2012 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN towing

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-45
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-53
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-35
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-31
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-45
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-51
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-85

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8 Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-15
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-17
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19 OnStar
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑13.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
C. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑11.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑5 (Out of View).
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑31.
F. Manual Mode on page 9‑34
(If Equipped).
Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑35
(If Equipped).
G. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑26.
H. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
I. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1. J.
Dome Lamps on page 6‑7.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑6
(If Equipped).
K. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
L. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped). See
Towing Equipment on
page 9‑75.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑18.
N. Automatic Transfer Case Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed
Automatic Transfer Case) on
page 9‑36 orFour-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case) on page 9‑41.
O. Cruise Control on page 9‑49.
P. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2. Q.
Horn on page 5‑4.
R. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
S. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4
(If Equipped).
T. Power Outlets on page 5‑8.
U. StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑45 (If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal on
page 9‑22.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑51 (If Equipped).
Power Assist Steps on
page 2‑13 (If Equipped).

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-13
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to
right to see a little of the side of the
vehicle, and have a clear view
behind the vehicle.
SeeManual Mirrors on page 2‑16
If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.
Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer. See Trailer-Tow
Mirrors on page 2‑17. Power Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
and foldaway mirrors have controls
located on the driver door.
1. Press (A) or (B) to select the
driver or passenger side mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move the mirror up,
down, right, or left.
3. Press either (A) or (B) again to deselect the mirror.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17. Power Foldaway Mirrors
To fold the mirrors:
1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out
to the driving position.
2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to the folded position.
The mirrors may also include a
memory function that works with the
memory seats. See Memory Seats
on page 3‑7 for more information.
Manual Foldaway Mirrors
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.
See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑17.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
N (Neutral):Vehicles with a
two speed transfer case have a
N (Neutral) position. Shift the
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑87 orTowing the Vehicle
on page 10‑87.
See Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed
Automatic Transfer Case) on
page 9‑36 orFour-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic Transfer
Case) on page 9‑41.Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
Radio with USB, CD, and DVD (MP3)
O: Press to turn the system
on and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume. BAND:
Press to choose between
FM, AM, or XM™, if equipped.
f: Select radio stations.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-17
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.
Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer.
The lower portion of the mirror is
convex. A convex mirror's surface is
curved to see more from the driver
seat. The convex mirror can be
adjusted manually to the driver
preferred position for better vision.
The mirror may have a turn signal
arrow that flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Power Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have the controls on the driver door
armrest.
To adjust each mirror:
1. Press (A) or (B) to select thedriver or passenger side mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move the mirror up,
down, right, or left. 3. Adjust each outside mirror so
that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.
4. Press either (A) or (B) again to deselect the mirror.
The mirrors may also include a
memory function that works with the
memory seats. See Memory Seats
on page 3‑7 for more information.
Folding Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power
foldaway mirrors have the controls
located on the driver door armrest.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-41
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers
and braking, which helps the
passenger sensing system
maintain the passenger airbag
status. See“Safety Belts” and
“Child Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
If the shoulder portion of the belt is
pulled out all the way, the child
restraint locking feature will be
engaged. This may unintentionally
cause the passenger sensing
system to turn the airbag off for
some adult‐size occupants. If this
happens, let the belt go back all the
way and start again. A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such
as seat covers, seat heaters, and
seat massagers, can affect how
well the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that
you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑42 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. The on indicator may be lit if
an object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-19
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Notice:
Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of
the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required. To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.