
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
1-10 In Brief
J:Press to heat the seat and
seatback.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.
See Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats on page 3‑8.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
See Head Restraints on page 3‑2
and Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3.
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑11.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑12.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑13.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑43.
Passenger Sensing
System
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, turns off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions. No other
airbag is affected by the passenger
sensing system.
If the vehicle has one of the
indicators pictured in the following
illustrations, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position.
The passenger airbag status
indicator, if equipped, will be visible
on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
For example, ifQand then/are
pressed again after the vehicle has
been running for 5 minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes.
The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.
Once two remote starts, or a single
remote start with one time extension
has been done, the vehicle must be
started with the key. After the key is
removed from the ignition, the
vehicle can be remote started again.
The vehicle cannot be remote
started if the key is in the ignition,
the hood is not closed, or if there is
an emission control system
malfunction and the check engine
light is on.
Also, the engine will turn off during a
remote vehicle start if the coolant
temperature gets too high or if the
oil pressure gets low.Remote Start Ready
If the vehicle does not have the
remote vehicle start feature, it may
have the remote start ready feature.
This feature allows your dealer to
add the manufacturer's remote
vehicle start feature.
See your dealer to add the
manufacturer's remote vehicle start
feature to the vehicle.
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.
There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
2-8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Lockout Protection
If the driver side power door lock
switch is pressed when the driver
door is open and the key is in the
ignition, all of the doors will lock and
then the driver door will unlock.
If the passenger side power door
lock switch is pressed when the
front passenger door is open and
the key is in the ignition, all of the
doors will lock and then the front
passenger door will unlock.
Safety Locks
The vehicle has rear door security
locks to prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the
inside.
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.
Doors
Midgate®
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to drive with
the cargo area covered and the
tailgate and the Midgate
®open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You can not see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. If you must drive
with the cargo covers on and the
tailgate and Midgate open or if
electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through
the seal between the body and
the Midgate:
.Make sure all windows
are shut.
.Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed on the setting
(Continued)

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-23
Windows
{WARNING
Never leave a child, a helpless
adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows
closed in warm or hot weather.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in a
pulsing sound when either rear
window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the
sound, open either a front window
or the sunroof, if equipped.
Power Windows
{WARNING
Children could be seriously
injured or killed if caught in the
path of a closing window. Never
leave keys in a vehicle with
children. When there are children
in the rear seat, use the window
lockout button to prevent
operation of the windows. See
Keys on page 2‑1.Power Folding Mirrors Shown,Other Models Similar
The driver door has switches
that control all windows. Each
passenger door switch only
controls that window. The power
windows work when the ignition is in
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY,
or in Retained Accessory Power
(RAP). See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑25 for more
information.
Press the switch to lower the
window. Pull the switch up to
raise it.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
3-8 Seats and Restraints
If something has blocked the driver
seat and/or the adjustable pedals
while recalling a memory position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
appropriate manual control for the
memory item that is not recalling for
two seconds. Try recalling the
memory position again by pressing
the appropriate memory button.
If the memory position is still not
recalling, see your dealer for
service.
Easy Exit Driver Seat
This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.
B(Easy Exit Driver Seat):Press
to recall the easy exit seat position.
The vehicle must be in P (Park). If the easy exit seat feature is
programmed on in the vehicle
personalization menu, automatic
seat movement occurs when the
ignition key is removed.
A single beep sounds. The driver
seat moves back approximately
8 cm (3 in). To move the seat back
farther, press
Bagain until the
seat is all the way back.
If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling the exit position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
power seat control rearward for
two seconds. Try recalling the exit
position again. If the exit position is
still not recalling, see your dealer for
service.
See Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑44.
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
3-30 Seats and Restraints
For some children, including
children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the
passenger sensing system may or
may not turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, depending
upon the person's seating posture
and body build. Everyone in the
vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety belt
properly—whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑15 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (Right
Front Seat Position) on
page 3‑52 orSecuring Child
Restraints (Center Front Seat
Position) on page 3‑51 or
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat Position) on page 3‑49. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then slightly
recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that
the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into
the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the
vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
on page 3‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
airbag for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the
child’s seating posture and body
build. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 8/27/12
Seats and Restraints 3-31
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the right front passenger seat, but
the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens,
use the following steps to allow thesystem to detect that person and
enable the right front passenger
frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.
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.

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