Black plate (83,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-83
5. Drive the vehicle with the trailerattached on a level road surface
representative of the towing
condition and free of traffic at
about 32 to 40 km/h (20 to
25 mph) and fully apply the
Manual Trailer Brake Apply
lever.
Adjusting trailer gain at speeds
lower than 32 to 40 km/h
(20 to 25 mph) may result in an
incorrect gain setting.
6. Adjust the Trailer Gain to just below the point of trailer wheel
lock-up, indicated by trailer
wheel squeal or tire smoke when
a trailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may not
occur if towing a heavily loaded
trailer. In this case, adjust the
Trailer Gain to the highest
allowable setting for the towing
condition. 7. Re-adjust Trailer Gain any time
vehicle loading, trailer loading or
road surface conditions change
or if trailer wheel lock-up is
noticed at any time while towing
Other ITBC Related DIC Messages
In addition to displaying TRAILER
GAIN and TRAILER OUTPUT
through the DIC, trailer connection
and ITBC system status is displayed
in the DIC.
TRAILER CONNECTED –This
message will be briefly displayed
when a trailer with electric brakes is
first connected to the vehicle. This
message will automatically turn off
in about ten seconds. The driver
can also acknowledge this message
before it automatically turns off.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING –This
message will be displayed if:
1. The ITBC system first
determines connection to a
trailer with electric brakes and
then the trailer harness becomes
disconnected from the vehicle. If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is stationary, this
message will automatically
turn off in about thirty seconds.
This message will also turn off if
the driver acknowledges this
message off or if the trailer
harness is re-connected.
If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is moving, this
message will continue until
the ignition is turned off. This
message will also turn off if
the driver acknowledges this
message off or if the trailer
harness is re-connected.
2. There is an electrical fault in the wiring to the electric trailer
brakes. This message will
continue as long as there is an
electrical fault in the trailer
wiring. This message will
also turn off if the driver
acknowledges this message off.
Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
10-24 Vehicle Care
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-27
Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer toMaintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 to determine when to
check the lubricant. How to Check LubricantActive Transfer Case
A. Fill Plug
B. Drain Plug
To get an accurate reading, the
vehicle should be on a level
surface.
If the level is below the bottom of
the fill plug hole, some lubricant will
need to be added. Add enough
lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the fill plug hole. Use care
not to overtighten the plug. When to Change Lubricant
Refer to
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 to determine how often to
change the lubricant.
What to Use
Refer to Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 to
determine what kind of lubricant
to use.
Front Axle
When to Check and Change
Lubricant
It is not necessary to regularly
check front axle fluid unless a leak
is suspected, or an unusual noise is
heard. A fluid loss could indicate a
problem. Have it inspected and
repaired.
Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
10-58 Vehicle Care
SeeWhen It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑58 andWheel
Replacement on page 10‑63.
Use this rotation pattern when
rotating the tires.
Do not include the spare tire in
the tire rotation.
Adjust the front and rear tires
to the recommended inflation
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label after
the tires have been rotated. See
Tire Pressure on
page 10‑52 andVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑16.
Reset the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑54.
Check that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” underCapacities
and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, a cloth or a paper
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
towel can be used; however, use
a scraper or wire brush later to
remove all rust or dirt.
Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change or
tire rotation to prevent corrosion
or rust build-up. Do not get
grease on the flat wheel
mounting surface or on the
wheel nuts or bolts.
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Factors, such as maintenance,
temperatures, driving speeds,
vehicle loading, and road conditions
affect the wear rate of the tires.
Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
10-66 Vehicle Care
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑5.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in P (Park).
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
3. For vehicles withfour-wheel-drive with a
N (Neutral) transfer case
position, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive
gear —not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
5. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
6. Place wheel blocks on both sides of the tire at the
opposite corner of the tire
being changed.
When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist in the placement of
the wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to use the jack and change
a tire.
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools
The equipment needed to change a
flat tire is stored under the storage
tray, located on the driver side trim
panel, over the rear wheelhouse.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-7
GM Mobility
Reimbursement Program
(U.S. and Canada)
This program is available to
qualified applicants for cost
reimbursement of eligible
aftermarket adaptive equipment
required for the vehicle, such as
hand controls or a wheelchair/
scooter lift for the vehicle.
For more information on the limited
offer, visit www.gmmobility.com or
call the GM Mobility Assistance
Center at 1-800-323-9935. Text
Telephone (TTY) users, call
1-800-833-9935.General Motors of Canada also
has a Mobility Program. Call
1-800-GM-DRIVE (463-7483)
for details. TTY users call
1-800-263-3830.
Roadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and
Canada)
For U.S.‐purchased vehicles,
call
1‐800‐243‐8872; (Text
Telephone (TTY): 1‐888‐889‐2438).
For Canadian‐purchased vehicles,
call 1-800-268-6800.
Service is available 24 hours a day,
365 days a year.
Calling for Assistance
When calling Roadside Assistance,
have the following information
ready:
.Your name, home address, and
home telephone number.
.Telephone number of your
location.
.Location of the vehicle.
.Model, year, color, and license
plate number of the vehicle.
.Odometer reading, Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN), and
delivery date of the vehicle.
.Description of the problem.
Coverage
Services are provided up to
5 years/160 000 km (100,000 mi),
whichever comes first.
In the U.S., anyone driving the
vehicle is covered. In Canada, a
person driving the vehicle without
permission from the owner is not
covered.
Roadside Assistance is not a part of
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Chevrolet and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notification.
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-13
Towing (cont'd)Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-87
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 9-84
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36, 9-41
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Turn Signal
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
U
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . 9-51
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-53 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52 Vehicle Identification
Service Parts Identification
Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . . . 5-45
Wheels Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58