Page 92 of 494

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
3-32 Seats and Restraints
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. SeeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑32 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.
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 13‑17.
{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
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 add to or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
Page 106 of 494

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
3-46 Seats and Restraints
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑41.
Page 111 of 494

Black plate (51,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Seats and Restraints 3-51
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑43.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and back‐
and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Center Front Seat
Position)
{WARNING
A child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never
secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint in
a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the
center front seat position.
Page 114 of 494

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
3-54 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint,
it may be helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the vehicle is equipped with the
passenger sensing system, and
when the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑16. If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint”
underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑28 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Page 118 of 494
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
4-4 Storage
2. Do not force the grate. If it doesnot clip into place, realign the
clips with the holes and try
again.
Side Rail Channels
The side rail channels are located
on top of both sides of the cargo
area. Flush them out with clean
water if debris collects inside
of them.
Carefully load cargo into the cargo
area, so that the rails do not get
damaged.
Midgate Drain Grate Removal
and Cleaning
The removable Midgate drain grate
is located near the base of the
Midgate.
After hauling dirt, wood chips,
pebbles etc. the Midgate drain
should be flushed with water. First
remove the drain grate:
1. Lower the Midgate. SeeMidgate
®on page 2‑8 for more
information.
2. Pull up on the rear side of the drain grate, tilt it toward the front
of the vehicle, and pull it out.
Reverse the procedure to reinstall
the drain grate.
Page 121 of 494
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Storage 4-7
Use the following instructions for
the proper storage sequence
and location for each panel:
1.1. Secure clip (A) on thestorage strap.
1.2. Secure clip (B) on the storage strap.
1.3. Place the remaining primary straps (C) on top of the lid
and tray at the top of the
cargo area.2. Starting with cargo panel 1, loadthe cargo panel with the latches
facing up toward the side of the
cargo box.
Do the same for cargo panel 2
then panel 3. Make sure to store
panel 2 with the latches facing
down and panel 3 with latches
facing up toward the side of the
cargo box.3. Place the primary straps overthe three cargo covers (A).
Fasten the four strap clips (B).
Page 123 of 494

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Storage 4-9
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
2. Place the cover on the cargo box within 10 cm (4 in) of the
Midgate and lower the rear of
the panel within 5‐8 cm (2‐3 in)
from the top of the cargo box.
Push the cover forward making
sure that the guide block
engages the retainer bracket
opening. Continue to push forward until the panel is fully
seated against the Midgate.
Then lower the rear of the cover
to engage the striker pegs (A) to
align with the striker
assembly (B).
3. The driver side cargo cover
panel latch must lock in place
before the passenger side latch
can be locked. If this procedure is not followed exactly, the cargo
cover panels might not correctly
lock in place. Push the driver
side latch toward the front of the
vehicle to lock the cover in
position. A click sounds when
each latch locks. Lock the
remaining passenger side latch
on panel 1.
4. Install cargo cover 2 followed by 3 next. Place the latches in
the unlocked position. Place the
cargo cover panel on the cargo
area rails while holding the back
of the cargo panel up.
Page 124 of 494
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
4-10 Storage
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
5. Push the panel forward until it is snug against the other panel and
then let the back of the panel
down making sure that the
pegs (A) align with the
receivers (B).
6. Push the latches toward the front of the vehicle, starting with
the driver side latch, to lock the
panel in place. A click sounds
when each latch locks correctly.
Folding and Storage of Straps
Fold the straps for storing inside the
top-box storage compartment:
1. Extend the six strap ends on aflat surface.
2. Fold the four primary strap endstoward the center as shown.
3. Take the short strap and wrap itaround the folded webbing,
forming a package.
4. Take the storage strap and wrapit around the package. Finally,
attach the hooks to the webbing
and place the straps inside the
top-box storage compartment.