
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-5
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with aflat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.
.Carefully insert the tool into
the notch located along
the parting line of the
transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.
.Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object. 3. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
If available, this feature allows you
to start the engine from outside of
the vehicle. It may also start up the
vehicle's heating or air conditioning
systems and rear window defogger.
Normal operation of the system will
return after the key is turned to the
ON/RUN position.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures. If the
vehicle does not have an automatic
climate control system, the system
will turn on at the setting the vehicle
was set to when the vehicle was
last turned off. During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and
will shut off when the key is turned
to ON/RUN. If the vehicle does
not have an automatic climate
control system, during remote start,
manually turn the heated seats on
and off. See
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats on page 3‑9 for
additional information.
Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements
on remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
If the vehicle has the remote
start feature, the RKE transmitter
functions will have an increased
range of operation. However, the
range may be less while the vehicle
is running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2 for
additional information.
/(Remote Start): This button will
be on the RKE transmitter if the
vehicle has remote start.
To start the vehicle using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q.
3. Immediately press and hold
/until the turn signal
lamps flash. If you cannot see
the vehicle's lamps, press and
hold
/for two to four seconds. When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the vehicle
is running. The doors will be
locked and the climate control
system may come on.
The engine will continue to run
for 10 minutes. Repeat the steps
for a 10-minute time extension.
Remote start can be extended
only once.
After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
To cancel a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at
the vehicle and press and
hold
/until the parking lamps
turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then
back off. The vehicle can be remote started
two separate times between driving
sequences. The engine will run for
10 minutes after each remote start.
Or, you can extend the engine run
time by another 10 minutes within
the first 10 minute remote start time
frame, and before the engine stops.
For example, if
Qand then/are
pressed again after the vehicle
has been running for 5 minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes.
The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.
Once two remote starts, or a single
remote start with one time extension
has been done, the vehicle must be
started with the key. After the key
is removed from the ignition, the
vehicle can be remote started again.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.
Doors
Liftgate (Manual)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to drive
with the liftglass or liftgate open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You cannot see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death.
If you must drive with the liftglass
or liftgate open, or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections
must pass through the seal
between the body and the
liftglass or liftgate:
.Make sure all other windows
are shut.
.Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed with the(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
recirculation mode off. That
will force outside air into your
vehicle. SeeClimate Control
Systems on page 8‑1 orDual
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4.
.If you have air outlets on or
under the instrument panel,
open them all the way.
.If your vehicle has a power
liftgate, disable the power
liftgate function.
See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑29.
Press
Kon the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter or use the
power door lock switches to unlock
the liftgate. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
On vehicles with a liftglass, press
the button on the underside of the
license pocket applique (A) to open
it. The liftglass can also be opened
by pressing
mon the RKE
transmitter.
To open the entire liftgate, press the
touchpad on the underside of the
liftgate handle (B). The vehicle must
be in P (Park) to open the liftgate.
To close the liftgate, use the pull
cup or pull strap.
The liftgate or liftglass cannot be
opened if the rear wipers are in
motion. Attempting to open the liftgate or liftglass while the rear
wipers are in motion will cause the
release of the liftglass or liftgate to
delay until the wipers are moved off
the liftglass.
Both the liftglass and liftgate have
an electric latch. If the battery is
disconnected or has low voltage,
the liftglass and liftgate will not
open. The liftglass and liftgate will
resume operation when the battery
is reconnected and charged.
Liftgate (Power)
Power Liftgate Operation
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or
with any objects that pass
through the seal between the
body and the trunk/hatch or
liftgate. Engine exhaust contains
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets
on or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air
and set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑29.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Power Assist Steps
The vehicle may have power assist
steps.
The switch used to disable the
power assist steps is located on the
center console below the climate
control system.
The power assist steps
automatically extend from beneath
the vehicle on the side in which the
door has been opened. Once the
door is closed, the assist steps
automatically move back under
the vehicle after a brief delay. The
vehicle must not be moving for the
assist steps to extend or retract.
