
Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Vehicle Care 10-61
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires withnominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tiregraded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
–AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
10-62 Vehicle Care
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature–A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
will not be necessary on a regular
basis. However, check the
alignment if there is unusual tire
wear or if the vehicle is pulling to
one side or the other. If the vehicle vibrates when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels might
need to be rebalanced. See your
dealer for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.
Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the one it
replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Vehicle Care 10-63
{WARNING
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel can
also cause problems with bearing
life, brake cooling, speedometer
or odometer calibration,
headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance, and tire
or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
Replacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
If the vehicle has P265/65R18 or
P275/55R20 size tires, do not use
tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a
vehicle without the proper amount
of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension,
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
or other vehicle parts. The area
damaged by the tire chains could
cause loss of control and a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the
traction device if it is contacting
the vehicle. Do not spin the
wheels.
If traction devices are used, install
them on the rear tires.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
INDEX i-7
Lights (cont'd)Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . 9-34, 9-39
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-17
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-36
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38 Messages (cont'd)
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-39
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Midgate
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
INDEX i-11
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Steps Power Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Storage Areas Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Cargo Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Top-Box Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-17 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Throttle, Adjustable . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-53
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-52
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-75
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44 Tires (cont'd)
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-62
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Top-Box Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-60
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-83
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 9-76
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22