2013 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE ABS

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-13
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9‑41.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help
nearby. If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑7 orRoadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑11. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
(Continued)

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-41
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
9-42 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
Set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 5‑20.
Notice: Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the parking brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will flash and a
chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑60.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature, which
may be useful when the vehicle is
stopped on a grade. This feature is
designed to prevent the vehicle from
rolling, either forward or rearward,
during vehicle drive off. After the

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-45
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to“rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9‑14.
When the transfer case is in 4LO,
the stability system is automatically
disabled, the StabiliTrak light comes
on, and the appropriate message
will appear on the DIC. Both traction
control and StabiliTrak are
automatically disabled in this
condition.
Traction Control Operation
The TCS is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power to
the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each individual wheel
(brake-traction control) as
necessary.
The TCS is enabled automatically
when the vehicle is started. It will
activate and the StabiliTrak light will
flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction while driving. If traction
control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of
traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly.
Notice:
If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
The TCS may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions
such as heavy acceleration while
turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this
happens, a reduction in acceleration
may be noticed, or a noise or
vibration may be heard. This is
normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See
Cruise
Control on page 9‑47.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer for service.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
9-46 Driving and Operating
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
SeeTrailer Sway Control (TSC) on
page 9‑76.
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature. See Hill
Start Assist (HSA) on page 9‑42.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Continuous Damping
Control (CDC)
This vehicle may have a continuous
damping control system called
Autoride
®. With this feature,
improved vehicle ride and handling
is provided under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
Autoride is fully automatic and
uses a computer controller to
continuously monitor vehicle speed,
wheel to body position, lift/dive,
and steering position of the
vehicle. The controller then sends
signals to each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride. Autoride also interact with the tow/
haul mode that, when activated, will
provide additional control of the
shock absorbers. This additional
control results in better ride and
handling characteristics when the
vehicle is loaded or towing a trailer.
See
“Tow/Haul Mode” underTrailer
Towing on page 9‑63 for more
information.
Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear
suspension is available on light‐duty
vehicles and comes as a part of the
Continuous Damping Control (CDC)
suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a better
leveled riding position as well as
better handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Driving and Operating 9-63
2. Have someone place chocksunder the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3. Things that are
especially important in trailer
operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system, and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Towing
Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
See New Vehicle Break-In on
page 9‑20 for more information.
{WARNING
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well—or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may
also be damaged; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . . 9-28
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-76
Additional Information OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-13
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-22
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-16
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Audio System Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
i-6 INDEX
HeaterEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-38
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-2
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-44
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13 LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Level Control Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Lighting Entry/Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-20
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-14
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21