2011 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the switches show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
the last chosen setting will stay on.If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations. The
front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving your vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is primarily sent to
the rear wheels. When the vehicle's
software determines a need for
more traction, the system will
transfer more power to the front wheels. Driving in this mode results
in slightly lower fuel economy than
Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use
the four-wheel high position when
you need extra traction, such as on
snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-12 Driving and Operating
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See“StabiliTrak System” in the
owner manual.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See “Parking Brake”
in the owner manual for more
information.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” or
“Towing Your Vehicle” in the owner
manual. If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service. See
Transmission
Messages on page 5‑13.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive
High or AUTO (Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
High or AUTO position. This can be
done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
High position. This can be done at
any speed, except when shifting
from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See “Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low” in this section for more
information. Shifting Into Four-Wheel
Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Low is engaged,
vehicle speed should be kept below
64 km/h (40 mph). Extended
high-speed operation in 4L may
damage or shorten the life of the
drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position, the ignition must be in
ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 5 km/h
(3 mph) with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn
the knob to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light
to stop flashing and remain on
before shifting the transmission
into gear.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-13
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the Four-Wheel
Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage
the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the Four-Wheel Drive Low
indicator light to stop flashing
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
The vehicle may have significant
engagement noise and bump when
shifting between Four-Wheel Drive
Low and Four-Wheel Drive High
ranges or from N (Neutral) while the
engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive Low position
when the vehicle is in gear and/or
moving, the Four-Wheel Drive Low
indicator light will flash for
30 seconds and not complete the
shift unless the vehicle is moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral). After
30 seconds the transfer case will
shift to Four-Wheel Drive
High mode. Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Drive Low
to Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High, the
vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 5 km/h (3 mph) with the
transmission in N (Neutral) and the
ignition in ON/RUN. The preferred
method for shifting out of
Four-Wheel Drive Low is to have
your vehicle moving 1.6 to 3.2 km/h
(1 to 2 mph). Turn the knob to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light to stop
flashing and remain on before
shifting the transmission into gear.
Notice:
Shifting the transmission
into gear before the Four-Wheel
Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage
the transfer case. To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the Four-Wheel Drive Low
indicator light to stop flashing
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
The vehicle may have significant
engagement noise and bump when
shifting between Four-Wheel Drive
Low and Four-Wheel Drive High
ranges or from N (Neutral) while the
engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving, the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds but will not complete
the shift unless the vehicle is
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
and the transmission is in
N (Neutral).

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-14 Driving and Operating
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case into
N (Neutral):
1. Make sure the vehicle is parkedso that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal. See
“Parking Brake” in the owner
manual.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
N (Neutral) light starts blinking.
This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the Four‐Wheel Drive
Low position. The N (Neutral)
light will come on when the
transfer case shift to N (Neutral)
is complete. 7. If the engine is running, verify
that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse) for
one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY, which will turn the
engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral):
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral). 3. Turn the transfer case dial to the
desired transfer case shift
position (Two-Wheel Drive High,
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO).
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the Four-Wheel
Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage
the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the Four-Wheel Drive Low
indicator light to stop flashing
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired
position.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-15
Excessively shifting the transfer
case into or out of the different
modes may cause the transfer case
to enter the shift protection mode.
This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only
allow the transfer case to respond to
one shift per 10 seconds. The
transfer case may stay in this mode
for up to three minutes.Brakes
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking is a hybrid
technology that enables the electric
drive motor to operate as a
generator when coasting or braking.
Energy from the moving vehicle
recharges the hybrid battery.
The hydraulic disc brakes work with
the regenerative braking to insure
effective braking, such as when a
high braking demand is requested.The braking system is computer
controlled and blends the
regenerative braking with the
conventional hydraulic disc brakes
to meet any requirements for
deceleration. The controller
interprets the braking request and
uses regenerative braking,
conventional hydraulic braking or a
combination of both as necessary.
Because the controller applies the
hydraulic brakes through its high
pressure accumulator, you may
occasionally hear the motor driven
pump when it recharges the system.
This is normal.
In the event of a controller problem,
the brake pedal may be harder to
push and the stopping distance may
be longer.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-16 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle needs to be towed.
Trailer Towing
For more information, see“Towing a
Trailer” in the owner manual.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry. Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Use the following charts to
determine how much the vehicle
can weigh, based upon the vehicle
model and options.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-17
VehicleAxle Ratio Maximum Trailer Weight GCWR*
2WD 6.0L V8 —Tahoe/Yukon 3.082 812 kg (6,200 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
2WD 6.0L V8 —Yukon Denali 3.082 722 kg (6,000 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
4WD 6.0L V8 —Tahoe/Yukon 3.082 676 kg (5,900 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
4WD 6.0L V8 —Yukon Denali 3.082 586 kg (5,700 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
*The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversions. The GCWR for the vehicle should not be
exceeded.
Towing Equipment
Trailer Brakes
If a trailer is being towed that has
trailer brakes and the trailer brakes
are manually applied while driving
slower than 40 km/h (25 mph), the
vehicle may go into auto stop mode
even if the brakes are not being
pressed. Using the trailer brake
system manually can make the
hybrid vehicle perform as if the
brake pedal in the vehicle is being
pressed. The trailer brake operation
check will still work. If the trailer brakes are manually applied for an
extended period of time, the
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
message comes on in the Driver
Information Center. The message
goes off after the trailer brakes have
been released. No other action is
necessary. For more information,
see
“Towing Equipment” in the
owner manual.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali Hybrid - 2011
9-18 Driving and Operating
2NOTES