options your vehicle came
with, and the weight of those
options.
.The weight and number of
passengers you intend to carry.
.The weight of items you have
added to your vehicle.
.The total weight of any
additional cargo you intend to
carry.
Say, for example, you have a 700 lb
(318 kg) snow plow. The total weight
of all occupants and cargo inside
the cab should not exceed 300 lb
(135 kg). This means that you may
only be able to carry one passenger.
But, even this may be too much if
you have got other equipment
already adding to the weight of your
vehicle. Here are some guidelines for safely
carrying a snow plow on your
vehicle:
.Make sure the weight on the
front and rear axles does not
exceed the axle rating for each.
.For the front axle, if more cargo
or passengers must be carried,
appropriate counter ballast must
be installed rear of the rear axle.
Counter ballast must be properly
secured so it will not move
during driving.
.Follow the snow plow
manufacturer's
recommendations regarding rear
ballast. Rear ballast may be
required to ensure a proper front
and rear weight distribution ratio,
even though the actual weight at
the front axle may be less than
the front axle rating.
.The snow plow manufacturer or
installer can assist you in
determining the amount of rear
ballast required, to help make
sure your snowplow/vehicle
combination does not exceed
the GVW rating, the front and
rear axle ratings, and the front
and rear weight distribution ratio.
.The total vehicle must not
exceed the GVW rating.
Front axle reserve capacity is the
difference between your front Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and the
front axle weight of your vehicle with
full fuel and passengers. Basically, it
is the amount of weight you can add
to your front axle before reaching
your front GAWR.

Black plate (99,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-99
The front axle reserve capacity
for your vehicle can be found
in the lower right corner of the
Certification/Tire label, as shown.
United States
Canada
In order to calculate the amount of
weight any front accessory, such as
a snow plow, is adding to the front
axle, use the following formula:(W x (A + W.B.)) /W.B.= Weight the
accessory is adding to the
front axle.
Where: W = Weight of added accessory
A = Distance that the accessory
is in front of the front axle
W.B. = Vehicle Wheelbase

Black plate (100,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
9-100 Driving and Operating
For example, adding a 700 lb
(318 kg) snow plow actually adds
more than 700 lbs (318 kg) to the
front axle. Using the formula, if the
snow plow is 4 ft (122 cm) in front of
the front axle and the wheel base is
10 ft (305 cm), then:W = 700 lb (318 kg)
A = 4 ft (122 cm)
W.B. = 10 ft (305 cm)
(W x (A + W.B.))/W.B. =
(700 x (4 + 10))/10 = 980 lbs (445 kg)
So, if your vehicle's front axle
reserve capacity is more than
980 lbs (445 kg), you could add the
snow plow without exceeding the
front GAWR. You can add heavier equipment on
the front of the vehicle if you
compensate for it by carrying fewer
passengers, less cargo, or by
positioning cargo towards the rear.
This has the effect of reducing the
load on the front. However, the front
GAWR, rear GAWR, and the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
must never be exceeded.
{WARNING
On some vehicles that have
certain front mounted equipment,
such as a snow plow, it may be
possible to load the front axle to
the front gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) but not have enough
weight on the rear axle to have
proper braking performance.
If your brakes can not work
properly, you could have a crash.
To help your brakes work properly
when a snow plow is installed,
always follow the snow plow
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
manufacturer or installer's
recommendation for rear ballast
to ensure a proper front and rear
weight distribution ratio, even
though the actual front weight
may be less than the front
GAWR, and the total vehicle
weight is less than the gross
vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
Maintaining a proper front and
rear weight distribution ratio is
necessary to provide proper
braking performance.

Black plate (101,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-101
Total vehicle reserve capacity is the
difference between your GVWR and
the weight of your vehicle with full
fuel and passengers. It is the
amount of weight you can add to
your vehicle before reaching your
GVWR. Keep in mind that reserve
capacity numbers are intended as a
guide when selecting the amount of
equipment or cargo your vehicle can
carry. If you are unsure of your
vehicle's front, rear, or total weight,
go to a weigh station and weigh
your vehicle. Your dealer can also
help you with this.
The total vehicle reserve capacity
for your vehicle can be found
in the lower right corner of the
Certification/Tire label as shown
previously.
See your dealer for additional
advice and information about using
a snow plow on your vehicle. Also,
seeVehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑23.Emergency Roof Lamp
Provisions
Vehicles with the RPO VYU snow
plow prep package also have an
emergency roof lamp provision
package, RPO TRW. Wiring for the
emergency roof lamp is provided
above the overhead console. See
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp on
page 6‑6 for switch location.

Black plate (102,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
9-102 Driving and Operating
2NOTES

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-39
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure MonitorOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-69
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-85
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-88Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-105
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks: