2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 brake

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
162 Instruments and Controls
adjusted to this level. To set the
maximum startup volume, touch +
or−to increase or decrease.
Audio Cue Volume
This feature sets the volume of
audio files played at system startup
and shutdown.
Select On, then touch + or −to
increase or decrease the volume.
Vehicle
Select and the following may
display:
. Climate and Air Quality
. Collision/Detection Systems
. Comfort and Convenience
. Lighting
. Power Door Locks
. Remote Lock, Unlock, Start
Climate and Air Quality
Select and the following may
display:
.Auto Fan Speed
. Auto Rear Defog Auto Fan Speed
This feature will set the auto fan
speed.
Select Low, Medium, or High.
Auto Rear Defog
This feature will automatically turn
on the rear defogger when it is cold
outside.
Select Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Select and the following may
display:
.
Alert Type
. Forward Collision System
. Park Assist
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 Park Assist
alerts.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat. Forward Collision System
This feature will turn on or off
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Forward 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. See
Forward
Automatic Braking (FAB) (1500
Series) 0285.
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert.
Park Assist
If equipped, this feature can assist
in backing up and parking the
vehicle. See Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0280.
Select Off, On, or On with Towbar.
Comfort and Convenience
Select and the following may
display:
. Auto Memory Recall
. Easy Exit Options
. Chime Volume
. Reverse Tilt Mirror

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
Driving and Operating 225
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 234
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 235
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 237
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 246
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 251
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 254
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 256
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 272
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 275
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 279
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 280
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . 285
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 290
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 290
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
Driving and Operating 227
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section
and/or infotainment manual on using
that system and the navigation
system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts067.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
. Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
228 Driving and Operating
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering (1500
Series)
If the vehicle has electric power
steering, it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Hydraulic Power Steering
(2500/3500 Series)
(2500/3500 Series
–All Regular
Cab, Double Cab/Crew Cab
without Digital Steer Assist)
The power steering system may
require maintenance.
See Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) 0345 orPower Steering
Fluid (2500/3500 Series) 0345.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system malfunctions, the vehicle
can be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer.
(2500/3500 Series –Double Cab/
Crew Cab with Digital Steer
Assist)
The vehicle has a Digital Steer
Assist power steering system that
varies the amount of effort required to steer the vehicle. Less steering
effort is required at slower speeds.
At faster speeds, the steering effort
increases. The system helps the
steering wheel return to center at
low speeds. Pressing the Tow/Haul
button adjusts steering effort for
driving conditions described in
Tow/
Haul Mode 0261.
The power steering system may
require maintenance.
See Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) 0345 orPower Steering
Fluid (2500/3500 Series) 0345.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system malfunctions, the vehicle
can be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds, (Continued)

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
Driving and Operating 229
Caution (Continued)
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.
There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand. .
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
230 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and
vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface. For
contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
warranty manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear seat belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.
Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
. Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Remove any underbody air
deflector, if equipped. Re-attach
the air deflector after off-road
driving.
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower air
dam, if equipped. However, driving
without the air dam reduces fuel
economy.

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
232 Driving and Operating
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
. Maintain a slow speed.
. When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
. Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
. Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause a crash. There
could be a drop-off, embankment,
cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two-speed
automatic or electronic transfer
case, shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause your
vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in P (Park). This is
because the N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down.

Chevrolet Silverado LD 1500 and Silverado 2500/3500 Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-12162993) - 2019 - crc - 4/4/18
Driving and Operating 233
.Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
. If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.
. Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake. The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
. If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.
3. If the vehicle cannot be restarted after stalling, set the
parking brake, shift into
P (Park), and turn the
vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and
seek help. 3.2. Stay clear of the path the
vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
. Avoid turns that take the vehicle
across the incline of the hill.
A hill that can be driven straight
up or down might be too steep to
drive across. Driving across an
incline puts more weight on the
downhill wheels, which could
cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
. Surface conditions can be a
problem. Loose gravel, muddy
spots, or even wet grass can
cause the tires to slip sideways,
downhill. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it —a rock, a rut,
etc. —and roll over.
. Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline more
severe. If a rock is driven across
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, the vehicle can tilt
even more. .
If an incline must be driven
across, and the vehicle starts to
slide, turn downhill. This should
help straighten out the vehicle
and prevent the side slipping.
{Warning
Getting out of the vehicle on the
downhill side when stopped
across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you could
be crushed or killed. Always get
out on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow,
or Ice
Use a low gear when driving in
mud —the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. Keep the vehicle
moving to avoid getting stuck.
Traction changes when driving on
sand. On loose sand, such as on
beaches or sand dunes, the tires
tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and