Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
8-2 Climate Controls
Air Delivery Mode Control:Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the direction of the airflow
inside the vehicle. The knob can be
positioned between two modes to
select a combination of those
modes.
Select from the following:
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some air directed
to the windshield and side window
outlets. In this mode, the system
automatically selects outside air.
Recirculation cannot be selected in
floor mode.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
0(Defrost): This mode removes
fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and the side window
vents, with some air directed to
the floor vents. The system
automatically forces outside air
into the vehicle.
The recirculation mode cannot be
selected in the defog or defrost
mode. When either mode is
selected, the system runs the air
conditioning compressor, unless the
outside temperature is close to
freezing.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
:(Outside Air): Press to
turn the outside air mode on.
An indicator light comes on to
show that outside air is on.
In this mode outside air circulates
throughout the vehicle. The outside
air mode can be used with all
modes, but it cannot be used with
the recirculation mode.
?(Recirculation): Press to
turn the recirculation mode on.
An indicator light comes on to show
that recirculation is on.
This mode recirculates and helps
to quickly cool the air inside the
vehicle. It can be used to help
prevent outside air and odors from
entering the vehicle.
The recirculation mode cannot be
used with floor, defog or defrost
modes. If recirculation is selected
with one of these modes, the
indicator light flashes three times
and then turns off. While in
recirculation mode the windows may
fog when the weather is cold and
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-3
While in recirculation mode the
windows may fog when the weather
is cold and damp. To clear the fog,
select either the defog or defrost
mode and increase the fan speed.
The recirculation mode can be
turned off by pressing the outside
air button, or by turning off the
ignition.
#(Air Conditioning):Press to
turn the air conditioning system on
or off. An indicator light comes on to
show that the air conditioning is on.
The air conditioning can be selected
in any mode as long as the fan
switch is on.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air,
so a small amount of water might
drip under the vehicle while idling
or after turning off the engine.
This is normal.
Rear Window Defogger
For vehicles with a rear window
defogger, a warming grid is used to
remove fog from the rear window.
1(Rear): Press to turn the
rear window defogger on or off.
An indicator light on the button
comes on to show that the rear
window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only
works when the ignition is in
ON/RUN. The rear window
defogger stays on for approximately
10 minutes after the button is
pressed, unless the ignition is
turned to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF. The defogger can also
be turned off by turning off the
engine. Notice:
Do not use anything
sharp on the inside of the rear
window. If you do, you could cut
or damage the warming grid, and
the repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
attach a temporary vehicle
license, tape, a decal, or anything
similar to the defogger grid.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems (with Heater Only)
With this system the heating and ventilation can be controlled.
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode ControlTemperature Control:
Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
9(Fan Control): Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Turn the
knob all the way counterclockwise
to turn the front system off. Air Delivery Mode Control:
Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
The knob can be positioned
between two modes to select a
combination of those modes.
Select from the following:
H(Vent):
Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some air directed
to the windshield, side window, and
second row floor outlets. In this
mode, the system automatically
selects outside air.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-11
The interior temperature sensor,
located in the headliner, measures
the temperature of the air inside
the vehicle.There is also an exterior
temperature sensor located behind
the front grille. This sensor reads
the outside air temperature and
helps maintain the temperature
inside the vehicle. Any cover on the
front of the vehicle could cause a
false reading in the displayed
temperature.
The climate control system uses
the information from these sensors
to maintain comfort settings by
adjusting the outlet temperature,
fan speed, and the air delivery
mode. The system may also supply
cooler air to the side of the vehicle
facing the sun. The recirculation
mode will also be used as needed
to maintain cool outlet temperatures.
Air Vents
Use the air outlets located in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels near
the air outlets to open or close off
the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.Use of non‐GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Silverado 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 . . . . . . . 9-12
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-13
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-16
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-26
Adjustable Throttle andBrake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-36
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-38
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-44
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-62
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-68
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-76
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-76
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-77
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-77
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-77
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering
a curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can
drop off the edge of a road onto
the shoulder while driving.
Follow these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that
it straddles the edge of the
pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are
not rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions.
But skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and
vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface.
To contact the tire manufacturer for
more information about the original
equipment tires, see the Limited
Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information manual. Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed.
{WARNING
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-14 Driving and Operating
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑58 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the Roadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑7 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑9. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death.
(Continued)