2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN maintenance schedule

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-7
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Customer Information
. . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-15
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
1-28 In Brief
On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN withthe 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 10‑11.
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 9‑74. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑72.
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.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-243-8872
TTY Users (U.S.): 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
Mexico: 01-800-466-0800
As the owner of a new Chevrolet,
you are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program. This
program provides technically trained
advisors who are available 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year, to give
minor repair information or make
towing arrangements.

Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
3-56 Seats and Restraints
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light on
page 5‑19for more information.
Notice: If an airbag covering is
damaged, opened, or broken, the
airbag may not work properly. Do
not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag covers,
have the airbag covering and/or
airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules,
see What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? on page 3‑47. See your
dealer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the
airbag systems in your vehicle.
A damaged airbag system
may not work properly and may
not protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death.
To help make sure your airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible. If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See
your dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light on
page 5‑19
for more information.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how
hard the vehicle is working. During a
majority of the operation, the gauge
reads 100°C (210°F) or less. If you
are pulling a load or going up hills, it
is normal for the temperature to
fluctuate and approach the 122°C
(250°F) mark. If the gauge reaches
the 125°C (260°F) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system is working
beyond its capacity.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. SeeTire
Messages on page 5‑46 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label. See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑57 for
more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑60 for more
information.Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil. 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, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-33
Vehicle Information Menu
Items (With DIC Buttons)
T(Vehicle Information):Press
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information button
until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining useful
life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑41. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑3
for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11.
Side Blind Zone Alert
If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, this
display allows the system to be
turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to
select between ON or OFF. If you
choose ON, the system will be
turned on. If you choose OFF, the
system will be turned off. When the
SBZA system is turned off, the DIC
will display the SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM OFF message as
a reminder that the system has
been turned off. See
Object
Detection System Messages on
page 5‑43 andSide Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) on page 9‑63 for more
information.
Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the set/
reset button to select between
METRIC or units ENGLISH. All of
the vehicle information will then be
displayed in the unit of
measurement selected.
Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either kilopascals (kPa) or
pounds per square inch (psi). Press
the vehicle information button until
the DIC displays FRONT

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the trip odometer
reset stem 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. Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. See
Compass on
page 5‑7 for more information.
Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See Compass on
page 5‑7 for more information.
Oil Life
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions. When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑41. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-41
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑21 for more information.
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑17.
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10‑23 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑21 for more information.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so
to avoid severe damage. This
message clears when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating
temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System on page 10‑11 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑7 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑3 for
more information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑17.