2012 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE fuel

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-38 Driving and Operating
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 the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, and the
vehicle's power is sent to the front
and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. 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 Drive High position
when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages your 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.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑46.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-42 Driving and Operating
Four-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case)
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry
pavement in Four-Wheel Drive
High for an extended period of
time may cause premature wear
on the vehicle's powertrain. Do
not drive on clean, dry pavement
in Four-Wheel Drive High for
extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement
and during tight turns, you may
experience a vibration in the
steering system.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and
disengages automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay
for the axle to engage or disengage
is normal.
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. The vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive
with StabiliTrak
®. For information on
StabiliTrak, see StabiliTrak®System
on page 9‑46.
You can choose among three
driving settings:
Indicator lights in the switch 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.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-43
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive):This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, and the
vehicle's power is sent to the front
and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. 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 Drive 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. Service Four‐Wheel Drive
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service. See
“SERVICE 4 WHEEL
DRIVE” message under
Transmission Messages on
page 5‑43.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive
High or AUTO (Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
Drive High or AUTO position. This
can be done at any speed. 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
Drive High position. This can be
done at any speed. The indicator
light will flash while shifting. It will
remain on when the shift is
completed.
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.

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-60 Driving and Operating
The fast flash conditions are
used to protect the video
device from high temperature
conditions. Once conditions
return to normal the device will
reset and the green indicator will
stop flashing.
During any of these fault conditions,
the display will be blank and the
indicator will flash while the vehicle
is in R (Reverse) or until the
conditions return to normal.
Press and hold
zwhen the left
indicator light is flashing to turn off
the video display along with the left
indicator light.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is
an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
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 9‑63. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑61.

Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-61
Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, an audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeFuel Additives
on page 9‑62 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-62 Driving and Operating
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change, can
help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might
be available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-63
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
spark plug life and affect emission
control system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer for service.
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).
For all other vehicles, use only the
unleaded gasoline described under
Recommended Fuel on page 9‑61.We encourage the use of E85 in
vehicles that are designed to use it.
The ethanol in E85 is a
“renewable”
fuel, meaning it is made from
renewable sources such as corn
and other crops.
Many service stations will not have
an 85% ethanol fuel (E85) pump
available. The U.S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels
website (www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/
locator/stations/) that can help you
find E85 fuel. Those stations that do
have E85 should have a label
indicating ethanol content. Do not
use the fuel if the ethanol content is
greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798 or
CGSB Specification 3.512. Filling
the tank with fuel mixtures that do not meet ASTM or CGSB
specifications can affect driveability
and could cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to come on. As the
outside temperature approaches
freezing, ethanol fuel distributors
should supply winter grade ethanol,
the same as with unleaded
gasoline.
It is best not to alternate repeatedly
between gasoline and E85. If you
do switch fuels, it is recommended
that you add as much fuel as
possible
—do not add less than
11 L (3 gal) when refueling. You
should drive the vehicle immediately
after refueling for at least 11 km
(7 mi) to allow the vehicle to adapt
to the change in ethanol
concentration.

Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
9-64 Driving and Operating
E85 has less energy per liter
(gallon) than gasoline, so you will
need to refill the fuel tank more
often when using E85 than when
you are using gasoline. SeeFilling
the Tank on page 9‑64.
Notice: Some additives are not
compatible with E85 fuel and can
harm the vehicle's fuel system.
Do not add anything to E85.
Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle. Do
not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap is located
behind a hinged fuel door on the
driver side of the vehicle. If the
vehicle has E85 fuel capability, the
fuel cap will be yellow and state that
E85 or gasoline can be used. See
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑63.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise. It will
require more effort to turn the fuel
cap on the last turn as you loosen it.