
Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
7-48 Infotainment System
When to Speak:A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through
the vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 for more information.
b/g(Mute/Push To Talk): Press
to answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c/x(End): Press to end a call,
reject a call, or cancel an operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
the cell phone manufacturer's user
guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth
phone is not connected, calls will be
made using OnStar Hands‐Free
Calling, if equipped. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1 for more
information. Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are
within range of the system, the
system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To connect to a
different paired phone, see
“Connecting to a Different
Phone”
later in this section.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-49
Pairing a Phone
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” This command
can be skipped.
3. Say “Pair.”The system responds
with instructions and a four‐digit
Personal Identification Number
(PIN). The PIN is used in Step 5.
4. Start the pairing process on the cell phone that you want to pair.
For help with this process, see
the cell phone manufacturer's
user guide.
5. Locate the device named “Your
Vehicle” in the list on the cell
phone. Follow the instructions
on the cell phone to enter the
PIN provided in Step 3. After the
PIN is successfully entered, the
system prompts you to provide a
name for the paired cell phone.
This name will be used to
indicate which phones are
paired and connected to the
vehicle. The system responds with
“
successfully paired” after the
pairing process is complete.
6. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 to pair additional phones.
Listing All Paired and Connected
Phones
The system can list all cell phones
paired to it. If a paired cell phone is
also connected to the vehicle, the
system responds with “is connected”
after that phone name.
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “List.”
Deleting a Paired Phone
If the phone name you want to
delete is unknown, see “Listing All
Paired and Connected Phones.”
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” 3. Say
“Delete.” The system asks
which phone to delete.
4. Say the name of the phone you want to delete.
Connecting to a Different Phone
To connect to a different cell phone,
the Bluetooth system looks for the
next available cell phone in the
order in which all the available cell
phones were paired. Depending
on which cell phone you want to
connect to, you may have to use
this command several times.
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “Change phone.”
.If another cell phone is
found, the response will be
“
connected.”
.If another cell phone is not
found, the original phone
remains connected.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-53
Transferring Audio from the
Bluetooth System to a Cell Phone
During a call with the audio in the
vehicle:
1. Press
b/g.
2. Say “Transfer Call.”
Transferring Audio to the
Bluetooth System from a Cell
Phone
During a call with the audio on the
cell phone, press
b/g. The audio
transfers to the vehicle. If the audio
does not transfer to the vehicle, use
the audio transfer feature on the
cell phone. See your cell phone
manufacturer's user guide for more
information.
Voice Pass-Thru
Voice pass‐thru allows access to the
voice recognition commands on the
cell phone. See your cell phone
manufacturer's user guide to see if
the cell phone supports this feature. To access contacts stored in the cell
phone:
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” This command
can be skipped.
3. Say “Voice.” The system
responds “OK, accessing
The cell phone's normal prompt
messages will go through their cycle
according to the phone's operating
instructions.
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
(DTMF) Tones
The Bluetooth system can send
numbers and the numbers stored as
name tags during a call. You can
use this feature when calling a
menu‐driven phone system.
Account numbers can also be
stored for use. Sending a Number or Name Tag
During a Call
1. Press
b/g. The system
responds “Ready,”followed by
a tone.
2. Say “Dial.”
3. Say the number or name tag to send.
Clearing the System
Unless information is deleted out of
the in‐vehicle Bluetooth system, it
will be retained indefinitely. This
includes all saved name tags in the
phone book and phone pairing
information. For information on how
to delete this information, see the
previous section “Deleting a Paired
Phone” and the previous sections
on deleting name tags.

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
7-54 Infotainment System
Other Information
The Bluetooth®word mark and
logos are owned by the Bluetooth®
SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks
by General Motors is under license.
Other trademarks and trade names
are those of their respective owners.
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Trademarks and
License Agreements
Manufactured under license
under U.S. Patent #'s: 5,451,942;
5,956,674; 5,974,380; 5,978,762;
6,487,535 & other U.S. and
worldwide patents issued &
pending. DTS and the Symbol are
registered trademarks and DTS
Digital Surround and the DTS logos
are trademarks of DTS Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
Manufactured under license from
Dolby Laboratories. Dolby and the
double-D symbol are trademarks of
Dolby Laboratories.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
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.
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.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
9-14 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
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)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems” in
the Index.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑29.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
Notice:Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start
after 5‐10 seconds, especially in
very cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in START
for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to
allow the cranking motor to cool
down. When the engine starts,
let go of the key and accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat these
steps. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts.
Notice: The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Engine Heater
The engine coolant 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).
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 secures the
electrical cord. Do not cut the
electrical cord.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
Automatic
Transmission
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
If the vehicle is has an automatic
transmission, it has an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. This
display comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the ON/RUN
position.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
Heavy Duty 6-Speed Automatic
Transmission Shown (Light Duty Similar)
See “Range Selection Mode” under
Manual Mode on page 9‑34.
P (Park): This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily. When parked on a hill,
especially when the vehicle has a
heavy load, you might notice an
increase in the effort to shift out of
P (Park). See “Torque Lock” under
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑26 for
more information.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑26. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑66.