2013 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE light

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
5-18 Instruments and Controls
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running, this indicates that the OBD
II system has detected a problem
and diagnosis and service might be
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 also
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, find a
safe place to 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.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Instruments and Controls 5-19
The following may correct an
emission control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 9‑58. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up. If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It may require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See
Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑55.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Depending on where you live,
your vehicle may be required to
participate in an emission control
system inspection and maintenance
program. For the inspection, the
emission system test equipment will
likely connect to the vehicle's Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered
not ready for inspection.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
5-20 Instruments and Controls
This can happen if the 12-volt
battery has recently been
replaced or run down. The
diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control
systems during normal driving.
This can take several days of
routine driving. If this has been
done and the vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack
of OBD II system readiness,
your dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
With the ignition on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. If the
vehicle is driven with the parking
brake engaged, a chime sounds
when the vehicle speed is greater
than 8 km/h (5 mph).
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop thevehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on and a
chime sounds, there could be a
brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
This light can also come on due to
low brake fluid. See
Brake Fluid on
page 10‑23 for more information.MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to ON/RUN.
If it does not come on then, have it
fixed so it is ready to warn if there is
a problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push
or might go closer to the floor. It can
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑83.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Instruments and Controls 5-21
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑20.Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑33.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
Press and release the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
button to turn off TCS, and a
message displays in the DIC.
Press and briefly hold the TCS/
StabiliTrak button to turn off the
StabiliTrak system; the StabiliTrak
Off light comes on and a message
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC).

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
5-22 Instruments and Controls
If the StabiliTrak/TCS system is
off, the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
StabiliTrak/TCS system and the
indicator light turns off.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑43, and Ride Control System
Messages on page 5‑39 for more
information.
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The TCS/StabiliTrak light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If the light does not come on or
stays on, have the vehicle serviced
by the dealer. If the system is
working normally, the indicator light
turns off. If the light comes on and stays on
while driving, and a message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), have the vehicle
serviced by the dealer. See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑39 for more information.
If the light flashes while driving, this
means that StabiliTrak or TCS is
assisting in controlling the vehicle.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑43 for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS. When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more
of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See
Tire Messages on
page 5‑41. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label. See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑51.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑53.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine
oil low can also damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Check the oil level as soon as
possible. Add oil if required, but
if the oil level is within the
operating range and the oil
pressure is still low, have the
vehicle serviced. Always follow
the maintenance schedule for
changing engine oil.
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
goes off. If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, under the fuel gauge,
comes on briefly while the engine is
being started.
This light and a chime come on
when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
The Driver Information Center also
displays a FUEL LEVEL LOW
message. See
Fuel System
Messages on page 5‑38 for more
information. When fuel is added this
light and message should go off.
If they do not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system.
This light is also used to indicate the
status of the anti-theft alarm system
when the ignition is turned off. The
light will flash rapidly if the alarm
system is arming and one or more
of the monitored entry points is not
closed. The light will stay on if the
alarm is arming and all entry points
are closed.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
5-24 Instruments and Controls
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
seeVehicle Alarm System on
page 2‑16.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑3.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use.
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See Fog
Lamps on page 6‑6 for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑47 for more
information.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Instruments and Controls 5-35
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system.
Under certain conditions, the
charging system light may also turn
on in the instrument panel cluster.
SeeCharging System Light on
page 5‑17. Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off all
unnecessary accessories. Have the
electrical system checked as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑20. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
SERVICE BRAKES SOON
This message displays if there is a
problem with the brake system.
If this message appears, stop as
soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display. If the message is still
displayed or appears again when
you begin driving, the brake system
needs service. See your dealer.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE
SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
this message displays and a chime
sounds when there is a problem
with the ITBC system.
When this message displays, power
is no longer available to the trailer
brakes.
As soon as it is safe to do so,
carefully pull your vehicle over to
the side of the road and turn the
ignition off. Check the wiring
connection to the trailer and turn the
ignition back on. If this message still
displays, either your vehicle or the
trailer needs service. See your
dealer.
See
“Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑67 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a
chime sounds if the driver door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.