The assist steps cannot be disabled
in the extended position.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Your vehicle has a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
This is the security light.
To arm the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the RemoteKeyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the power door lock switch.
The security light will come on to
inform the driver the system is arming. If a door is open when
the doors are locked, the
security light will flash.
If the delayed locking feature is
turned on, the theft‐deterrent
system will not start the arming
process until the last door is
closed and the delay timer has
expired. See
Delayed Locking
on page 2‑8.
3. Close all doors. The security light should go off after about
30 seconds. The alarm is not
armed until the security light
goes off.
If a locked driver door is opened
without using the RKE transmitter,
a 10-second pre-alarm will occur.
The horn will chirp and the lights will
flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing
the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter during the 10-second
pre-alarm, the alarm will go off.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
2-18 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Foldaway
1. Press (A) to fold the mirrors outto the driving position.
2. Press (B) to fold the mirrors in to the folded position.
Resetting the Power Foldaway
Mirrors
Reset the power foldaway mirrors if:
.The mirrors are accidentally
obstructed while folding.
.They are accidentally manually
folded/unfolded.
.The mirrors will not stay in the
unfolded position.
.The mirrors shake and flutter at
normal driving speeds.
Fold and unfold them one time
using the mirror controls to reset
them to their normal position.
Manual Foldaway
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirrors toward the
vehicle. Push the mirrors outward,
to return to its original position.
Turn Signal Indicator
The vehicle may have a turn signal
indicator on the mirror. An arrow on
the mirror flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Ground Illumination Lamps
The mirrors may also include
ground illumination lamps in the
base of the mirror. These lamps
help to see the area near the
base of the front doors when it is
dark out.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
1(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4 orClimate
Control Systems on page 8‑1 for
more information.
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, see Side
Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) on
page 9‑53.
Automatic Dimming
Mirror
Vehicles with the dimming feature
have a driver outside mirror that
adjusts for the glare of headlamps
behind you. See Manual Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑19 for more
information.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
two seconds to select the next
available variance zone. Repeat
this step until the appropriate
variance zone is displayed.
5. If calibration is necessary, calibrate the compass. See
“Compass Calibration
Procedure” following.
Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually
calibrated. Only calibrate the
compass in a magnetically clean
and safe location, such as an open
parking lot, where driving the
vehicle in circles is not a danger.
It is suggested to calibrate away
from tall buildings, utility wires,
manhole covers, or other industrial
structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the
DIC display, the compass should be
calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a
heading, for example, N for North,
or the heading does not change
after making turns, there may be a strong magnetic field interfering with
the compass. Such interference
may be caused by a magnetic CB
or cell phone antenna mount, a
magnetic emergency light, magnetic
note pad holder, or any other
magnetic item. Turn off the vehicle,
move the magnetic item, then turn
on the vehicle and calibrate the
compass.
To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,
make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, or seats during
the calibration procedure. 2. Press the vehicle information
button until PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays. Or, if the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, press
the trip odometer reset stem
until CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start the compass calibration.
Or, if the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, press and hold
the trip odometer reset stem
for two seconds to start the
compass calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle
in tight circles at less than
8 km/h (5 mph) to complete
the calibration. The DIC
will display CALIBRATION
COMPLETE for a few seconds
when the calibration is complete.
The DIC display will then return
to the previous menu.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-8 Instruments and Controls
Clock
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton to display
HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change
that setting.
4. To increase the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the
selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise. 5. To decrease the time or date, do
one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise.
To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change
the date default setting from month/
day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press the
Hbutton and then
the softkey located below the
forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H, the
date MM/DD (month and day),
and DD/MM/ (day and month)
displays.
2. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
3. Press the
Hbutton again to
apply the desired option, or let
the screen time out.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are two under the climate
controls, one inside the center floor
console, one on the rear of the
center floor console and one
accessory power outlet in the rear
cargo area on the passenger side.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
The accessory power outlets are
powered, even with the ignition
off. Continuing to use accessory
power outlets while the ignition is in
LOCK/OFF may cause the vehicle's
battery to run down.