
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Cooled Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Passenger Sensing System . . . 15
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 16
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 23
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 23
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 25
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 25
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 26
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Universal Remote System . . . . . 27
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 28 Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 28
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/19/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0225.
2.
gTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0267.
jPower Assist Steps 051 (If
Equipped).
XParking Assist Button (If
Equipped). See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing
0 281.
ALane Keep Assist (LKA)
0 289 (If Equipped).
0Pedal Adjust Switch (If
Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
0 244.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 187.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 129.
4. Favorite Switches (Out of View). See Steering Wheel
Controls 0128. Volume Switches (Out of View).
See
Steering Wheel Controls
0 128.
5. Instrument Cluster 0137.
6. Hazard Warning Flashers
0187.
7. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0255.
Tow/Haul Selector Button. See
Tow/Haul Mode 0259.
Range Selection Mode (If
Equipped). See Manual Mode
0 257.
8. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0186.
9. Infotainment 0192.
10. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0220.
11. Heated and Cooled Front
Seats 070 (If Equipped).
12. 110 Volt Power Outlet (If Equipped). See Power Outlets
0 133.
13. Power Outlets 0133 (If
Equipped). 14. Rear Climate Control Buttons.
SeeDual Automatic Climate
Control System 0220.
15. Steering Wheel Controls 0128.
16. Horn 0129.
17. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0127.
18. Hood Release. See Hood
0 313.
19. Cruise Control 0271.
Adaptive Cruise Control 0273
(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0283 (If Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 0129
(If Equipped).
20. Trailer Brake Control Panel (If Equipped). See Towing
Equipment 0302.
21. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0146.
22. Four-Wheel Drive 0260 (If
Equipped).

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
148 Instruments and Controls
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0310. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
with the engine not running for
Key Access or in Service Only
Mode for Keyless Access.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced. See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn if there is a
problem. When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has a
brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal can go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle
0385.
{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.

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
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/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
246 Driving and Operating
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
The vehicle may have an electric
steering column lock. The lock is
activated when the vehicle is
switched to OFF and either front
door is opened. A sound may be
heard as the lock actuates or
releases. The steering column lock
may not release with the wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
the vehicle may not start. Move the
steering wheel from left to right
while attempting to start the vehicle.
If this does not work, the vehicle
needs service.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
ignition to OFF. On vehicles
with an automatic transmission,
the shift lever must be in
P (Park) to turn the ignition
switch to the OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0265.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold the ENGINE START/
STOP button for longer than
two seconds, or press twice in
five seconds. ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) :
This mode allows
some electrical accessories to be
used when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
rundown.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) : This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button once will place the
ignition system in ON/RUN/START.
Once engine cranking begins,
release the button. Engine cranking
will continue until the engine starts.
See Starting the Engine 0248. The
ignition will then remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Driving and Operating 247
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and
the brake pedal not applied,
pressing and holding the button for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode.
The instruments and audio systems
will operate as they do in ON/RUN,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Press the
button again to turn the vehicle off.
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
Vehicles with Key Access have an
ignition switch with four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
0 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF) :When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0251.
This position locks the ignition and
steering wheel. It also locks the
transmission on automatic
transmission vehicles. The key can
be removed in LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service. Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF. On
vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever
must be in P (Park) to turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK/
OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0265.

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
252 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
{Warning
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If the vehicle has a
four-wheel drive transfer case
with a N (Neutral) position, and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). Be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear. If towing a
trailer, seeDriving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0296.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake 0265. 2. Move the shift lever into the
P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the
vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, the vehicle is in
P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).

Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159366) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Driving and Operating 253
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, seeShifting
Into Park 0252.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission. You will then be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to:
. Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park).
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN and the
regular brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0382.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park):
1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever all
the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, then have the vehicle
serviced soon.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.