2012 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE low oil pressure

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-35
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 5‑38. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule 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.
Relearn Tire Positions
Your vehicle may have this display.
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). If your vehicle
has the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), after rotating the
tires or after replacing a tire or
sensor, the system must re-learn the
tire positions. To re-learn the tire
positions, see Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑58. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑62, Tire
Rotation on page 10‑62 andTire
Messages on page 5‑42 for more
information.Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V(Set/Reset) or the trip
odometer reset stem.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-39
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating on page 10‑22
for further information.
This message also displays when
the engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible. See Fuel
Gauge on page 5‑12 andFuel on
page 9‑60 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 9‑64. 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 this light and message off.

Black plate (100,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
10-100 Vehicle Care
Cleaners may contain solvents that
can become concentrated in the
interior. Before using cleaners, read
and adhere to all safety instructions
on the label. While cleaning the
interior, maintain adequate
ventilation by opening the doors
and windows.
To prevent damage, do not clean
the interior using the following
cleaners or techniques:
.Never use a razor or any other
sharp object to remove a soil
from any interior surface.
.Never use a brush with stiff
bristles.
.Never rub any surface
aggressively or with excessive
pressure.
.Do not use laundry detergents
or dishwashing soaps with
degreasers. For liquid cleaners,
use approximately 20 drops per
3.78L (1 gal) of water.A concentrated soap solution will
leave a residue that creates
streaks and attracts dirt. Do not
use solutions that contain strong
or caustic soap.
.Do not heavily saturate the
upholstery when cleaning.
.Do not use solvents or cleaners
containing solvents.
Interior Glass
To clean, use a terry cloth fabric
dampened with water. Wipe droplets
left behind with a clean dry cloth.
Commercial glass cleaners may be
used, if necessary, after cleaning
the interior glass with plain water.
Notice:
To prevent scratching,
never use abrasive cleaners on
automotive glass. Abrasive
cleaners or aggressive cleaning
may damage the rear window
defogger.
Fabric/Carpet
Start by vacuuming the surface
using a soft brush attachment. If a
rotating brush attachment is being
used during vacuuming, only use it
on the floor carpet. Before cleaning,
gently remove as much of the soil
as possible using one of the
following techniques:
.Gently blot liquids with a paper
towel. Continue blotting until no
more soil can be removed.
.For solid soils, remove as much
as possible prior to vacuuming.
To clean:
1. Saturate a clean lint-free colorfast cloth with water or
club soda. Microfiber cloth is
recommended to prevent lint
transfer to the fabric or carpet.
2. Remove excess moisture by gently wringing until water does
not drip from the cleaning cloth.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-3
Maintenance
Schedule
Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.Check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑8.
Once a Month
.Check the tire inflation
pressures. See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑56.
.Inspect the tires for wear. See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑62.
.Check the windshield washer
fluid level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑26.
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, have the
engine oil and filter changed within
the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven
under the best conditions, the
engine oil life system might not
indicate the need for vehicle service
for more than a year. The engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and the oil life system
must be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11.
Tire Rotation and Required
Services Every 12 000 km/
7,500 mi
Rotate the tires, if recommended for
the vehicle, and perform the
following services. See Tire
Rotation on page 10‑62.
.Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed,
change engine oil and filter, and
reset oil life system. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8 andEngine Oil
Life System on page 10‑11.
.Check engine coolant level. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑18.
.Check windshield washer fluid
level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑26.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
OnStar 14-5
OnStar Mobile App
With an iPhone®or
Android™-based mobile device, an
OnStar mobile app can be
downloaded. The vehicle can be
remote started, if equipped, or the
doors can be unlocked from
anywhere there is cell phone
service. It can also check the fuel
level, tire pressure, and oil life.
It can connect to an OnStar Advisor
anytime. For OnStar mobile app
compatibility or further information,
see www.onstar.com.
Diagnostics
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics will
perform a vehicle check every
month. It will check the engine,
transmission, antilock brakes, and
major vehicle systems. It also
checks the tire pressures, if the
vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System. If a
diagnostics check is needed
between e-mails, push
Q, and an
Advisor can run a check.
OnStar Additional
Information
Transferring Service
PushQto request account transfer
eligibility information. The Advisor
can assist in canceling or removing
account information. If OnStar
receives information that vehicle
ownership has changed, OnStar
may send a voice message to the
vehicle, requesting updated account
information.
Reactivation for Subsequent
Owners
PushQand follow the prompts to
speak to an Advisor as soon as
possible after acquiring the vehicle.
The Advisor will update vehicle
records and will explain the OnStar
service offers and options available.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Front Fog LampLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-62
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-61
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-25
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-61
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-86 Fuses
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-5
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
i-6 INDEX
HeaterEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-40
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-50
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-45 Level Control
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Light StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lighting Entry/Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-21
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-15
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-23

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-7
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
LocksAutomatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . 9-37, 9-42
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-19
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9 Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-42
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-40
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Midgate
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9 Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
N
Navigation
Vehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
Navigation, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-22