2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO brake light

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-43
Tow/Haul Mode
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
6-Speed Automatic Transmission
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission have a Tow/Haul
Mode. The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts
the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing
increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling
when driving down steep hills or
Mountain grades, towing, or hauling
heavy loads. The selector button is located on
the end of the shift lever. Turn the
Tow/Haul Mode on and off by
pressing the button. When the
Tow/Haul Mode is enabled, a light
on the instrument panel cluster
will come on.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5‑28 andHill and Mountain
Roads on page 9‑13 for more
information.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑102
for more information.Grade Braking (6-Speed
Automatic Transmission)
The Grade Braking shift modes can
be activated by pressing the button
on the end of the shift control lever.
While in Range Selection Mode,
Grade Braking is deactivated
allowing the driver to select a
desired range of gears. Grade Braking is only active while
the Tow/Haul Mode is selected and
you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See
“Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode on
page 9‑42 for more information on
the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining
desired vehicle speeds when driving
on downhill grades by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that
utilizes the engine and transmission
to slow the vehicle. This reduces
wear on the braking system and
increases control of the vehicle.
Grade Braking monitors vehicle
speed, acceleration, engine torque
and brake pedal usage. Using this
information, it detects when the
truck is on a downhill grade and the
driver desires to slow the vehicle by
pressing the brake.
This feature is active when
the exhaust brake is enabled
(if equipped).
Also see Towing Equipment on
page 9‑102 for more information.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-49
Shifting In or Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low
Notice:Shifting the transfer case
into Four-Wheel-Drive Low while
moving at speeds faster than
5 km/h (3 mph) may cause
premature wear to the transfer
case, and may cause the gears
to grind. To avoid causing
premature wear, and grinding the
gears, do not shift the transfer
case into Four-Wheel-Drive Low
while the vehicle is moving faster
than 5 km/h (3 mph).
.Shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low should be done, if possible,
with the vehicle at a slight roll,
5 km/h (3 mph) or less.
.Shift the transmission into
N (Neutral).
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑60.
.Shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low with the vehicle at a stop
may be more difficult. You may
be unable to complete the shift
to Four-Wheel Drive Low, and
the transfer case will end up in
N (Neutral). This is normal, and
is a function of the gear teeth
aligning in the transfer case.
When this happens, make sure
the engine is on, shift the
transmission momentarily to D (Drive) and back to
N (Neutral), and then complete
the transfer case shift.
.Shift the transfer case shift lever
in one continuous motion into
the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position.
.When in Four-Wheel Drive
Low do not drive faster than
72 km/h (45 mph). This will
reduce wear and extend the life
of your transfer case.
Shifting In or Out of Neutral
1. With the vehicle running and the engine at an idle, set the
parking brake.
2. Place the transmission into N (Neutral).
Shift the transfer case in one
continuous motion into or out of the
N (Neutral) position.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-53
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in
gear and/or moving more than
5 km/h (3 mph), the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds but will not complete
the shift.
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parkedso that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and press and hold the regular brake
pedal. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑60 for more information.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral). 5. Shift the transfer case to
Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
Neutral light starts blinking. This
will take at least 10 seconds.
Then slowly release the dial
to the four low position.
The N (Neutral) light will come
on when the transfer case shift
to N (Neutral) is complete.
7. If the engine is running, verify that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse) for
one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY,
which will turn the engine off. 9. Place the transmission shift
lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).
3. Turn the transfer case dial to Two-Wheel Drive High.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-54 Driving and Operating
4. Release the parking brake priorto moving the vehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired
position.
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.Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.
Use the dial to shift into and out of
Four-Wheel Drive.
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the dial show
which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
one 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 the transfer case. It will
remain illuminated when the shift is
complete. 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, but the
vehicle's power is sent only 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.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-55
4m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use the Four-Wheel Drive High
position when extra traction is
needed, 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.
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.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®,
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low
will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak off. See StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑62.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). SeeParking Brake on
page 9‑60.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑97 orTowing the Vehicle
on page 10‑97 for more information.
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 5‑50. 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, except
when shifting from Four-Wheel
Drive Low. 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, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed.

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-57
Notice:Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
It is typical for the vehicle to exhibit
significant engagement noise and
bump when shifting between
Four-Wheel Drive Low and
Four-Wheel Drive High ranges or
from N (Neutral) with the engine
running.
If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving more than
5 km/h (3 mph), the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO or Two-Wheel
Drive High indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds but will not complete
the shift. Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked
so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑60 for
more information.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition in ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until
the N (Neutral) light starts
blinking. This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the four low position.
The N (Neutral) light will come
on when the transfer case shift
to N (Neutral) is complete. 7. If the engine is running, make
sure that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse) for
one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY,
which will turn the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift out of N (Neutral) do the
following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-58 Driving and Operating
3. Turn the transfer case dial toTwo-Wheel Drive High,
Four-Wheel Drive High,
or AUTO.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired
position.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle might have the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑27. Along with ABS, the vehicle has a
Dynamic Rear Proportioning (DRP)
system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning
lights come on accompanied by a
10‐second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the
ignition is turned on until the
problem is repaired. See your dealer
for service.
Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and
continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-60 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
For vehicles with a release handle,
set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 5‑26. A chime sounds and the warning
light flashes when the parking brake
is applied and the vehicle is moving
at least 8 km/h (5 mph).
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down.
Then pull the bottom edge of the
lever with the parking brake symbol,
located above the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on when the parking
brake is released, the brake system
warning light goes off.
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving. If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on any hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑82.
For vehicles without a release
handle, set the parking brake by
holding the regular brake pedal
down, then pushing down the
parking brake pedal.