2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO coolant temperature

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following vehicle accessories
can be used for up to 10 minutes
after the engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.OnStar System (if equipped)
.Sunroof (if equipped)
These features work when
the key is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Once the key is
turned from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF,
the windows and sunroof continue
to work up to 10 minutes until any
door is opened. The radio continues
to work for up to 10 minutes or until
the driver door is opened.
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine heater can provide
easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up in
cold weather conditions at or below
−18°C (0°F). Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in
at least four hours before starting.
An internal thermostat in the
plug-end of the cord may exist
which will prevent engine coolant
heater operation at temperatures
above −18°C (0°F).
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax Diesel supplement
for more information.
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The cord is
secured to the Engine
Compartment Fuse Block with a
clip. Carefully remove the wire
tie which bundles the electrical
plug. Do not cut the
electrical cord.
3. Plug the cord into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire.
(Continued)

Black plate (84,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-84 Driving and Operating
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance. If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
panel will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear
beforestarting down a
long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down,
the brakes might get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
The Tow/Haul Mode may be used if
the transmission shifts too often.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑43.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑23.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-19
{WARNING
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or
others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it
helps to stop flames if the engine
backfires. Use caution when
working on the engine and do not
drive with the air cleaner/filter off.
Cooling System
If the vehicle has the Duramax®
diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement for more
information.
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
5.3 L V8 Engine Shown
(4.3 L V6 Engine, 4.8 L V6 Engine, 6.0 L V8 Engine, and
6.2 L V8 Engine Similar)
A. Coolant Surge Tank
B. Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fan
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
can start even when the engine
is not running. To avoid injury,
always keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from any engine
cooling fan.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there
is a leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner, at 50 000 km (30,000 mi)
or 24 months, whichever occurs
first. Any repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-20 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑23.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to −37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature
.Gives boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F), engine
temperature
.Protects against rust and
corrosion
.Will not damage aluminum parts
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Notice: If extra inhibitors and/or
additives are used in the vehicle
cooling system, the vehicle
could be damaged. Use only
the proper mixture of the
engine coolant listed in this
manual for the cooling system.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑13 for
more information.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-23
3. Fill the coolant surge tankwith the proper mixture to the
FULL COLD mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until the
engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates approximately
90°C (195°F). By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches the FULL
COLD mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight and fully seated.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1 through 6.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
If the vehicle has the Duramax®
Diesel engine, see the Duramax
Diesel Supplement for more
information.
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature
gauge on the vehicle's instrument
panel. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑17.
In addition, there are ENGINE
OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE,
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE, and ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED messages in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) on the
instrument panel. See Engine
Cooling System Messages on
page 5‑44 andEngine Power
Messages on page 5‑46.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-25
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
The ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message, along with a low coolant
condition, can indicate a serious
problem.
If there is an engine overheat
warning, but no steam is seen or
heard, the problem may not be too
serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when the vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
.Stops after high-speed driving
.Idles for long periods in traffic
.Tows a trailer; seeTrailer Towing
on page 9‑86. If the ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message appears with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest
temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows as
necessary.
3. If stopped in a traffic jam, apply the brake, shift to N (Neutral);
otherwise, shift to the highest
gear while driving —D (Drive)
or 3 (Third).
If the temperature overheat gauge
is no longer in the overheat zone or
an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven. Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam,
idle the engine for five minutes
while parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see
“Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-26 Vehicle Care
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition
exists and the ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED message displays, an
overheat protection mode which
alternates firing groups of cylinders
helps to prevent engine damage.
In this mode, a loss in power and
engine performance will be noticed.
This operating mode allows the
vehicle to be driven to a safe
place in an emergency. Driving
extended km (mi) and/or towing a
trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
Notice:After driving in the
overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool
before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely
degraded. Repair the cause of
coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has a clutched engine
cooling fan, when the clutch is
engaged, the fan spins faster to
provide more air to cool the engine.
In most everyday driving conditions,
the fan is spinning slower and the
clutch is not fully engaged. This
improves fuel economy and reduces
fan noise. Under heavy vehicle
loading, trailer towing, and/or high
outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more fully
engages, so an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and should not be mistaken as the
transmission slipping or making
extra shifts. It is merely the cooling
system functioning properly. The fan
will slow down when additional
cooling is not required and the
clutch disengages. This fan noise may also be heard
when starting the engine. It will go
away as the fan clutch partially
disengages.
If the vehicle has electric cooling
fans, the fans may be heard
spinning at low speed during most
everyday driving. The fans may
turn off if no cooling is required.
Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer
towing, high outside temperatures,
or operation of the air conditioning
system, the fans may change to
high speed and an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and indicates that the cooling
system is functioning properly.
The fans will change to low speed
when additional cooling is no longer
required.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-28 Vehicle Care
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs
to be added, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. Use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The vehicle has a low washer
fluid message on the DIC that
comes on when the washer fluid is
low. The message is displayed for
15 seconds at the start of each
ignition cycle. When the WASHER
FLUID LOW ADD FLUID message
displays, washer fluid will need to
be added to the windshield washer
fluid reservoir.
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid
until the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for reservoir location.
Notice
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water.
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
Also, water does not clean as
well as washer fluid.
.Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full
when it is very cold. This
allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.
Brakes
This vehicle has front disc brakes
and could have rear drum brakes or
rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.