2017 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Owners Manual

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
336 Driving and Operating
Vehicle SeriesTr a i l e r W e ig h tWeight-Distributing HitchUsageHitch Distribution
1500Up to 3 175 kg (7,000 lb)OptionalRefer to trailermanufacturer’srecommendation
1500Over 3 175 kg (7,000 lb)Required50%
2500/3500Up to 9 080 kg (20,000 lb)OptionalRefer to trailermanufacturer’srecommendation
1. Front of Vehicle
2. Body to Ground Distance
When using a weight-distributinghitch, measure distance (2) beforecoupling the trailer to the hitch ball.Measure the height again after thetrailer is coupled and adjust thespring bars so the distance (2) is asclose as possible to halfwaybetween the two measurements.
Fifth-Wheel and Gooseneck
Trailering
Fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailerscan be used with many pickupmodels. These trailers place alarger percentage of the weight(kingpin weight) on the tow vehicle
than conventional trailers. Makesure this weight does not cause thevehicle to exceed GAWR or GVWR.
Fifth-wheel or gooseneck kingpinweight should be 15 to 25% of thetrailer weight up to the maximumamount specified in the traileringchart for the vehicle. See“Weight ofthe Trailer”underTr a i l e rTo w i n g0318.
The hitch should be located in thepickup bed so that its centerline isover or slightly in front of the rearaxle. Take care that it is not so farforward that it will contact the backof the cab in sharp turns. This isespecially important for short box

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 5/6/16
Driving and Operating 337
pickups. Trailer pin box extensionsand sliding fifth-wheel hitchassemblies can help this condition.There should be at least 15 cm (6 in)of clearance between the top of thepickup box and the bottom of thetrailer shelf that extends overthe box.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between thevehicle and the trailer. Cross thesafety chains under the tongue ofthe trailer to help prevent the tonguefrom contacting the road if itbecomes separated from the hitch.Instructions about safety chainsmay be provided by the hitchmanufacturer or by the trailermanufacturer. If the trailer beingtowed weighs up to 2 271 kg(5,000 lb) with a factory-installedstep bumper, safety chains may beattached to the attaching points onthe bumper; otherwise, safetychains should be attached to holeson the trailer hitch platform. Alwaysleave just enough slack so thecombination can turn. Never allowsafety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Aloadedtrailerthatweighsmorethan 900 kg (2,000 lb) must beequipped with its own brake system,with brakes working on all axles.Trailer braking equipmentconforming to Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA) requirementCAN3-D313, or its equivalent, isrecommended.
State and local regulations may alsorequire the trailer to have its ownbraking system if loaded above acertain threshold.
Be sure to read and follow theinstructions for the trailer brakes sothey are installed, adjusted, andmaintained properly.
Do not tap into the vehicle'shydraulic brake system.
Auxiliary Battery
The auxiliary battery provision canbe used to supply electrical powerto additional equipment that may beadded, such as a slide-in camper.If equipped, this relay will be on thedriver side of the vehicle, next to theunderhood electrical center.
Be sure to follow the properinstallation instructions included withany electrical equipment that isinstalled.
Caution
Leaving electrical equipment on
for extended periods will drain the
battery. Always turn off electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not use equipment that
exceeds the maximum amperage
rating of 30 amps for the auxiliary
battery provision.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The vehicle is equipped with one ofthe following wiring harnesses fortowing a trailer or hauling a slide-incamper.
Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, double cab, and crewcab pickups have a seven-wiretrailer towing harness.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 5/6/16
338 Driving and Operating
Use only a round, seven-wireconnector with flat blade terminalsmeeting SAE J2863 specificationsfor proper electrical connectivity.
For vehicles not equipped withheavy-duty trailering, the harness issecured to the vehicle's framebehind the spare tire mount. Theharness requires the installation of atrailer connector, which is availablethrough your dealer.
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring HarnessPackage
For vehicles equipped withheavy-duty trailering, the harnessconnector is mounted in the bumper.
For vehicles with the fifth wheel/gooseneck trailer package, theharness connector is mounted onthe inside of the pickup bed behindthe rear wheel.
The seven-wire harness containsthe following trailer circuits:
.Green/Violet: Right Stop/TurnSignal
.Ye l l o w / G r a y : L e f t S t o p / T u r nSignal
.Gray/Brown: Taillamps/ParkingLamps
.White: Ground
.White/Green: Back-up Lamps
.Red/Green: Battery Feed
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
To h e l p c h a r g e a r e m o t e(non-vehicle) battery, press the Tow/Haul Mode button at the end of theshift lever. If the trailer is too light forTo w / H a u l M o d e , t u r n o n t h eheadlamps to help charge thebattery.
Camper/Fifth-Wheel Trailer WiringPackage
For vehicles without the fifth wheel/gooseneck tralier package,seven-wire camper harness is underthe rear bumper, attached to theframe near the rear crossmember.Aconnectormustbeaddedtothewiring harness that connects to thecamper.
The harness contains the followingcamper/trailer circuits:
.Green/Violet: Right Stop/TurnSignal
.Ye l l o w / G r a y : L e f t S t o p / T u r nSignal
.Gray/Brown: Taillamps/ParkingLamps

