2012 CHEVROLET SILVERADO spare tire

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 (104,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
9-104 Driving and Operating
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains
may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. If the trailer being
towed weighs up to 2 271 kg
(5,000 lbs) with a factory-installed
step bumper, safety chains may be
attached to the attaching points on
the bumper; otherwise, safety
chains should be attached to holes
on the trailer hitch platform. Always
leave just enough slack so the
combination can turn. Never allow
safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 900 kg (2,000 lbs) needs to
have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Do not tap into the vehicle's
hydraulic brake system.
Auxiliary Battery
The auxiliary battery provision can
be used to supply electrical power
to additional equipment that may be
added, such as a slide-in camper.
If the vehicle has this provision, this
relay will be located on the driver
side of the vehicle, next to the
underhood electrical center.
Be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with any electrical equipment that is
installed.Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended
periods will drain the battery.
Always turn off electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not use equipment that
exceeds the maximum amperage
rating for the auxiliary battery
provision.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The vehicle is equipped with one of
the following wiring harnesses for
towing a trailer or hauling a slide-in
camper.
Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, extended cab and crew
cab pickups have a seven‐wire
trailer towing harness.
For vehicles not equipped with
heavy duty trailering, the harness
is secured to the vehicle's frame
behind the spare tire mount.
The harness requires the installation
of a trailer connector, which is
available through your dealer.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-2 Vehicle Care
Electrical System
Electrical SystemOverload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-55
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71 Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Different Size Tires and
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-77
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-91
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-105
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-108
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-40 Vehicle Care
The vehicle should:
.Be placed so the headlamps
are 7.6 m (25 ft) from a
light‐colored wall.
.Have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way
to the wall.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
.Not have any snow, ice, or mud
on it.
.Be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp
aiming is being performed.
.Be loaded with a full tank of
fuel and one person or 75 kg
(160 lbs) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have the tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire in its proper
location in the vehicle.Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps.
The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑52. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the low‐beam headlamp. 3. Record the distance from the
ground to the aim dot on the
low‐beam headlamp.
4. At a wall, measure from the
ground upward (A) to the
recorded distance from
Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall the width of the
vehicle at the height of the
mark in Step 4.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-62 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount
of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Neither tire
underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy. Overinflated tires, or tires
that have too much air,
can result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
The Tire and Loading
Information label on the
vehicle indicates the original
equipment tires and the correct
cold tire inflation pressures.
The recommended pressure is
the minimum air pressure
needed to support the vehicle's
maximum load carrying capacity.
For additional information
regarding how much weight
the vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑17. How the vehicle is loaded
affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load the vehicle
with more weight than it was
designed to carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month
or more.
Do not forget the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one.
SeeFull-Size Spare Tire on
page 10‑91
for additional
information.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation cannot be
determined by looking at the tire.
Check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold, meaning
the vehicle has not been driven
for at least three hours or no
more than 1.6 km (1 mi).

Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-64 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor
the air pressure in your tires and
transmit tire pressure readings to a
receiver located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare
(if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly
under‐inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly under‐inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under‐inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping
ability.
Please note that the TPMS is
not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under‐inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS malfunction
indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start‐ups as
long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-65
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function
properly.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑65 for
additional information.
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules
and with Industry Canada
Standards
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑21 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
Rules and with Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and wheel
assembly, excluding the spare tire
and wheel assembly. The TPMS
sensors monitor the air pressure in
the tires and transmit the tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning light
located on the instrument cluster.
If the warning light comes on, stop
as soon as possible and inflate the tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑17.
A message to check the pressure in
a specific tire displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). The low
tire pressure warning light and the
DIC warning message come on at
each ignition cycle until the tires
are inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. If the vehicle has DIC
buttons, tire pressure levels can be
viewed. For additional information
and details about the DIC operation
and displays, see Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑32 andTire
Messages on page 5‑49.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven.
This could be an early indicator that
the air pressure is getting low and
needs to be inflated to the proper
pressure.

Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2012
10-66 Vehicle Care
A Tire and Loading Information label
shows the size of the original
equipment tires and the correct
inflation pressure for the tires when
they are cold. SeeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑17, for an example
of the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location. Also see Tire
Pressure on page 10‑62.
The TPMS can warn about a
low tire pressure condition but it
does not replace normal tire
maintenance. See Tire Inspection
on page 10‑68, Tire Rotation on
page 10‑69 andTires on
page 10‑54.
Notice: Tire sealant materials are
not all the same. A non-approved
tire sealant could damage the
TPMS sensors. TPMS sensor
damage caused by using an
incorrect tire sealant is not
covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always use only the
GM-approved tire sealant
available through your dealer
or included in the vehicle.TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire pressure warning light
flashes for about one minute and
then stays on for the remainder of
the ignition cycle. A DIC warning
message also displays. The
malfunction light and DIC warning
message come on at each ignition
cycle until the problem is corrected.
Some of the conditions that can
cause these to come on are:
.One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire.
The spare tire does not have a
TPMS sensor. The malfunction
light and the DIC message
should go off after the road tire
is replaced and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See "TPMS Sensor
Matching Process" later in this
section.
.The TPMS sensor matching
process was not done or
not completed successfully
after rotating the tires.
The malfunction light and the
DIC message should go off after
successfully completing the
sensor matching process.
See "TPMS Sensor Matching
Process" later in this section.
.One or more TPMS sensors
are missing or damaged.
The malfunction light and the
DIC message should go off
when the TPMS sensors are
installed and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See your dealer
for service.
.Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the original equipment
tires or wheels. Tires and wheels
other than those recommended
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. See Buying
New Tires on page 10‑72.