Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Instruments and Controls 175
Auto Fan Max Speed
This feature will set the maximum
auto fan speed.
Select Low, Medium, or High.
Auto Defog
When set to On, the front defog will
automatically come on when the
vehicle is started.
Select Off or On.
Auto Rear Defog
If equipped, this feature will
automatically turn on the rear
window defogger when it is cold
outside.
Select Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Select the Collision/Detection
Systems menu and the following
may display:
.Alert Type
. Auto Collision Preparation
. Go Notifier
. Parking Assist
. Lane Change Alert .
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Alert Type
This feature will set crash alerts to
beeps or seat vibrations. This
setting affects all crash alerts
including Forward Collision, Lane
Departure Warning, and Parking
Assist alerts.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat.
Auto Collision Preparation
This feature will turn on or off the
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Front Automatic Braking (FAB). The
Off setting disables all FCA and
FAB functions. With the Alert and
Brake setting, both FCA and FAB
are available. The Alert setting
disables FAB, but some last-second
automatic braking capability is still
provided, though less likely to occur.
See Front Automatic Braking (FAB)
System 0286.
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert.
Go Notifier
This feature will give a reminder that
Adaptive Cruise Control provides
when it has brought the vehicle to a complete stop behind another
stopping vehicle, and then that
vehicle drives on.
Select Off or On.
Parking Assist
If equipped, this allows the feature
to be turned on or off. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing
0281.
Select Off, On, or On with Towbar.
Lane Change Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Lane Change Alert
(LCA) 0287.
Select Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Assistance Systems
for Parking or Backing 0281.
Select On or Off.
Comfort and Convenience
Select the Comfort and
Convenience menu and the
following may display:
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Driving and Operating 227
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 236
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 237
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 238
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 244
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 254
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 255
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 266
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 269 Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 270
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 270
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 273
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 280
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 281
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 287
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . 289
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 292
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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236 Driving and Operating
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody or
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
More frequent maintenance service
is required. See theMaintenance
Schedule 0401.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.
Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0351.
. Turn off cruise control.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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238 Driving and Operating
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use
Roadside Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0421. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0254. To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See
“Rocking the Vehicle to Get It
Out” later in this section.
The Traction Control System (TCS)
can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0267.
If TCS cannot free the vehicle, see
“Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out”
following.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Driving and Operating 257
instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear to
be a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive
shift controls. The adaptive shift
control process continually
compares key shift parameters to
pre-programmed ideal shifts stored
in the transmission’s computer. The
transmission constantly makes
adjustments to improve vehicle
performance according to how the
vehicle is being used, such as with
a heavy load or when the
temperature changes. During this
adaptive shift control process,
shifting might feel different as the
transmission determines the best
settings.
When temperatures are very cold,
the transmission's gear shifting
could be delayed providing more
stable shifts until the engine warms
up. Shifts could be more noticeable
with a cold transmission. This
difference in shifting is normal.M :
This position allows selection of
a range of gears appropriate for
current driving conditions.
If equipped, see “Range Selection
Mode” underManual Mode 0257.
Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Normal Mode Grade Braking
If equipped with a gasoline engine
and an automatic transmission,
Normal Mode Grade Braking is
enabled when the vehicle is started,
but is not enabled in Range
Selection Mode. It assists in
maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by
using the engine and transmission
to slow the vehicle. The first time the system engages for each
ignition key cycle, a DIC message
will be displayed. See
Transmission
Messages 0170.
To disable or enable Normal Mode
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
five seconds. When the button is
released, the requested mode
change is made. A DIC message
displays. See Transmission
Messages 0170.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Tow/Haul Mode 0259 and
Cruise Control 0271.
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Driving and Operating 259
Gear before shifting from D
(Drive) to M (Manual Mode)6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st
Range after shifting from D
(Drive) to M (Manual Mode) M4 M4 M3 M2 M2 M1
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0259.
While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.
Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Low Traction Mode
Low Traction Mode assists in
vehicle acceleration when road
conditions are slippery, such as with
ice or snow. While the vehicle is at a
stop, select M2 using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels and help to
prevent the tires from spinning.
Tow/Haul Mode
The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts the
transmission shift pattern to reduce
shift cycling. This provides
increased performance, vehicle
control, and enhanced transmission
and engine cooling when driving
down steep hills or mountain
grades, towing, or hauling heavy
loads.
The selector button is on the end of
the shift lever. Turn the Tow/Haul
Mode on and off by pressing the
button. When the Tow/Haul Mode is
enabled, a light on the instrument
cluster will come on.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
260 Driving and Operating
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light 0149 and
Hill and Mountain Roads 0237.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment 0302.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is
only enabled while the Tow/Haul
Mode is selected and the vehicle is
not in the Range Selection Mode.
See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode0257.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
assists in maintaining desired
vehicle speeds when driving on
downhill grades by using the engine
and transmission to slow the
vehicle. To disable or enable Tow/Haul
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
five seconds. When the button is
released, the requested mode
change is made. A DIC message is
displayed. See
Transmission
Messages 0170.
See Towing Equipment 0302.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Automatic Transmission 0255
and Cruise Control 0271.
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped, four-wheel drive
engages the front axle for extra
traction. Read the appropriate
section for transfer case operation
before using.
Caution
Do not drive on clean, dry
pavement in 4
mand 4n(if
equipped) for an extended period
of time. These conditions may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle’s powertrain.
Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive may:
. Cause a vibration to be felt in
the steering system.
. Cause tires to wear faster.
. Make the transfer case harder to
shift, and cause it to run noisier.
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Driving and Operating 267
Control (ITBC) system, HSA may
also apply the trailer brakes. It will
not activate if the vehicle is in a
drive gear and facing downhill or if
the vehicle is facing uphill and in
R (Reverse). There may be
situations on minor hills (less than
5% grade) with a loaded vehicle or
while pulling a trailer where HSA
may activate.Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak®, an
electronic stability control system.
These systems help limit wheel spin
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the
vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the intended path. Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) is also on automatically when
the vehicle is started. See
Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) 0308.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See If the Vehicle Is Stuck 0238
and “Turning the Systems Off and
On” later in this section.
When the transfer case is in
Four-Wheel Drive Low, the stability
system is automatically disabled,