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Driving and Operating 339
.White: Ground
.White/Green: Back-up Lamps
.Red/Green: Battery Feed
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
If the vehicle is equipped with theheavy-duty trailering option, see“Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring HarnessPackage”earlier in this section.
When the camper-wiring harness isordered without the heavy-dutytrailering package, a seven-wireharness with a seven-pin connectoris at the rear of the vehicle and istied to the vehicle's frame.
Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions areincluded with the vehicle as part ofthe trailer wiring package. Theseprovisions are for an electric brakecontroller.
The harness should be installed byyour dealer or a qualified servicecenter.
Tow/Haul Mode
Pressing this button at the end ofthe shift lever turns on and off theTo w / H a u l M o d e .
This indicator light on the instrumentcluster comes on when the Tow/Haul Mode is on.
To w / H a u l i s a f e a t u r e t h a t a s s i s t swhen pulling a heavy trailer or alarge or heavy load. SeeTo w / H a u lMode0282.
To w / H a u l i s d e s i g n e d t o b e m o s teffective when the vehicle andtrailer combined weight is at least75% of the vehicle's GrossCombined Weight Rating (GCWR).See“Weight of the Trailer”underTr a i l e r To w i n g0318.Tow/Haulismost useful under the followingdriving conditions:
.When pulling a heavy trailer or alarge or heavy load throughrolling terrain.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or alarge or heavy load instop-and-go traffic.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or alarge or heavy load in busyparking lots where improved lowspeed control of the vehicle isdesired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haulwhen lightly loaded or with no trailerat all will not cause damage.However, there is no benefit to the

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
340 Driving and Operating
selection of Tow/Haul when thevehicle is unloaded. Such aselection when unloaded may resultin unpleasant engine andtransmission driving characteristicsand reduced fuel economy. Tow/Haul is recommended only whenpulling a heavy trailer or a large orheavy load.
Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System
The vehicle may have an IntegratedTrailer Brake Control (ITBC) systemfor use with electric trailer brakes ormost electric over hydraulic trailerbrakes.
This symbol is on the Trailer BrakeControl Panel on vehicles with anITBC system. The power output tothe trailer brakes is based on theamount of brake pressure beingapplied by the vehicle’sbrake
system, and on the type of trailerbrakes detected. This availablepower output to the trailer brakescan be adjusted to a wide range oftrailering situations.
The ITBC system is integrated withthe vehicle’sbrake,antilockbrake,and StabiliTrak systems. In traileringconditions that cause the vehicle’santilock brake or StabiliTraksystems to activate, power sent tothe trailer's brakes will beautomatically adjusted to minimizetrailer wheel lock-up. This does notimply that the trailer has StabiliTrak.
If the vehicle’sbrake,antilockbrake,or StabiliTrak systems are notfunctioning properly, the ITBCsystem may not be fully functionalor may not function at all. Make sureall of these systems are fullyoperational to ensure fullfunctionality of the ITBC system.
The ITBC system is poweredthrough the vehicle's electricalsystem. Turning the ignition off willalso turn off the ITBC system. TheITBC system is fully functional onlywhen the ignition is in ON/RUN.
{Warning
Connecting a trailer that has an
air brake system may result in
reduced or complete loss of trailer
braking. There may be an
increase in stopping distance or
trailer instability which could
result in personal injury or
damage to the vehicle, trailer,
or other property. Use the ITBC
system only with electric or
electric over hydraulic trailer
brakes.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Driving and Operating 341
Trailer Brake Control Panel
1. Manual Trailer Brake ApplyLever
2. Trailer Gain AdjustmentButtons
The ITBC system has a controlpanel on the instrument panel to theleft of the steering column. SeeInstrument Panel06.Thecontrolpanel allows adjustment to theamount of output, referred to asTrailer Gain, available to the trailerbrakes and allows manualapplication of the trailer brakes. TheTrailer Brake Control Panel is usedalong with the Trailer Brake Display
Page on the Driver InformationCenter (DIC) to adjust and displaypower output to the trailer brakes.
Trailer Brake DIC Display Page
The ITBC system displaysmessages in the DIC.
The display page indicates TrailerGain setting, power output to thetrailer brakes, trailer connection, andsystem operational status.
To d i s p l a y t h e T r a i l e r B r a k e D i s p l a yPage, do any of the following:
.Scroll through the DIC menupages.
.Press a Trailer Gain button.If the Trailer Brake Display Pageis not currently displayed, pressaTrailerGainbuttontorecallthecurrent Trailer Gain setting.Each press and release of thegain buttons will then change theTrailer Gain setting.
.Activate the Manual TrailerBrake Apply Lever.
TRAILER GAIN: This setting can beadjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with eitheratrailerconnectedordisconnected.
To a d j u s t t h e T r a i l e r G a i n , p r e s s o n eof the Trailer Gain Adjustmentbuttons. Press and hold a gainbutton to continuously adjust theTrailer Gain. To turn the output tothe trailer off, adjust the Trailer Gainsetting to 0.0 (zero).
TRAILER OUTPUT: This displaysanytime a trailer with electric brakesis connected. Output to the trailerbrakes is based on the amount ofvehicle braking present and relativeto the Trailer Gain setting. Output isdisplayed from 0 to 100% for eachgain setting.
The Trailer Output will indicate“------”on the Trailer BrakeDisplay Page whenever thefollowing occur:
.No trailer is connected.
.Atrailerwithoutelectricbrakesis connected (no DIC messagewill display).
.Atrailerwithelectricbrakeshasbecome disconnected (aCHECK TRAILER WIRINGmessage will also display onthe DIC).

