Page 374 of 508

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
10-30 Vehicle Care
Battery
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6for battery location.
{WARNING
Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
{WARNING
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting on
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
page 10‑86 for tips on working
around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 to determine when to
check the lubricant. How to Check Lubricant
Active Transfer Case
A. Fill Plug
B. Drain Plug
To get an accurate reading, the
vehicle should be on a level
surface.
If the level is below the bottom of
the fill plug hole, some lubricant will
need to be added. Add enough
lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the fill plug hole. Use care
not to overtighten the plug.
Page 431 of 508

Black plate (87,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-87
Notice:Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must
have a 12-volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they
are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able to start
your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake.
If the vehicle has a transfer case
with a N (Neutral) position, be
sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, not in N (Neutral).
Notice: If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle. 3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all the lamps
that are not needed. This avoids
sparks and helps save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on that
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote
negative (−) jump starting
terminal. You should always use
these remote terminals instead
of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal, it is located
under a red plastic cover at the
positive battery post. To uncover
the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.
Page 434 of 508

Black plate (90,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012
10-90 Vehicle Care
11. Try to start the vehicle that hadthe dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice: If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or
other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (−)
Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal To disconnect the jumper cables
from both vehicles do the following:
1. Disconnect the black
negative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the
good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover, if the vehicle has
one, to its original position.