2012 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN light

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
4-4 Storage
Do not exceed the maximum vehicle
capacity when loading the vehicle.
For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, seeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑16.
.If small heavy objects are placed
on the roof, cut a piece of 9 mm
or 3/8 inch plywood to fit inside
the crossrails and siderails to
spread the load. Tie the plywood
to the siderail supports.
.Tie the load and secure it to
the crossrails or the siderail
supports. Use the crossrails only
to keep the load from sliding. To
move a crossrail, lift the release
lever up, on both sides of the
rail. Then slide the crossrail to
the desired position balancing
the force side to side. Press
the release lever down on both
sides of the rail, down to tighten
it. Try to slide the crossrail back
and forth slightly to make sure it
is tight.
.To carry long items, move the
crossrails as far apart as
possible. Tie the load to the
crossrails and the siderails or
siderail supports. Also tie the
load to the bumpers, but do
not tie the load so tightly that
the crossrails or siderails are
damaged.
.After moving a crossrail, be sure
it is securely locked into the
siderail.
A Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL) is located above the rear
window glass.
Make sure items loaded on the
roof of the vehicle do not block or
damage the CHMSL.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-22
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-24
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-35
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-39
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-39
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-39
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-42
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-43
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-45

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 (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 (9,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-9
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory plugs may not
be compatible with the accessory
power outlet and could overload
adapter or vehicle fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer. When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment. Do not
use equipment exceeding the
maximum amperage rating of
20 amperes. See
Add-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9‑85.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power
outlet can cause damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The power outlets are designed
for accessory power plugs only,
such as cell phone charge cords.
Power Outlet 110 Volt
Alternative Current
The vehicle may have a power
outlet that can be used to plug in
electrical equipment that uses a
maximum limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is located on the
rear of the center console.
An indicator light on the outlet turns
on to show it is in use. The light
comes on when the ignition is in
ON/RUN and equipment requiring
less than 150 watts is plugged into
the outlet, and no system fault is
detected.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-10 Instruments and Controls
If equipment is connected using
more than 150 watts or a system
fault is detected, a protection circuit
shuts off the power supply and the
indicator light turns off. To reset the
circuit, unplug the item and plug
it back in or turn the Remote
Accessory Power (RAP) off and
then back on. SeeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑26
The power outlet is not designed for
and may not work properly, if the
following are plugged in:
.Equipment with high initial
peak wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring
an extremely stable
power supply such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch sensor
lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

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 (16,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
5-16 Instruments and Controls
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind front passengers to
fasten their safety belt. Then the
light stays on solid until the belt is
buckled.
For more information see
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑17.This cycle continues several times
if the front passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the front passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
reminder light and chime may turn
on if an object is put on the seat
such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other
electronic device. To turn off the
reminder light and/or chime, remove
the object from the seat or buckle
the safety belt.Airbag Readiness Light
The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for possible
malfunctions. If the light stays on it
indicates there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnosticmodule. For more information on the
airbag system, see
Airbag System
on page 3‑29.
The airbag readiness light comes on
solid for a few seconds when the
engine is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
(Continued)