Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
324 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0410.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring
it on the ground, or into sewers,
streams, or bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the
passenger side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 314.
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, wait until it cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above
the FULL COLD mark. If it is not,
there may be a leak in the cooling
system.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the FULL
COLD mark, see “How to Add
Coolant to the Coolant Surge Tank,”
following.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
Vehicle Care 325
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Caution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the surge tank pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and surge tank pressure
cap to cool.
If no coolant is visible in the surge
tank, add coolant.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one full
turn. If a hiss is heard, wait for
that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the FULL
COLD mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until the
engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates approximately
90 °C (195 °F).
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
326 Vehicle Care
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
FULL COLD mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
For a heavy-duty Suburban, see the
Suburban Heavy-Duty Package
Supplement.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature
gauge in the vehicle's instrument
cluster. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0142.
In addition, there are ENGINE
OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE,
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE, and ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED messages in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Engine Cooling System Messages
0 163 andEngine Power Messages
0 164.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface. Check to see if the engine cooling
fan(s) are running. If the engine is
overheating, the fans should be
running. If they are not, do not
continue to run the engine, and
have the vehicle serviced.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
Vehicle Care 327
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
The ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message, along with a low coolant
condition, can indicate a serious
problem.
If there is an engine overheat
warning, but no steam is seen or
heard, the problem may not be too
serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when the vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
. Tows a trailer; see Trailer Towing
0 298.
If the ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message appears with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so: 1. Turn the air conditioning off. 2. Turn the heater on to the
highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone or an
overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is still no sign of steam and
the vehicle is equipped with an
engine driven cooling fan, push
down the accelerator until the
engine speed is about twice as fast
as normal idle speed for at least
five minutes while the vehicle is parked. If the warning is still there,
turn off the engine and get everyone
out of the vehicle until it cools down.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for five minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has electric cooling
fans, the fans may be heard
spinning at low speed during most
everyday driving. The fans may turn
off if no cooling is required. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing,
high outside temperatures,
or operation of the air conditioning
system, the fans may change to
high speed and an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and indicates that the cooling
system is functioning properly. The
fans will change to low speed when
additional cooling is no longer
required.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
328 Vehicle Care
The electric engine cooling fans
may run after the engine has been
turned. off. This is normal and no
service is required.
Power Steering Fluid
For a heavy-duty Suburban, see the
Suburban Heavy-Duty Package
supplement.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs
to be added, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. Use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The vehicle has a low washer fluid
message on the DIC that comes on
when the washer fluid is low. The
message is displayed for
15 seconds at the start of each
ignition cycle. When the WASHER
FLUID LOW ADD FLUID messagedisplays, washer fluid will need to
be added to the windshield washer
fluid reservoir.
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0314 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full when
it is very cold. This allows
for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
Index 443
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 123
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
ChargingWireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 146
Check
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 335
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . 103
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117, 119
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Child-View Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Climate Control Systems Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 424 Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 142
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 273
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 426
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 424
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 429
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 416
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 280
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153, 155
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 283
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
444 Index
Driving (cont'd)Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 29
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 237
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 238
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345, 348
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 Electrical System (cont'd)
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 314
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Cooling System Messages . . . 163
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 141
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 255
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 429
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 183
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 185
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 187
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 318
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Four-Wheel DriveTransfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 188, 338
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
Index 445
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Forward Collision Alert(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 260, 331
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Front Automatic Braking
(FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Heated and Cooled . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . . . . . 339
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 151
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 254
Requirements, California . . . . . 292
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345, 348
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Gauges
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 141
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 400
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 187
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 152
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 185
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 152
Heated
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Heated and Cooled Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 152