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
342 Driving and Operating
.There is a fault present in thewiring to the trailer brakes (aCHECK TRAILER WIRINGmessage will also display onthe DIC).
.The ITBC system is not workingdue to a fault (a SERVICETRAILER BRAKE SYSTEMmessage will also display inthe DIC).
Manual Trailer Brake Apply
The Manual Trailer Brake ApplyLever is used to apply the trailer’selectric brakes independent of thevehicle’sbrakes.Slidingthelevertothe left will apply only the trailerbrakes. Use this lever to adjustTrailer Gain to properly adjust thepower output to the trailer brakes.
The trailer's and the vehicle's brakelamps will come on when eithervehicle brakes or manual trailerbrakes are applied.
Trailer Gain Adjustment Procedure
Trailer Gain should be set for aspecific trailering condition and mustbe adjusted anytime vehicle loading,trailer loading, or road surfaceconditions change.
{Warning
Trailer brakes that are
over-gained or under-gained may
not stop the vehicle and the trailer
as intended and can result in a
crash. Always follow the
instructions to set the Trailer Gain
for the proper trailer stopping
performance.
Use the following to adjust TrailerGain for each towing condition:
1. Drive the vehicle with the trailerattached on a level roadsurface representative of thetowing condition and free oftraffic at about 32 to 40 km/h(20 to 25 mph) and fully applythe Manual Trailer Brake ApplyLever.
Adjusting Trailer Gain atspeeds lower than 32 to40 km/h (20 to 25 mph) mayresult in an incorrect gainsetting.
2. Adjust the Trailer Gain, usingthe Trailer Gain AdjustmentButtons, to just below the pointof trailer wheel lock-up,indicated by trailer wheelsqueal or tire smoke when atrailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may notoccur if towing a heavily loadedtrailer. In this case, adjust theTrailer Gain to the highestallowable setting for the towingcondition.
3. Readjust Trailer Gain anytimevehicle loading, trailer loading,or road surface conditionschange or if trailer wheellock-up is noticed at any timewhile towing.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Driving and Operating 343
Other ITBC-Related DIC Messages
In addition to displaying TRAILERGAIN and OUTPUT through theDIC, trailer connection and ITBCsystem status are displayed onthe DIC.
TRAILER CONNECTED: Thismessage will briefly display when atrailer with electric brakes is firstconnected to the vehicle. Thismessage will automatically turn offin about 10 seconds. This messagecan be acknowledged before itautomatically turns off.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING: Thismessage will display if:
.The ITBC system firstdetermines connection to atrailer with electric brakes andthen the trailer harness becomesdisconnected from the vehicle.
If the disconnect occurs whilethe vehicle is stationary, thismessage will automatically turnoff in about 30 seconds. Thismessage will also turn off if it isacknowledged or if the trailerharness is reconnected.
If the disconnect occurs whilethe vehicle is moving, thismessage will continue until theignition is turned off. Thismessage will also turn off if it isacknowledged or if the trailerharness is reconnected.
.There is an electrical fault in thewiring to the trailer brakes. Thismessage will continue as longas there is an electrical fault inthe trailer wiring. This messagewill also turn off if it isacknowledged.
To d e t e r m i n e i f t h e e l e c t r i c a l f a u l t i son the vehicle side or trailer side ofthe trailer wiring harnessconnection:
1. Disconnect the trailer wiringharness from the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Wait 10 seconds, then turn theignition back to RUN.
4. If the CHECK TRAILERWIRING message reappears,the electrical fault is on thevehicle side.
If the CHECK TRAILERWIRING message onlyreappears when connecting thetrailer wiring harness to thevehicle, the electrical fault is onthe trailer side.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKESYSTEM: This message will displaywhen there is a problem with theITBC system. If this messagecontinues over multiple ignitioncycles, there is a problem with theITBC system. Have the vehicleserviced.
If either the CHECK TRAILERWIRING or SERVICE TRAILERBRAKE SYSTEM message displayswhile driving, the ITBC system maynot be fully functional or may notfunction at all. When trafficconditions allow, carefully pull thevehicle over to the side of the roadand turn the ignition off. Check thewiring connection to the trailer andturn the ignition back on. If either ofthese messages continues, eitherthe vehicle or trailer needs service.