2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN wheel

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-8
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
7-8 Infotainment System
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
For radios with the Radio Data
System (RDS) feature, it only works
with FM stations that broadcast
RDS information. This system relies
upon receiving specific information
from these stations and only works
when the information is available.
While the radio is tuned to an
FM-RDS station, the station name
or call letters displays. In rare
cases, a radio station could
broadcast incorrect information that
causes the radio features to work
improperly. If this happens, contact
the radio station.
4(Information) (RDS Features):
For vehicles with RDS features,
press
4to display additional text
information related to the current
FM-RDS station. If information is
available, the song title information
displays on the top line of the
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line. When
information is not available, “NO
INFO” displays.
Finding a Station
BAND: Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM™, if equipped.
f(Tune): Turn to manually select
radio stations.
©SEEK: Press to seek the
previous radio station. Press and
hold for a few seconds until a
beep sounds to scan for radio
stations in descending order, press
the
©SEEK button again to stop
scanning radio stations. The radio
only seeks and scans stations with
a strong signal that are in the
selected band.
¨SEEK: Press to seek the next
radio station. Press and hold for a
few seconds until a beep sounds to
scan for radio stations in ascending
order, press the
©SEEK button
again to stop scanning radio
stations. The radio only seeks and
scans stations with a strong signal
that are in the selected band.
sREV: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in descending order.
\FWD: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in ascending order.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorite pages for stored
radio stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked, see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-11
Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located belowthe XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category to add or remove.
4. Press the softkey located under the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store XM
channels while the vehicle is
parked; see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the
six softkeys below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the
FAV button. Press the FAV button to
go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations.
Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the six
softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the
original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin the
process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
7-48 Infotainment System
Phone
Bluetooth
Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls.
The system can be used while the
key is in the ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY position. The range of
the Bluetooth system can be up to
9.1 m (30 ft). Not all phones support
all functions, and not all phones are
guaranteed to work with the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information on compatible phones.
Voice Recognition
The Bluetooth system uses voice
recognition to interpret voice
commands to dial phone numbers
and name tags.
For additional information, say
“Help”while you are in a voice
recognition menu. Noise:
Keep interior noise levels to
a minimum. The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise.
When to Speak: A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the in‐
vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 for more information.
bg(Push To Talk): Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c x(Phone On Hook): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:Move the
thumbwheels up or down to
increase or decrease the
temperature on the driver side
or the passenger side of the vehicle
for the dual zone system.
9(Fan Control): Turn the left
knob clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the fan
speed. Turn the knob all the way
counterclockwise to turn the front
system off.
Air Delivery Mode Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the airflow direction inside
the vehicle. By positioning the knob
between two modes, a combination
of those modes is selected.
Select from the following modes:
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
towards the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system
automatically selects outside air.
Recirculation cannot be selected
when in Floor Mode.
-(Defog): The defog mode is
used to clear the windows of fog or
moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield, floor outlets, and side
window vents. In this mode, the
system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning compressor
unless the outside temperature is
close to freezing. The recirculation
mode cannot be selected while in
the defog mode.
0(Defrost): The defrost mode is
used to remove fog or frost from the
windshield more quickly. Air is
directed to the windshield and side
window vents, with some directed to
the floor vents. In this mode, the
system automatically forces outside
air into the vehicle. The recirculation
mode cannot be selected while in
the defrost mode. The air
conditioning compressor runs
automatically in this setting, unless
the outside temperature is close to
freezing.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
#(Air Conditioning): Press this
button to turn the air conditioning
system on or off. An indicator light
comes on to show that the air
conditioning is on. The air
conditioning can be selected in any
mode as long as the fan switch
is on.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-22
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-29
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Active Fuel Management™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-39
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive (Two SpeedAutomatic
Transfer Case) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Four-Wheel Drive (Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Continuous Damping Control (CDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Automatic Level Control . . . . . 9-58
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-61
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
Steering
Power Steering
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane,
or a car suddenly pulls out from
nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. These problems can
be avoided by braking—if you can
stop in time. But sometimes you
cannot stop in time because there is
no room. That is the time for
evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First, apply
the brakes. See Braking on
page 9‑3. It is better to remove as
much speed as possible from a
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so that
the vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. Turn the steering wheel
8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches), about
one-eighth turn, until the right front