2012 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE fuel

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the trip
odometer reset stem can be used to
access some of the menu items
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
The DIC also allows some features
to be customized. SeeVehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑45 for more information. DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and set/
reset buttons. The button functions
are detailed in the following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):
Press to display
the odometer, trip odometer, fuel
range, average economy, fuel
used, timer, instantaneous economy
and Active Fuel Management™
indicator, and transmission
temperature. The compass and outside air temperature will
also be shown in the display. The
temperature will be shown in °C or
°F depending on the units selected.
T(Vehicle Information):
Press
to display the oil life, units, tire
pressure readings for vehicles
with the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), trailer brake gain
and output information for vehicles
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, engine
hours, compass zone setting, and
compass recalibration.
U(Customization): Press to
customize the feature settings
on your vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑45 for more information.
V(Set/Reset):Press to set or
reset certain functions and to turn
off or acknowledge messages on
the DIC.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
(with DIC Buttons)
3(Trip/Fuel):Press to scroll
through the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles (mi). Pressing the trip
odometer reset stem will also
display the odometer.
To switch between English and
metric measurements, see “Units”
later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
Pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will also display the trip
odometer. The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. You can also reset the
trip odometer while it is displayed by
pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retro-active reset. This
can be used to set the trip odometer
to the number of kilometers (miles)
driven since the ignition was last
turned on. This can be used if the
trip odometer is not reset at the
beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature,
press and hold the set/reset button
for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) driven
since the ignition was last turned on
and the vehicle was moving. Once
the vehicle begins moving, the trip
odometer will accumulate mileage.
For example, if the vehicle was
driven 8 km (5 miles) before it is
started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is
activated, the display will show
8 km (5 miles). As the vehicle begins
moving, the display will then
increase to 8.2 km (5.1 miles),
8.4 km (5.2 miles), etc.
Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL
RANGE displays. This display
shows the approximate number of
remaining kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The display will
show LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based on
an average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in
the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
For example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving. Fuel
range cannot be reset.
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG
ECONOMY displays. This display
shows the approximate average
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km)
or miles per gallon (mpg). This
number is calculated based on the
number of L/100 km (mpg) recorded
since the last time this menu
item was reset. To reset AVG
ECONOMY, press and hold the
set/reset button.Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL USED displays. This display
shows the number of liters (L) or
gallons (gal) of fuel used since the
last reset of this menu item. To reset
the fuel used information, press and
hold the set/reset button while FUEL
USED is displayed.
Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until
TIMER displays. This display can
be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the
set/reset button while TIMER is
displayed. The display will show the
amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset, not
including time the ignition is off.Time will continue to be counted as
long as the ignition is on, even if
another display is being shown on
the DIC. The timer will record
up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which
the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset
button briefly while TIMER is
displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
Instantaneous Economy and
Active Fuel Management™
Indicator
If your vehicle has this display,
press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECON V8 displays. This display
shows the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or
miles per gallon (mpg). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.
An Active Fuel Management
indicator will display on the right
side of the DIC, while INST ECON
displays on the left side. Active Fuel
Management allows the engine to
operate on either four or eight
cylinders, depending on your driving
demands. When Active Fuel
Management is active, V4 will
display on the DIC. When ActiveFuel Management is inactive, V8
will display. See
Active Fuel
Management
®on page 9‑30 for
more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
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 5‑38. 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.

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 (53,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-53
Exiting the Feature
Settings Menu
The feature settings menu will be
exited when any of the following
occurs:
.The vehicle is no longer in
ON/RUN.
.The trip/fuel or vehicle
information DIC buttons are
pressed.
.The end of the feature settings
menu is reached and exited.
.A 40 second time period has
elapsed with no selection made.
Universal Remote
System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Universal Remote System
Programming
Vehicles with the Universal Remote
System will have these buttons
located in the headliner. This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate
devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use this system with any
garage door opener that does not
have the stop and reverse feature.
This includes any garage door
opener model manufactured before
April 1, 1982.
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to
have another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
Be sure to keep the original remote
control transmitter for use in other
vehicles, as well as for future
programming. Only the original
remote control transmitter
is needed for Fixed Code
programming. The programmed
buttons should be erased when the

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 9-11
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-12
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-15
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-22
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-30
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-32
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive (Two SpeedAutomatic
Transfer Case) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Four-Wheel Drive (Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-46
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Continuous Damping Control (CDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Automatic Level Control . . . . . 9-50
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-54
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-62

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-63
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-71
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-75
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-83
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention
away from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not
read, take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.