Page 376 of 514

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
10-26 Vehicle Care
After work is done on the brake
hydraulic system, make sure the
level is above the MIN but not over
the MAX mark.
What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake fluid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it. This
helps keep dirt from entering the
reservoir.
{WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in
the brake hydraulic system, the
brakes might not work well. This
could cause a crash. Always use
the proper brake fluid.Notice
.Using the wrong fluid
can badly damage brake
hydraulic system parts. For
example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as
engine oil, in the brake
hydraulic system can
damage brake hydraulic
system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in
the wrong kind of fluid.
.If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces,
the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not
to spill brake fluid on the
vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately.
Battery
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information. Refer to the replacement number
on the original battery label when a
new battery is needed. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for battery location.
{WARNING
Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
{WARNING
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑82 for tips on working
around a battery without
getting hurt.
Page 433 of 514

Black plate (83,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-83
2. Get the vehicles close enoughso the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are
not touching each other. If they
are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You
would not be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
N (Neutral) before setting the
parking brake. If the vehicle has
a four-wheel-drive transfer case
with a N (Neutral) position, be
sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, not in N (Neutral). Notice:
If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all the lamps
that are not needed. This avoids
sparks and helps save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on that
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote
negative (−) jump starting terminal. You should always use
these remote terminals instead
of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal, it is located
under a red plastic cover at the
positive battery post. To uncover
the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.
The remote negative (−) terminal
is a stud located on the right
front of the engine, where the
negative battery cable attaches.
Page 436 of 514

Black plate (86,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
10-86 Vehicle Care
11. Try to start the vehicle thathad the dead battery. If it will
not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice: If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other
or other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (−)
Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal To disconnect the jumper cables
from both vehicles do the following:
1. Disconnect the black
negative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the
good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover, if the vehicle has
one, to its original position.