Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
218 Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems (with Air Conditioning)
With this system the heating, cooling, and ventilation can be controlled.
1. Fan Control
2. A/C (Air Conditioning)
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. Defrost
5. TEMP (Temperature Control)6.K(Rear Window Defogger, If
Equipped)
f(Heated Outside Mirror, If
Equipped)
8(Outside Air, If Equipped)
7.
@Air Recirculation TEMP :
Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the temperature inside the
vehicle.
9: Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Turn the
knob all the way counterclockwise
to turn the fan off.
Air Delivery Mode Controls :
Press
Y,\,[, or-to change
the direction of the airflow. An
indicator light comes on in the
selected mode button.
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
\: Air is divided between the
instrument panel and floor outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air directed to the
windshield and side window outlets.
-: This mode clears the windows
of fog or moisture. Air is directed to
the windshield, floor outlets, and
side window vents.
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
Climate Controls 221
The recirculation light will not come
on when automatically controlled.
Press
@to manually select
recirculation; press it again to select
outside air.
Do not cover the solar sensor on the
top of the instrument panel near the
windshield. This sensor regulates
air temperature based on sun load.
See “Sensors” later in this section.
Manual Operation
O:Press to turn the climate control
system on or off. When off is
selected, air will not flow into the
cabin. If on is selected, a climate
control button is pressed, or a
climate control knob is turned, the
climate control system will turn on
and operate at the current setting.
9: Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Press the
knob to turn the fan off.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Control :
The
temperature can be adjusted
separately for the driver and
passenger.
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the driver or passenger
temperature setting.
SYNC : Press to link the passenger
temperature setting to the driver
setting. The SYNC indicator light will
turn on. When the passenger setting
is adjusted, the SYNC indicator light
is off.
The driver side or passenger side
temperature display shows the
temperature setting increasing or
decreasing.
Air Delivery Mode Control :
PressY,\,[, or-to change
the direction of the airflow. An
indicator light comes on in the
selected mode button. Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
Y:
Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
\: Air is divided between the
instrument panel and floor outlets.
Some air is directed toward the
windshield and side window outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some to the windshield,
side window outlets, and second
row floor outlets.
-: This mode clears the windows
of fog or moisture. Air is directed to
the windshield, floor outlets, and
side window vents. The system
automatically forces outside air into
the vehicle and the air conditioning
compressor will run, unless the
outside temperature is close to
freezing.
0: Press to clear the windshield
of fog or frost more quickly. Air is
directed to the windshield and the
side window vents. The air
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
Climate Controls 223
Some vehicles may have the
exterior temperature sensor in the
passenger side mirror instead of the
front grille area.
The climate control system uses the
information from these sensors to
maintain comfort settings by
adjusting the outlet temperature, fan
speed, and the air delivery mode.
The system may also supply cooler
air to the side of the vehicle facing
the sun. The recirculation mode will
also be used as needed to maintain
cool outlet temperatures.Air Vents
Use the sliding knobs on the center
and side air vents to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels near
the air vents to open or close off the
airflow.
Air vents blow warm air on the side
windows in cold weather. If Floor,
Defog, or Defrost modes are
selected, a small amount of air will
come from the vents close to the
window. If the airflow is shut off
using the thumbwheels, warm air
will be directed to the other
instrument panel vents. This is
normal operation.
Use the thumbwheels to turn vent
airflow on or off based on the mode
selected.Operation Tips
.
Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
. Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into
the vehicle.
. Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
226 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 235
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 236
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 238
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 247
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 252
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 256
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 257
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 263
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 275
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 277
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 281
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 282
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 293
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
230 Driving and Operating
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 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
Driving and Operating 231
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 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
Driving and Operating 237
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0276.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0273. .
Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
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
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0465. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349200) - 2018 - CRC - 2/27/18
238 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0256.
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 0276.
If TCS cannot free the vehicle, see
“Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out”
following.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains 0408.