
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization (WithDIC Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . 5-53
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The tilt lever is located on the lower
left side of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down. 3. Release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
w(Next): Press to go to the next
favorite radio station, track on a
CD, or folder on an iPod
®or USB
device.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-3
c/x(Phone On Hook):Press
to go to the previous favorite radio
station, track on a CD, or folder on
an iPod
®or USB device. Press to
reject an incoming call, or end a
current call.
Radio
To select preset or favorite radio
stations:
Press and release
worc/xto
go to the next or previous radio
station stored as a preset or
favorite.
CD/DVD
To select tracks on a CD/DVD:
Press and release
worc/xto
go to the next or previous track. Selecting Tracks on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System)
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list, then
press and hold
w, or press¨to
play the highlighted track.
Navigating Folders on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System):
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and hold
c/xto go
back to the previous folder list. 3. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list.
.To select a folder,
press and hold
w, or
press
¨when the folder is
highlighted.
.To go back further in
the folder list, press and
hold
c/x.
Navigating an iPod or USB Device
on the Main Audio Screen
(Vehicles with a Navigation
System)
1. Press and release
worc/x
to select the next or previous
track within the selected
category.
2. Press and hold
worc/xto
move quickly through the tracks.
3. Press and release
¨to move up
one track within the selected
category.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Navigating an iPod or USB Device
on the Music Navigator Screen
(Vehicles with a Navigation
System)
1. Press and release
worc/x
to select the next or previous
track within the selected
category.
2. Press and hold
worc/xto
move quickly through the tracks
within the selected category.
3. Press and release
¨to move up
one track within the selected
category.
b/g(Mute/Push to Talk): Press
to silence the vehicle speakers only.
Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with Bluetooth or
OnStar systems, press and hold for
longer than two seconds to interact
with those systems. See Bluetooth
on page 7‑47 andOnStar Overview
on page 14‑1 for more information. SRCE (Source/Voice
Recognition):
Press to switch
between the radio and CD, and for
equipped vehicles, the DVD, front
auxiliary, and rear auxiliary.
For vehicles with the navigation
system, press and hold this button
for longer than one second to
initiate voice recognition. See “Voice
Recognition” in the Navigation
System manual for more
information.
¨(Seek): Press to go to the
next radio station while in AM,
FM, or XM™.
For vehicles with or without a
navigation system:
Press
¨to go to the next track or
chapter while sourced to the CD or
DVD slot.
Press
¨to select a track or a folder
when navigating folders on an iPod
or USB device. For vehicles with a navigation
system:
1. Press and hold
¨until a beep is
heard, to place the radio into
SCAN mode. A station will play
for five seconds before moving
to the next station.
2. To stop the SCAN function, press
¨again.
While listening to a CD/DVD, press
and hold
¨to quickly move forward
through the tracks. Release to stop
on the desired track.
+
e: Press to increase volume.
−
e: Press to decrease volume.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center
pad on the steering wheel.

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.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-18 Instruments and Controls
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑16 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once
the engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑35 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there
is an electrical problem. Have it checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, to produce
a cleaner environment. This light
comes on when the vehicle is
placed in ON/RUN, as a check to
show it is working. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. See
Ignition Positions on
page 9‑22 for more information.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-53
Exiting the Feature
Settings Menu
The feature settings menu will be
exited when any of the following
occurs:
.The vehicle is no longer in
ON/RUN.
.The trip/fuel or vehicle
information DIC buttons are
pressed.
.The end of the feature settings
menu is reached and exited.
.A 40 second time period has
elapsed with no selection made.
Universal Remote
System
SeeRadio 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.
Universal Remote System
Programming
Vehicles with the Universal Remote
System will have these buttons
located in the headliner.
This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use this system with any
garage door opener that does not
have the stop and reverse feature.
This includes any garage door
opener model manufactured before
April 1, 1982.
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to
have another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
Be sure to keep the original remote
control transmitter for use in other
vehicles, as well as for future
programming. Only the original
remote control transmitter is needed
for Fixed Code programming. The
programmed buttons should be
erased when the vehicle is sold or
the lease ends. See
“Erasing
Universal Home Remote Buttons” in
this section.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
When the high beams are on, this
indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal
a driver in front of you that you
want to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will
turn on. They will stay on as long
as you hold the lever toward you.The high-beam indicator on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on. Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in Park.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on,
only the DRL lamps are on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the
exterior lamps control to the OFF
position and then release. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, the
transmission must be in the P (Park)
position before the DRL lamps can
be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamps
switch to the off position and then
release it. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel which regulates when the
automatic headlamps turn on. Do
not cover the sensor, otherwise the
headlamps will come on whenever
the ignition is on.The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or heavy overcast
weather. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor detects a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is bright
enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster may not
be as bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness controlis in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off, turn
the control to the off position.
The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle. This
feature can be programmed using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑45.
If the vehicle is not equipped
with DIC buttons, exit lighting is
automatic. When it is dark enough
outside, the exterior lamps remain
on for 30 seconds after the ignition
is moved from ON/RUN to
LOCK/OFF.
For vehicles without a radio, the
instrument panel light remains on
for 30 seconds with the driver door
closed. For vehicles with a radio,
the instrument panel light remains
on for 10 minutes with the driver