2012 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN instrument panel

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
3-32 Seats and Restraints
The right front passenger frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger's side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the vehicle has seat‐mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
right front passenger, they are in the
side of the seatbacks closest to
the door.Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-35
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over, or in
a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one
can say whether an airbag should
have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For
seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break outof the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force ofthe impact more evenly over
the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in
the outboard seating positions in
the first, second, and third rows,
if equipped with a third row seat.
The rollover capable roof-rail
airbags are designed to help reduce
the risk of full or partial ejection in
rollover events, although no system
can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑33 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
3-42 Seats and Restraints
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑16.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change your vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar garnish
trim, overhead console, front
sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle may have
a passenger sensing system
for the right front passenger's
position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger's
seat. The passenger sensing
system may not operate
properly if the original seat trim
is replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or
device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of
the passenger sensing system.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-12 Instruments and Controls
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can show how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last set
to zero.Press the reset button, located on
the instrument panel cluster next to
the trip odometer display, to toggle
between the trip odometer and the
regular odometer. Holding the reset
button for approximately one second
while the trip odometer is displayed
resets it.
To display the odometer reading
with the ignition off, press the reset
button.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Fuel Gauge
Metric
English

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-15
SeeEngine Overheating on
page 10‑19.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Voltmeter Gauge
When the engine is not running, but
the ignition is on, this gauge shows
the battery's state of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the
gauge shows the condition of the
charging system. The charging system regulates voltage based on
the state of the battery for improved
fuel economy and battery life.
The gauge may transition from a
higher to lower or a lower to higher
reading, this is normal. Readings
between the low and high warning
zones indicate the normal operating
range. The gauge may also read
low during the fuel economy mode,
this is normal.
Readings in the low warning zone
may occur when a large number of
electrical accessories are operating
in the vehicle and the engine is left
at an idle for an extended period.
This condition is normal since the
charging system is not able to
provide full power at engine idle. As
engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as
higher engine speeds allow the
charging system to create full
power. If there is a problem with the
battery charging system, this light
will come on or the SERVICE
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
DIC message will display. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑18
and
Charging System Light on
page 5‑18 for more information.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is
fully installed. SeeFilling the
Tank on page 9‑63. The
diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up. If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See
Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑60.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment. For
the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is
connected to the vehicle’s
Data Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp
is on with the engine running,
or if the light does not come on
when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN while the engine is off.
See your dealer for assistance in
verifying proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information
about your vehicle. It also displays
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
All messages will appear in the
DIC display located below the
tachometer in the instrument panel
cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the trip
odometer reset stem can be used to
access some of the menu items.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
The DIC also allows some features
to be customized. See
Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑45 for more information. DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and set/
reset buttons. The button functions
are detailed in the following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):
Press to display
the odometer, trip odometer, fuel
range, average economy, fuel used,
timer, instantaneous economy
and Active Fuel Management™
indicator, and transmission
temperature. The compass and
outside air temperature will also be

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-35
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not
require immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V(Set/Reset) or the trip
odometer reset stem.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE
When the vehicle’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes
will sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on
in the instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on
page 5‑18. Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off all
unnecessary accessories. Have the
electrical system checked as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑21. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer.